CITY CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
2019 - 2020
NEWSLETTER 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
DR FRANK R FERNANDES Dear TCSI Community,
training, workshops, Professional Development
As we reflect on the 2019-2020 school year, please join the TCSI staff and me in acknowledging and celebrating the many wonderful learning experiences and educational opportunities that have taken place for our students at The City School International, in numerous classrooms and in very creative and innovative ways. Together we have planned and executed best teaching practices and held students to high standards and expectations. The City School's core values of Integrity, Compassion, Innovation, Leadership and Global Citizenship is seen embedded through the tremendous dedication and talent of our staff which make it a wonderful and special learning environment.
of Staff and orientation programme for staff and new students. The TCSI Calendar was packed with a number of events which were planned carefully with the great brainstorming of our leaders and it was well spread across the academic year. This was done to meet the core intention of well-rounded individuals and equal opportunities to our students. Just to name a few of those activities such as the Islamic Calligraphy, Students Council Elections, English Big Write, Scientific Writing, Maths Cache Week, Pink Ribbon Walk(Breast Cancer Awareness), Dubai Fitness Challenge, Educational Trips, UAE. National Day Celebrations, Staff Lunch, Arabic and English Debate Competitions, The First TCSI Excellence Awards, Spotlight on Careers -
The school academic year started in the last
Emirates Headquarters, Competition etc.. etc.
week of August 2019 with the intensive staff
MakeX
Robotics
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Students at TCSI had an opportunity for the academic year 2019-20 to study two modern Foreign Languages. That was French and Urdu. This was introduced for the sole reason as it boosts brain power, improves memory, enhances the ability to multi-task, helps sharpen the mind, enhances decision making, increases networking skills, provides better career choices and even improves performance in other academic areas including several other reasons. I must say the school had a very tight, bright and eventful first term, full of activities including a very successful KHDA Inspection, where TCSI were again rated 'GOOD' for the third consecutive year in a row, with a lot of Very Good features. We did begin the second term on a bright note with our Annual Sports Day, Trips to IMG World, Adventure Land etc... This was followed with a lot of health sessions by the School Nurse on Washing of Hands, Personal Hygiene for the boys etc... followed by Islamic Declamation Week etc. before the COVID -19 Pandemic struck and the schools had to be closed down to continue with the 'Distance Learning'. Covid-19 created history for all of us and this experience will remain as a lifelong experience for years to come. I must commend the efforts of the staff, students and the parents who have been very resilient in fighting this unexpected situation. These efforts have helped us to continue the 'Teaching & Learning' despite this situation. We are now reached towards the end of our final term of the academic year with the assessments, about to begin within a few weeks.
I can’t thank everyone enough for their endless hours of volunteering, preparing, organizing, training, donating and doing whatever was necessary to support students—both at home and at school. Special thanks to our Parent's Council who, as usual, went above and beyond the call of duty to provide whatever was necessary to add to our students’ already rich school experience. I cannot miss to thank the Parents for their support all round the year as well as during these Covid-19 crisis. utmost dedication of the staff made learning possible in unfavourable unprecedented conditions. Undoubtedly,
The the and you
are thorough professionals, we are proud of you. Dear
TCSI
students:
Your
enthusiasm,
commitment, perseverance and passion for learning keep our spirit alive. Best wishes to our graduating Year 11 Class, whom I will miss greatly—please come back and visit. Yes, we will be very happy to welcome you back into our AS Business Programme, which is starting in coming September 2020. Everyone, have a safe and happy summer break. Please Stay Home and Stay Safe. Until next school year, here’s wishing you love, laughter and learning. Respectfully, Dr. Frank R Fernandes
A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed. - Nelson Mandela PAGE | 02
NEWSLETTER 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF THE SECTION (YEAR 5 TO 11) FARAH AZEEM Be a student as long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. -Henry L. Doherty Learning is a never-ending process. It keeps on reverberating throughout a person’s life. Every experience will teach you something. You just need to keep an open mind and open heart to see what lessons the world has to offer. Reflecting on this year I am also filled with a great sense of pride. For me life is all about being in a better position now than we were before. Long term success and improvement is less about giant leaps but is rather a series of small steps; no mountain top is reached in a single bound but rather by continuing to put one foot in front of another. It is with a real sense of pride that I can look back on the year and see what nice memories and great achievements we have accomplished this year! I feel elevated to congratulate you for accomplishments during the last few weeks in the Covid19-driven circumstances. The coherent strength of our family is born out of the dedication and hard work of each member. Your efforts have enabled the school education system to achieve the much better crops you have harvested today by quick adjustment to the distance mode of teaching and learning. Your hard work has not been wasted rather it has created a sense of pride and happiness among every part of School community.
I also would like you to join me in appreciating all the members of both the teaching and nonteaching staff especially the staff who extended continuous support to the school IT-system, that without them our achievements would not have been possible. For all the TCSI staff, I say: Thank you so much for your restless efforts and dedication to take the school far and beyond our plans. The real test is the time of crisis where the true character of the team emerges. Your efforts are truly commendable and set a very high standards qualifying the test of resilience. Lastly, for year 11 students I say: I am so proud of all that you have accomplished, but even prouder of the young men and ladies that you have become. Your strong characters, determination, and hard work will take you far in life. Enjoy your success! So, my dear students, as you embark on a new chapter of your life, always remember that learning does not stop inside the classroom. Stay safe stay healthy. Farah Azeem PAGE |03
NEWSLETTER 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF THE SECTION (FS TO YEAR 4) LINA OMAR Dear TCSI Community, Thank you for this wonderful and productive school year. No words can praise the untiring efforts of our teachers who went an extra mile to support students and provide conducive environment even during the virtual learning conditions due to Corona Virus Pandemic. Student engagement in the classes was challenging in the traditional classroom. The challenge with distance learning is even more difficult. However, we have seen the best practices, encouraging students for fully engaged learning throughout this period. We lived the history and succeeded together!
That experience could not occur without the endless energy, skills and devotion of the TCSI staff and parents. Thanks, and well done to an incredible group of professionals. A final word to TCSI students (EYFS to year4): Thank you for all your hard work throughout the school year. I am so honoured to be your Head of Section; you make me proud to be a TCSI member. You keep me laughing and young at heart. I am grateful for your joy, astute insights and amazing talents. “Promise me you’ll remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think.” Winnie the Pooh Sincerely Lina Omar
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NEWSLETTER 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way - Napoleon Hill
It is with immense pleasure to release this masterpiece which encompasses holistic education and learning. Although this newsletter comprises of tens of pages, it is a product of EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mr Kamran Ahmed (HOD English) ASSOCIATE EDITORS Ms Madelyn Addatu Ms Sadaf Wajahat Ms Jenny Ms Vanessa STUDENT MEDIA TEAM Shanzay Rizwan Maheen Faisal Minaam Azeem Manal Fatima Laiba Aziz Doha Sarwer CONTRIBUTORS All the Heads and Teachers
aspiration, inspiration and perspiration of the invincible efforts of our students and undaunted commitment of our teachers. The pages of the magazine unfold celebrating the academic, artistic, social awareness and unleash talents and sport skills of our students. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much,” Helen Keller once said. So, it is true to TCSI family. A heartfelt gratitude to Dr Frank R Fernandes (The Principal) for being the wind beneath the school publication’s wings, and big thanks to the reporting, editorial and designing team for their unwavering patience and support, especially the Media Team that made sure the supply of reports remained uninterrupted even during Distance Learning Period. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together.
MEDIA TEAM
LAYOUT EDITOR &
PHOTOGRAPHY
SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT
CREATIVE DESIGNER
Mr Muammad Awais
Ms Zahra Saleem
Ms Jean Soney
( System Administrator)
( Executive Assistant
( Innovation Coordinator )
& Registrar )
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NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI Awards Ceremony Welcomes Shining Stars Minaam Azeem (Year 10 Student)
On 6th February The City School International held its first Award Ceremony to acknowledge the hard work and passion of students towards learning. The event started at 6pm sharp. Ammar, Aqib and Maheen Faisal were the featured hosts for the eventful evening. It started with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran followed by its translation. Right after this, the National anthem and school song were sung by everyone. The presence of the chief guest, Dr Hummayoun Naeem, made the event more meaningful. Then, our principal, Dr Frank R. Fernandes gave an aspiring speech in which he congratulated all the students as well as their parents. Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of education and how the school staff is helping students to learn and achieve more. Our chief guest, who is also a professor in SZABIST university showed his gratitude and how honoured he was to be the part of TCSI first awards evening; he also spoke about SZABIST university and encouraged students to set goals in their life. With this coming to an end, our junior students showcased some excellent dance performances and stunts, leaving everyone awe-struck. PAGE |06
NEWSLETTER 2020
Now it was time to witness the most awaited moment, the distribution of awards. These awards were categorized into excellence and endeavour awards. Two students were selected from each class who achieved higher grades in academics and those who worked hard throughout. Dr Frank, Miss Farah (secondary section head), Miss Lina (primary and FS section head) and Sir Humayun Naeem distributed the awards to the shining stars of TCSI. This was again followed by a spectacular performance by the little angels who were dressed up as fairies. After, making everyone energetic once again the students from Year 5 to Year 11 were given the awards and the students who got outstanding results in IGCSE were recognised. Students are born with wings; teachers help them to fly. With this keeping in mind, the dedicated teachers were also awarded and appreciated for the immense hard work they put throughout the year to make their students shine brighter than stars. The event ended with the speech of Miss Farah in which she congratulated everyone and thanked parents for joining them. Everyone then enjoyed delicious food and left the school with pride on their faces. PAGE |07
NEWSLETTER 2020
The Investiture Ceremony Minaam Azeem (Year 10 Student)
The most auspicious ceremonial occasion of the year; “The Investiture Ceremony” written bright and clearly on the stage made it quite evident what today’s assembly was going to be about. The 8 am bell commenced the start of the day and over a hundred students were
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality - Warren Bennis
gathered in the assembly area within seconds. Our Principal, Dr Frank Fernandes shared the joy he felt to see students of our school perform in such an orderly fashion and fulfil their responsibilities. We could tell that 29th September 2019 was going to be a memorable day of this academic year. Ammar Aqib and Anzish Kamran were the featured hosts for the eventful morning. It started with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an followed by its translation. Right after which, the National anthem and school song were sung by everyone. He inspired and uplifted the elected leaders to be conscientious and responsible in his address to the gathering. As he said the last few words of his speech, Miss Zakir came on stage for the annual student council march past.The excitement on their faces showed how eager they were to see their leaders recognized in front of the entire school.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
The Investiture Ceremony Organized and conducted by Miss Zakir herself, the march past consisted of all the members of the student council dressed neatly and uniformly. On her signal, Sir Azam played the strong rhythmic march music and the student council started moving forward. The formation of the march started with our Head Boy and Head Girl; Fayez Asif and Shanzay Shah, firmly holding the school flags, followed by the Deputy Head Boy and Head Girl; Amaan Aziz and Manal Fatimah and then the Sports Captains; Rumman Ahmed and Azka Shariq. The assembly concluded with Miss Farah’s motivational words to the leaders and a round of applause for them. It was indeed a memorable day for our school.
All the House captains, holding their house flags, and the Vice House the Captains, the Leaders and the Prefects followed their heads and marched towards the stage in a perfect sync. Everyone’s eyes were stuck on them until they finally came to a stop in front of the stage. All the elected members were eagerly waiting for this moment; the badge pinning. Miss Farah and Sir Frank conferred the officers with badges and sashes. The elected leaders then took the pledge to hold the school motto and complete the responsibilities entrusted to them in the year ahead. PAGE |09
NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI Commemorates UAE National Day Madelyn Addatu (English teacher) & Doha Sarwar (Year 10 Student)
In order to exemplify respect and homage to the United Arab Emirates, TCSI celebrated the National Day on 28th November 2019 at the assembly area with diverse entertaining performances by the students and invited guests. The school was adorned with mouth-watering food stalls, exciting games, amazing performances, and elegant attires by the citizens of TCSI. Students, especially the Arabs confidently showcased their talents and skills depicting their awareness of the traditions and culture of UAE. Parents and other visitors beamed upon seeing each performance that conveyed a message of appreciation to the country that welcomed people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Some
student
council
members
agreed to this statement: “The camel ride added thrill and excitement to most of the students especially in the lower primary.” Many students, even some teachers tried and later enjoyed the quick yet fun ride. That area became a vast desert for a short period of time. Towards the end of the program, a surprise number from Zyad Iskandarani dancers hooked everybody’s attention and spiced up the show as many teachers danced with the performers. “I am very glad to see happy faces all around the school. This is one way to show how blissful and grateful we are living in this beautiful country,” mentioned Dr. Fernandes, the school principal. The guests also proclaimed how joyful the celebration was. Agreeably, students’ cooperation and parents’ support paved the way for the success of the gathering. PAGE |10
NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI Commemorates UAE National Day
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Breast Cancer Awareness Beefed Up Madelyn Addatu (English Teacher)
The Pink Ribbon Walk was organized by the TCSI management on 17th October 2019 to show support to the big C patients and survivors. The whole TCSI community along with the health care providers and some parents attended the event.
Meanwhile, they affirmed, “We have to eat nutritious food and exercise regularly for our blood to circulate well. This affects our disposition in life because being physically healthy means being healthy mentally and socially, as well.” The event was graced by the performance of some select students from the upper primary who showcased their talent in gymnastics that conveyed a message to everyone about the importance of exercise.
The respected doctors gave some insights about the causes, signs and symptoms and the possible cure for such disease. Although it could be hereditary at some point, they advised that in order to avoid acquiring such, there is a need for people to live a healthy lifestyle.
The day was enveloped with recognition and appreciation especially to
the
survivors
when
a
parent, who herself endeavoured such circumstance, shared about her experiences: how she accepted her fate, how she managed to stay positive amidst the tough situation and how lucky she was having been surrounded by a very strong support group. The activity was an eyeopener to all its attendees as it left a vital message of sympathy and support to the people experiencing uncontrolled growth and division of cells caused by unidentified cellular changes.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Breast Cancer Awareness Beefed Up
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Raise the UAE flag Shanzay Rizwan (Year 10 Student)
Alongside many other schools and universities, The City School International celebrated the UAE Flag Day on 3rd November as it has for the past years. The ceremony started at 11:00am with everyone from FS2 until Year 11 in the assembly area. Firstly, the ceremony started with the recitation from the verses of the Holy Qur’an. The hosts (deputy head girl and deputy head boy) shared about the wonderful meaning behind the colours of the UAE flag. Secondly, our respected principal, Dr Frank Fernandes, Ms Farah Azeem, Secondary Head and Ms Lina Salah, Primary Head were called on stage alongside our Head Boy, Fayez Asif to raise the flag of UAE high and proud. Throughout the event, the entire school was joyfully raising and waving the flag of UAE, filing the crowd with its glorious colours. The assembly ended with the singing of the UAE National Anthem.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
STEM Challenge? Accepted! The theoretical round consisted of difficult handpicked questions about general sciences. Four students (Shaheer, Ahmed Ibrahim, Ahmed Hani and Majd) made it to the practical round. The students were given 30 minutes to construct a stable building out of nothing but marshmallows and spaghetti! Anupama Girish (HOD Science)
On 20th February students from The City School International were invited to compete with 50 other prestigious schools for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Challenge at Curtin University. There were several different rounds and The City School participated in two rounds, successfully clearing the theoretical stage securing the 15th position out of the 50 contestants. Despite their hard work and dedication, the round was a little overbearing for the students. However, the STEM Challenge was a wonderful learning trip for the students at The City School International, competing with University and college students gave them an experience to remember!
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NEWSLETTER 2020
MakeX Robotics Competition Bindhu Anil (HOD ICT)
MakeX is a robotics competition platform that promotes multidisciplinary learning within the fields of science and technology. It aims at building a world where STEAM education is highly appreciated and where young people are passionate about innovation by engaging themselves in exciting Robotics Competition, STEAM Carnival, etc. As the core activity of MakeX, the namesake MakeX Robotics Competition provides exciting, challenging and highlevel competitions in the spirit of creativity, teamwork, fun and sharing. It is committed to inspiring young people to learn Science (S), Technology (T), Engineering (E), Art (A) and Mathematics (M) and apply such knowledge in solving real-world problems. MakeX Inter School Robotics Competition 2019 was conducted in Gems Modern Academy, Dubai, U.A.E on Nov 16th, 2019. Three teams from our school attended the competition and won different competing awards among 50 different Schools from U.A.E. Team Culture Award shared by Sidra and Muskaan from Elementary group of Year 6A, 5th position shared by Areeba and Jasim from Middle group of Year 10B and 8th position shared by Abdur and Simba from Middle group of Year 10B and Mentor Award to Ms Bindhu Anil , HOD ICT.
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NEWSLETTER 2020 MAR - APR 2020
Chevron Readers Cup Captivates Scores Maheen Faisal (Year 10 Student)
On 6th November 2019 four teams from The City School
By eight, Mrs. Tayyaba and their time reading and the teams set out early to expanding their imagination.
International attended the Chevron Readers Cup that is
Uptown School, where the The students returned with Reader’s Cup was taking place. much more than doing a test,
held annually by the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. It was a great experience for the students to widen their scope through reading the adventure-filled books and working in a new environment.
they visited a new place and got to interact with new people. The results are yet to be announced and now the burning question remains, ‘Will TCSI make it to the next round?’
A month before ‘Chevron Reader’s Cup’, Teachers had selected reading enthusiastic students, there were four groups with four students each from Primary and Secondary and told them to read three books. For Primary: Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella by Carrie Burnell, The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf and The Royal Rabbits of London by Santa Montefiore. For Secondary: Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange, The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth by Carrie Burnell and Chase by Linwood Barclay.
Teams had come from different schools to take part in the Chevron Readers Cup. The students present on that day were just a few from the five hundred schools registered. Everyone settled down with their teams at the assigned tables and began the test when the time started. It was one hour of working together answering three test sheets for each of the storybooks. The Chevron Readers Cup’s main objective was for children to cherish
The long-awaited day arrived, and the students were ready and full of zeal. PAGE |17
NEWSLETTER 2020
Linwood Barclay Creates Mystery by His Art of Story Writing Tayeba Hussain (Reading Coach and Librarian)
As the tradition goes each at year at The City School International, we were honoured to receive an
In fact, he himself began writing stories at the age of eight and
internationally acclaimed Author to visit our school through the Emirates Literature Festival. This year on 9th
was told if he had spent less time writing stories, he might have
Feb 2020, we were delighted to receive Mr. Linwood Barclay, a New York Times bestselling author with more than twenty critically acclaimed novels to his name, including the phenomenal no. 1 bestseller No Time for Goodbye.
done better at Maths. However, he went against all odds and pursued his dream of writing and urged the students to pursue their dreams too and to do what they’re compelled to do in life. He also satiated their curiosity in the Q&A session, answering never ending questions rather formidably. Like all other authors who preceded him, Mr. Linwood too was highly impressed with the questions asked and the interest and intent with which the students listened to his session.
Our students were even more excited because most of them had had the opportunity to read some of his books in advance as his visit was to promote and talk about his children’s mystery-adventure series which include the titles Chase and Escape. This series has been inspired by his childhood; however, it boasts to have all the characteristics of his adult novels - action-packed, filled with danger, secrets and thrilling suspense. In fact, during the session he spoke about how much of his first children’s book is actually taken from his own childhood experiences. This paved the way for his talk, and he shared in detail how children can get inspirations from day to day events and use them in an imaginative way to help with writing stories. While he spoke of anecdotes from his childhood, one could easily see why his books were bestsellers. He is truly a mesmerizing storyteller. The children were lost in his stories. Most of them were even star struck. Throughout the session their excitement, awe and wonder were evident with their unblinking glassy eyes, wide smiles and in some cases gaping mouths.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Linwood Barclay Creates Mystery by His Art of Story Writing Finally, we had to step in to let Mr. Linwood catch his breath and enjoy some refreshments while our students gave a vote of thanks and our Principal presented a token of appreciation. However, soon enough, he was surrounded by our enthusiastic students again who were eager to get the books signed by the author himself. I am sure one day they will pick out the signed novels from a dusty shelf and proudly show it to their own children and have a great story to tell them about the day they met a New York Times Bestselling author who taught them how to tell great stories.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Houses Compete to the Finals Prescila Santos (HOD P.E.)
On the two radiant and clear days of 29th of January 2020 for the primary section, and the 30th of January 2020 for the secondary section, the students of TCSI woke up excited for TCSI’s lively Sports’ Day contest. Amidst their boundless passion, TCSI’s students were enthusiastic to display an ambitious sports journey.
and obtain the extraordinary spirit of sportsmanship while also infusing the essence of
The day initiated with a march past where the respective house captains
team spirit and power, also assisting them to learn the significance of unity to achieve victory.
directed their house with excellence. Following the march past, the games began. There were diverse matches organized for the junior and senior students to partake and compete with the other houses. The boys actively joined in their games of basketball and football. The girls, on the other hand, eagerly jumped into long jump and basketball. Both parties took part in sprinting and relay running, sequentially. All the matches encouraged the students to acquire development, engagement
TCSI also improved this function by presenting a variety of food items set up by Year 10 students that were relished by the audience, teachers, and students. The items included pizza, fries, juices, and some popular items. As the day ceased, both the Juniors and Seniors Sports Day was declared to be triumphant. Despite the ranks, all houses stood significant with their own wins and talent. The parents appreciated seeing their children’s steering role in all games. PAGE |20
NEWSLETTER 2020
Houses Compete to the Finals An ample variety of shining rewards such as trophies and medals were given to their diligent students. Conclusively, a race was held amongst the parents as well as the teachers, while it was the turn for the students to applaud. The red house secured the first position, with the greenhouse climbing the ladder from the last position to the second, followed by the blue house and then yellow. The thriving events would have not been probable without the strenuousness and devotion of the family of all teachers, students, and the remainder of the staff.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Run like a Dubai Marathon Runner
Prescila Santos (HOD P.E.)
The
Standard
Chartered
Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai.. The race is held in January each year, and the event highlights a 10 km road race and a 4 km fun run. With more than 30,000 runners take part on the streets for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2020, The City School International was honoured to have their students participate in the distribution of waterbottles as well as cleaning.
On Friday, the 24th of
the Marathon Village along
January 2020, the students of TCSI woke up fresh, feeling dynamic and enthusiastic about
with food and beverage facilities.
participating in a wellknown annual marathon. They gathered in the school and were escorted to the Umm Suqeim Road, which lies opposite to Madinat Jumeirah and in the shadow of the iconic Burj Al Arab. The persevering and determined students of TCSI were assigned one of the water stations
serve the marathon runners from the beginning of the event to the end, and by the end of the event, they worked cooperatively to clean the mess. The students generally enjoyed themselves and were even assured of a valuable certificate as a golden token for their future admissions.
scattered every 2.5km from 5km to 40km.
The students strived to
The students and the runners enjoyed the upbeat and encouraging music to keep them in the sporting spirit. Not only that, but
The City School International looks forward to arranging for their students to participate in more innovative and enjoyable events in the near future
live bands and various activities were available at
as they have immense trust in their reliable students. PAGE |22
SEPTEMBER 2020, ISSUE 3
NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI attends Inter-School Science Fair Anupama Girish (HOD Science)
On the 19th of October, some TCSI students went out to showcase their project in an inter- school science fair at the Pakistan Association Dubai. The concept was about living on Mars with the project divided into 4 stages: STAGE 1:. A poster was made to show the capacity and capability of the rocket which will go to Mars. STAGE 2: These are about domes and how they are adapted for life on Mars. STAGE 3: Edison, demonstrated how a robot would move on the rocky surface of the red planet. STAGE 4: A live demonstration on fuel-making using solid water underground. Students prepared all stages from the school. They integrated Science, Technology, Research, Arts and Math to prepare the project. Consequently, TCSI team secured 4th place among the many schools in the UAE. The achievements of these students, together with the guidance of their Science teachers, proved that they can do wonders out of their concerted efforts and diligence towards their goal.
COPYRIGHT PORTAL TECH 2023
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Spotlight on careers “Come fly with me” Saima Rauf (English Teacher)
On 9 February 2020, 35 students from TCSI under the patronship of Ms. Saima Rauf came one step closer to answering the question on everyone’s mind – “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group Emirates welcomed students to the Emirates Group Headquarters for an immersive session as part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature’s Education Programme, which reached more than 30,000 students last explored the diversity organization, helping passion for aviation
year. The session of roles within the to cultivate their by enriching their
understanding of the skills and passion required for these roles. Students between the ages of 14 to 18 years old were treated to a memorable two hour session on what it takes to work for the world’s largest international airline. Team members from across different departments at Emirates engaged with students through insightful presentations, interactive
questions from the audience and a panel discussion, inspiring them to take a greater interest in the aviation industry. “Spotlight on careers – Come fly with me” Jointly organized with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, this was the first session of its kind and it was an extension of the airline’s support for the Festival this year, promoting the 2020 theme of “Tomorrow”, and helping drive conversations with the next generation of aviators to power the future of the industry. Dawn Metcalfe, a Festival speaker and UAEbased career advisor and author who focuses on workplace readiness for students, moderated the event. The session with inspiring presentations held by team members across different Emirates departments including: Emirates Engineering, Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand, Emirates Flight Catering and Emirates Airport Services. The session concluded with a motivational speech by guest speaker, Jonathan Yabut – best-selling author and winner of The Apprentice Asia, and one of more than 200 popular Festival authors. As a youth advocate, Jonathan connected with the audience reaffirming “you can never be too small to dream big.” At the end of the seminar, the students shared their pleasure at the insightful session and expressed an interest to become a part of more such events in the future as well. PAGE |24
NEWSLETTER 2020 MAR - APR 2020
Visit to the Happiness Centre
Attique Ashraf (HOD Humanities)
On 6th November, the students of TCSI visited the Dubai Senior Citizens Happiness Centre. The students had an opportunity to meet and greet the senior citizens and got the chance to know about their living conditions and the hardships they went through. The Humanities Department took the initiative of taking students to the senior citizens to show them love and appreciation for all the troubles they faced in life. It was an eye opening and
emotional experience. The students realised their responsibilities as members of society. As a form of social service, they offered the senior citizens with food and beverages and listened to their heart-warming stories, embraced them and expressed their love for them as respectable citizens of the UAE. This experience was essential for every student to realise how to show concern and sympathy to their fellowmen. PAGE |25
NEWSLETTER 2020
Debating Skills in Arabic Flourish Mohamed Rashdi (HOD Arabic)
Debates took place in the Arabic Language Room between Year 9 students, and a simple narration from the Arabic language teacher, Mr Ashraf, was heard. He spoke about social media, its importance, and the ethics of dealing with it. Students were divided into teams and they spoke for and against technology and social networking sites in different areas. Competitions were held to measure the volume of information and language skills in Arabic language in Year 2 -10 for all Arab and non-Arab students. A special program for the Arabic Language Department (multiple choice questions) was held and a motivational speaker was invited to encourage students. Moreover, close interaction by all students was witnessed. This was an enrichment programme for an increasing academic progress and achievement.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Qi’rah Competition Combines Bliss and Bless Sadia Obaid (HOD Islamic Studies)
The Prophet (SAW) said, “Make
On the 6th of February 2020, The Islamic Department in The City School International held its first Quran Qi’rah Competition from
your voices beautiful when you
year 1-10. The students were given a specific surah, collected from their MOE textbook which is a part of their curriculum.
From each class around 3 to 4 students were
The main purpose of this competition was to enhance the recitation of the students as well as their public speaking skills. To motivate the students towards the recitation of Qur’an and so they can get more involved in reciting the Qur’an. Also, to improve their confidence level, and the ways and manners of reciting the Qur’an properly just how the Prophet has told us to.
recite the Qur’an.” selected who had their finals rounds in which they were competing against students from other classes. The finals rounds were judged by the HOD of the Islamic department along with the Islamic teachers for Arabs and non-Arabs. The students recited the ayahs beautifully and their sounds were very mesmerizing to hear.
Moreover, reciting the Qur’an the way Allah wants us to help to understand the main purpose of this life and gives us knowledge about all the aspects of life and guides us to the right path. The criteria of this competition were to recite a few ayahs from the given surah within a minute with proper Qi’rah, using all the Tajweed rules as well as the Makharij rules. The students were told to select a specific Qari and try their best to recite the way he did with all the Ghunnah sounds and the voice allocations. The first rounds were held in the classes among the classmates which were judged by the Islamic teachers, from which the top three students were selected.
All the classes get at least one Qur’an class every week where they learn how to recite properly with tajweed and get ready for this type of competitions. Qur’an is Allah’s book. Thus, it should be recited properly with good voice elocution. PAGE |27
NEWSLETTER 2020
Inter-Class Debate Competition Leaves Audience Spellbound As the name defines, the affirmative team supported the proposition and the negative team opposed the same. It was a very delightful experience for teachers to see their classrooms transform into debate rooms and their students displaying high levels of interest to express their well-researched and prepared script.
Sridevi Sriram (English Teacher)
The English department conducted the interclass debate competition from the 26th to the 28th of January 2020 with an aim of promoting and improving our students’ research, analytical, critical-thinking and debating skills. Preceding the final rounds on the abovementioned date, qualifying rounds were conducted in-class in order to give all students a fair chance to be a finalist. The students were given a proposition (topic) and grouped into two teams, namely, affirmative and negative.
During the final rounds, the extreme cold weather was well-compensated with our students’ heated debate sessions. The judges had the most difficult job to make decisions about the best speaker, best debater and the best debating team during every session.
The entire process was thoroughly enjoyed by not only the students but also the parents. Parent of Muhammad Junaid (4A) said, “I am extremely thankful to the English department for giving our children a great platform to showcase their debating skills. Being able to speak in front of a big group is a very important skill in the present world and TCSI is doing a great job by training our kids for the same from a very tender age.” Everyone at TCSI is extremely happy over the success of the event for the second consecutive year. PAGE |28
NEWSLETTER 2020
Inter-Class Debate Competition Leaves Audience Spellbound
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Math Week Boosts Problem Solving Skill Mudassir Saleem (HOD Mathamatics)
Maths Week is a fantastic opportunity for children to engage in math activities, which they may not normally get a chance to experience in a normal lesson. Over the course of the week, the whole school participated in different Math activities designed to challenge their thinking and develop their math’s problem-solving skills. These
activities
included:
learning about famous mathematicians and mathematical concepts; mental math strategies, through online games and classroom teaching; Math artworks to design classroom and school corridors; a mental math challenge for children to try to beat their previous score game and activities on www.mangahig.com; an opportunity for children to compete against the teachers; an interclass collaboration opportunity, in which each class was partnered with another so that they may teach each other a mathematical concept and a "Design a Math Book Title" activity.
“I enjoyed working with the
“I enjoyed learning about
younger children in Year 2. It was
different Math experts from
really nice to be the person who had
around the world.” Majd
the knowledge to help.” Doha
Dia 10A, Abdul Moiz 10B
Sarwar, Manal Fatima 10 A.
“I enjoyed designing 3D “I liked the part mental
model with different
math strategies which I will
material.” Zunair from 4A,
use in my daily life. Eman
Uzair 4B
“I enjoyed designing math book tiltle activity.” Insharah Mudassir, Fatima Imam, 4A
9B
Everyone is already looking forward to the next Maths week.
Students Response PAGE |30
NEWSLETTER 2020
STREAM Stimulates the Skillful Students Anupama Girish (HOD Science)
Science is not just about experiments but practically applying those in real life situations. Taking this motion forward, the Science Department organized STREAM week during January 19 - 23 2020. Year 3-10 showed enthusiasm in presenting posters and STREAM projects on a range of interesting topics. First four days the STREAM week were utilized for actual working and manifestation of ideas and the presentation of projects/posters and judgement was taken on the 5th day. The jurors were impressed with the quality of most of the submissions. Teachers and students made collective efforts to show collaboration between real life and education. It was organised to develop creativity, communication and design thinking among students.
The best of the projects and posters were selected from different classes with special reference to Piezo Electricity, Rainwater Harvesting and Hydroelectric Plant, Self-driving Cars and Effect of Smoking from Year 10; Haemodialysis and Water Cleaning Boat from Year 9; Water Level Indicator and Magnet Ton from Year 8; Popcorn Machine, Electroplating from Year 7 and Hydraulic Robot, Electricity Board Games from Year 6. Some of the investigative projects too were very remarkable. Selected group of students for the best projects and posters were awarded with certificates. The best innovative projects were awarded with mementos.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
STREAM Stimulates the Skillful Students
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Write Scientifically and Embrace Change Manal Fatima (Year 10 Student)
To enhance students' critical thinking, research, and creative skills, the Science Department conducted a Poster-making Competition for Years 1-3 and Article Writing Contest for Years 4-11 on Sunday, 29th September 2019. Both primary and secondary departments took part in the competition.The primary students made creative posters by artistically explaining the scientific message behind their assigned topics. In the science lessons, students were given half an hour to put their ideas together. Apparently, students were able to recognise the problems associated with human effects on the environment and economy. They came up with innovative ideas for the solution to these problems. On 16th October, students with the best ideas were rewarded with Certificates of Recognition. It was a great experience for students to think out of the box and bring their ideas to light.
Each class was assigned with a different topic. Year 1-3 students had to design a poster for the following scientific topics: Year 1One day in the forest; Year 2Picnic with friends at the moon; and Year 3- Threats to ocean life. Year 4 onwards wrote different articles on different topics. It was a great opportunity for the students to enhance their scientific vocabulary and to explore the following topics in depth: Year 4: Pros and Cons of Living with Robots Year 5: Life on Mars: Problems and Possibilities Year 6: Impact of global warming on human health Year 7: A day without gravity Year 8: How can driverless cars change the way we live? Year 9: Amazon fire, its threats to the ecosystem Year 10: Is organic farming the future of agriculture? Year 11: The Journey of ‘Emirates Mars Mission’
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Islamic Declamation Contest Spreads Enlightenment Sadia Obaid (HOD Islamic Studies)
Declamation is basically delivering a speech that inspires people, it must be memorised and should be delivered properly. In the first week of February, The Islamic Department announced a declamation contest in every class and every student had to give a speech on the assigned topic.
Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet ( )ﷺas saying: If anyone pursues a path in search of knowledge, Allah will then by make easy for him a path to paradise; and he who is made slow by his actions will not be speeded by his genealogy. — Sunan Abi Dawud 3643
The intention behind this initiative was to boost the confidence in the students and make sure they excel in public speaking and overcome their fears. Furthermore, it was to allow students to express their opinions and to improve their research work; therefore, increase their knowledge on the Islamic point of views on certain topics. Every class was assigned a topic and every student had to research and gather information and combine it into a proper speech within the time limit of 3 minutes. The preliminary rounds started on 9th February and were held in each section, and the students were judged by Islamic teachers on the basis of how clear the message of their speech was and how well they were able to express it. Certain factors like reference from Hadeeth and Quranic verses were looked for in the speech. The body language and the clarity of the voice and message were also very important in the process of judging and selecting the best ones. PAGE | 34
NEWSLETTER 2020
Islamic Declamation Contest Spreads Enlightenment Once the preliminary rounds for each section were over, the top 3 students of each section were selected to compete against the top 3 from the other section. The final rounds were held in the assembly area. Judges included the HOD, Miss Sadia Obaid along with other Islamic teachers and Quran teachers, Our Principal, Dr. Frank, Section heads, Miss Farah and Miss Leena and our other subject teachers like Sir Kamran and Sir Attique. Miss Tayeba and Miss Sana hosted the final rounds. It was a good way for students to explore more about certain topics and the Islamic rulings on it. It was certainly a great sight to watch as the students came one by one and gave their speeches with such passion and confidence that it helped inspire other students to overcome their fears. Seeing their classmates accomplish inspired other students to work just as hard and keep excelling. The winners from every Year group received certificates and were acknowledged and appreciated by our Principal, Dr. Frank and our Section Head, Miss Farah Azeem. The effort that the Islamic Department put in were appreciated and the competition ended up being a big success and had its benefits. All’s well that ends well! PAGE | 35
NEWSLETTER 2020
Eid al-Fitr Celebration under Lockdown Sadia Obaid / Daniya Rehman (HOD Islamic Studies/Year 9 Student)
The holy month of fasting for Muslims around the globe,
which will be on the 23rd of May. Which means Eid will be
Ramadan, is coming to an end. After around 29-30 days of
celebrated on May 24 in most parts of the world. However,
fasting, the culmination of Ramadan comes in the form of a grand feast and celebration, better known as Eid ul-Fitr. However, this year, the spirit of both the holy month and now Eid seems to have been dampened by the ongoing lockdowns around the world on account of the coronavirus pandemic. Every year Muslims celebrate Eid by going for the community Eid Salah where thousands congregate to pray together, by preparing massive feasts, visiting their friends and family, exchanging gifts or giving Eidi (some money or gifts) to those who are younger, and sometimes older, also buying new clothes, getting all dressed up, applying henna, and much more. However, this year all of the social aspects of both Ramadan and Eid have come to halt.
the Coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns have forced people to be homebound, stay at a distance from their loved ones and unable to congregate for praying, resulting in despairing feelings this year. But there is always a way to put a positive spin even on the saddest of situations. The Islamic Department has guided their students how to celebrate Eid, to have plenty of fun, while also practising social distancing and respecting the lockdown.
This year the month of Shawaal will begin with the sighting of the crescent moon
Teachers motivate their students to organize their own Jamaah with their family and pray together. This will surely lift everyone's mood. Apply basics henna designs to yourself and your loved ones, so what if this year you couldn't hire the best henna artist, find your inner artist and brighten up your Eid. Just because you didn't buy new clothes and are not going to PAGE |36
NEWSLETTER 2020
Eid al-Fitr Celebration under Lockdown be able to meet your friends and family doesn't mean you don't dress up. Make the most of the festival by wearing the best outfit in your wardrobe. Dressing up is significantly known to elevate one's mood, after all, if you dress better you feel better. Ramadan and Eid are all about Zakat ul Fitr (charity), so ensure that you share your resources with the needy. Give donations, clothes, toys, food and more to those around you who seem like they are in need. If one can do more, one always should. Helping others always automatically lifts up one's spirits. You can also call for virtual Eid party using Zoom or Hangout to talk to your close ones and wishing them Eid. The Islamic Department has motivated students to make project and create a video or write an essay and share an experience of making history and celebrating Eid in lockdown. The project was out of 50 marks, and the students received online certificates for showing their excellence and effort in this project.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Students Set a Milestone in Reading Challenge Tayeba Hussain (Reading Coach and Librarian)
To further propel the love for reading, students from Year 1-10 were challenged to read five million words during the winter break which was from 13th December to 4th January. While the younger ones were encouraged to read handheld books, students from Years 3– 10 were lucky enough to provide actual proof of their reading through our web based Digital Reading Program – Scholastic Learning Zone. While giving the challenge, the teachers were hopeful that the challenge would be met at the most. A mind-boggling surprise awaited them when they came back from the vacations. Not only had the children met the challenge but
Words Read
Was the goal achieved? Yes! There is a continued sense of competition amongst the students who come into the Library vying to read on the Digital program and pass as many quizzes as they can so that they too can feel proud and accomplished. The result? Well… the school continues to further accelerate the words read count and they have reached the 20 million mark. These children deserve a standing ovation!
they had gone beyond, and collectively the school had read around 10 million words. They were able to obtain data for the highest number of words read by a student for each section and this helped to decide the Reading Challenge Champions. Jasim Sohail from year 10 had read more than a million words himself which made him almost single handedly responsible for making his class come out as the Reading Champion Class. The principal and the English department celebrated this achievement during one of the assemblies where the students were handed certificates while the rest of the school cheered on.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Students Set a Milestone in Reading Challenge
Dubai Cares so Does TCSI!
Sadia Obaid (HOD Islamic Studies)
The City School International is well-known for their depth of innovation. Amongst many ground-breaking activities, TCSI has taken it upon themselves to teach students about fundraising on a whole new level. They have successfully initiated an amalgam of the Year of Tolerance with a substantial mix of creativity by the students in the form of bookmarks. On 5th February 2019, the students were encouraged to bring out their creativity while also being able to raise funds for Dubai Cares, as the students paid 5 AED each for entrance. The school managed to raise 2,070 AED by an ingenious activity. These bookmarks are going to be published by the school and the creativity of the students will be on display as TCSI values the work of their students. PAGE |39
NEWSLETTER 2020
Technical Minds Eye to Fly to the US Madelyn Addatu (English Teacher)
In January 2020, TCSI offered a Robotics Training to students from Year 3 to Year 9 in preparation for the Robofest that is spearheaded annually by Lawrence Technological University Michigan, USA. Robofest is a festival of competitions and events (with autonomous robots) that encourages students to have fun while learning principles of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Computer Science. Students design, construct, and program robots using any robotics kit. Last year, a student of TCSI was given the opportunity to experience the world of robots in USA. Many students expressed their desire to join the Robotics Training thereafter. Consequently, the IT Department of TCSI collaborated with some robotics organisations to help students qualify for the Robofest competition. Students started with the base level training and friendly competitions. In order for the students to get engaged all throughout the training, the school introduced Robelf, a humanoid. Robelf entertained the students by guessing their age, dancing with them, telling stories, singing songs and following their instructions by showing facial expressions and even walking along the corridors. PAGE |40
NEWSLETTER 2020
Technical Minds Eye to Fly to the US
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Visual Harvesting Comes to Life Sadia Obaid (HOD Islamic Studies)
The City School International is renowned for innovative activities and
This challenge introduced the concept of ‘Visual Harvesting’, which is a method of
emboldening its students to pursue facing various facets of everyday challenges. Religion is one of the most significant aspect of life; therefore, the City School International treats Islam as the pivot, ensuring that all students are learning, as well as retaining fun at the same time.
processing and storing information using visuals combined. The technique is promising because of the picture superiority effect you can save up to six times more than with text.
The Islamic Department systematised a challenge from 15th September to 19th September, providing approximately 5 days, ranging from Year 8 to Year 11.
Students were assigned to visually harvest Surahs encompassing the calligraphy Surah Yasin, Hujraat, Qaf, Kahaf, and Al-Ahzab in an array of different styles such as Diwani Jileeli, Kufic, and Nastalik. With a total of 50 marks, the intensity depended on the
medium, which contributed to creativity. Students from Year 8 and 9 were assigned canvases, while Year 10 and 11 were assigned A4-sized papers. All of them, however, had to use markers, colour pencils, watercolours or tea/coffee wash (for the background). By the end of the preferred time-limit, the students hadn’t failed to surprise the school with spectacular results, now displayed throughout the school. PAGE |42
NEWSLETTER 2020
Tell me a story Sridevi Sriram and Vanessa Salom (English Teachers)
Storytelling is a unique way for children to develop an understanding, respect and appreciation for other cultures and can promote a positive attitude to people from different lands and religions. If developed and used purposefully, storytelling offers a plethora of benefits for students fosters their imagination, boosts their listening skills, enhances their communication skills, solidifies their pronunciation, helps sharpen memory, improves social skills and builds confidence. Keeping the above-mentioned in mind, Year 3 and 4 were given an opportunity to narrate a story focussing on the following areas: pronunciation, enunciation, mastery of the story, body language and confidence. Students from these year groups were enthralled with the idea and worked hard to present their stories in many creative ways. Their dialogue-delivery, usage of props, costume selection, background music, ICT integration to create speech bubbles were some of the applaudable features. The effort of parents to record the video, edit and send to the teachers is worth a mention. The school’s Facebook page was adorned with the storytelling videos of these students. Overall, it was a delight to watch the little storytellers create magic with their speaking skills.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI’s Message to All: Be Happy Laiba Aziz (Year 10 Student)
Thursday favourite
is day,
everyone’s not only
because it would be a weekend the upcoming days, but because we have school clubs. When the clapper strikes inside the bell at 8 am, students start wandering around the corridor in search of their clubs. Here extracurricular and co-curricular activities play a vital role in nurturing the whole child. Our Thursday mornings are dedicated to clubs and support classes where every student enrols themselves to their area of interest or undertakes support classes to build on their areas of weakness.
Teachers, senior students or hired experts conduct these classes and hone the skills of our students. Our regular field trip is aimed at experiential and contextual learning and evidenced as reaping paramount benefits. Students would be given a circular regarding school and they would have to choose two of their preferred clubs. This is because if one of their chosen clubs is full, they would go for the second club. The students who need practice in few subjects are chosen by the teachers for support clubs which include: Maths, English and Science (branched into Chemistry, Biology and Physics).
The clubs include: Fitness and dance club: Students gather in the gym and strut their stuff. ‘Healthy mind resides in a healthy body’, Keeping this in mind, Sports Club emphasizes on physical fitness. Students are trained for different sports according to their interest. They are encouraged to develop the capacity to make reasoned decisions about sport issues and to work effectively within a group toward common goals. The importance of team spirit, discipline and leadership qualities are fostered among the students. PAGE |44
NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI’s Message to All: Be Happy Creative Science DIY: This is where all students show off their ingenuity. Art is considered not as a subject or a product, but as a part of all formal and informal life experiences. Art is a vital aspect of all learning, essential to growth, a valuable means to an enriched awareness of the world and a greater ability to express one’s individuality. The goal of art education is to bring out the creative, expressive and aesthetic potential of each child. It also accentuates attitude, thinking and discipline necessary for excelling in life. The Art department encourages responsiveness to new ideas and respect for individual differences by fostering selfesteem, respect for others as well as their work, cultures and art. The environmentalist:
For
the
students
who
are
concerned with the maintenance of ecological balance and conservation of the environment. Social service club: For the ones who want to solve social problems and to bring about a social change. Social Science Club aims to promote cultural harmony along with dedication, loyalty and discipline among the students. The club tries to extend the understanding of various cultures within school environment. Various awareness activities propagating the idea of social, political and environmental issues are conducted. Various days of national and international importance are celebrated to spread the message of peace and harmony. Music club: for the music lovers Board games clubs: for obsessive players Public speaking club: for the ones who want to inform, influence or entertain their audience and good conversationalists Cooking club: for the ones who need free therapy or a procrastination tool. It is important to appreciate the contribution of the skills set a learner can obtain from being part of a club at school. Clubs can offer important life skills that a learner can use for the rest of his or her life. Clubs help develop writing skills, negotiating skills and other non-verbal communication skills. PAGE |45
NEWSLETTER 2020
Global Village Team on TCSI Stage Zahra Saleem (Executive Assistant)
The
Global
Village
team
visited TCSI with their famous mascot Globo, and the aerobic dance team. They performed a number of different skits for our students and distributed goodies as well. The team performed dances from different cultures representing the pavilions at the Global Village. Global Village started out in the form of a number of kiosks in 1997 located on the Creek Side opposite to Dubai Municipality. It then later shifted to the Oud Metha Area near Wafi City for 5 years. Today, Global Village has 6 million visitors at its current location on exit of Sheikh Zayed Exit 37 PAGE |46
NEWSLETTER 2020
Kite Beach Fitness Village Zahra Saleem (Executive Assistant)
On October 18th, 2019 Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30 was started to make Dubai the most active city. Being active is not just about moving, it is about turning the simple into a challenge and dreams into achievements. Getting into 30-day workout groove along the shores of Kite Beach at the dedicated Fitness Village, the participants could clock in their daily fitness time and get active while having fun exploring ten zones of free outdoor activities all through the Fitness Challenge. Whatever the age, ability or interests, this Fitness Village had something to get them moving. The participants could challenge their friends to a competitive game of beachside basketball, practice self-discipline at a dedicated martial arts gym or slip into all kinds of water fun at the Aqua Park. For those who were new to working out or who feel motivated in group settings, there was a main stage where instructors led mass fitness sessions throughout the month. The participants had the option to head into the sea where a variety of water-based activities awaited, including canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding and surf rescue classes for little ones. Or, get messy at a purpose-build training obstacle course to prepare adults and children for the Tough Mudder and Mini Mudder challenge. PAGE |47
NEWSLETTER 2020
Kite Beach Fitness Village As part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge 2019, the schools were also invited to complete their 30x30 challenge at Kite Beach Fitness Village The programme consisted of students warming up at the main stage and Tough Mudder/ Mini Mudder obstacle course depending on age group. Children enjoyed action-packed activities and exercise at one of the city’s most iconic beach locations. The Educational purpose of the field trip was Health and Wellbeing.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Creative Art in Spring Season Saima Ali Khan and Sabeen Bhatti (Science Teachers)
Science
Department
organised
an
art
competition to depict the beauty of Spring Season. Students were very excited about it and the results were delightful. Children made flowers, landscapes and pictures of baby animals to highlight the beauty of this season. This activity was very artistic and provided students the chance to express their creativity. Planting seeds: Students were instructed to plant seeds at home in a flowerpot and observe throughout the coming weeks. They presented video recordings of the activity. Year 2 was also given additional tasks to plant bulbs as well and observe the differences. This was hands on learning. Each student was instructed to keep a daily journal and observe the progress of the plant.
In
addition
to
this,
students
were
also
challenged to come up with several hypotheses and observe the plant growth in different environments. Furthermore, students were asked to discuss their findings in each class of the subsequent weeks. In this way students were fully engaged in the topic with the help of peer learning. Students took a lot of interest in this activity. It enhanced their observational skills and gave them an opportunity to discuss their findings with each other and learn from one another. Research work and poster making: They were instructed to research, create posters and give presentations with the help of given prompts. Students performed very well. They took interest and gave an excellent response. PAGE |49
NEWSLETTER 2020
Creative Art in Spring Season
They made posters and shared their research through video recordings all of which have been saved in their records. Through this activity students have enhanced research and presentation skills as well as the ability to express themselves. Furthermore, driving questions encouraged the students to think critically. Greenhouse activity: Students of year 2 were given a group project to build a small greenhouse and observe the comparative growth of plants inside and outside of a greenhouse. Each group member volunteered for a different role (with regards to ease of access to resources). This activity provided students ample opportunity to practice their coordinating skills. Project based learning by Year 3 Students from year 3 conducted investigation on a vast number of objects trying to identify them as transparent, translucent or opaque. They carried out the investigation and shared their videos with explanation and conclusions. PAGE |50
NEWSLETTER 2020
Trip to Saruq Al Hadid TCSI always engages students to be active learners and promote a healthy environment
learning by
enriching students with different experiences, so they can get a chance to explore more about Arabic heritage and UAE culture. On Thursday, 17th October 2019, students of Year 7 visited Saruq Al Hadid archaeological museum as a part of their learning experience. Saruq Al Hadid is set in a spectacular desert landscape in Southern Dubai. It holds evidence of over five thousand years of activity, and it has already changed our understanding of iron age in Arabian Peninsula.
The tour begins with an immersive experience. A 3D cinematic room transports you to the edge of the desert and makes you feel like you are there at the amazing excavation site. Along the journey of discovery, you will find dynamic videos projected on the walls, and even interactive screens to engage with. Children can put on their archaeology hat and go digging! The simulated excavation site has objects buried in the sand. Grab a brush and start discovering. You’ll soon find out what it feels like to be an archaeologist. Students learnt a lot from this visit especially about stone age and what weapons and jewellery were used in the past. The visit was not only fun and informative, but inspiring in many ways and taught them to be grateful in what we have achieved till now with the advancement in transport and technology.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Annual Trip to Motiongate Creates Moments to Cherish Field trips are always the best way of being together and spending some good time with friends. It is the time to play and share with them. That provides relief from routine life and refreshes the tired nerves. A trip to Motiongate was organized for students of Year 8 and 9 on the 13 February 2020. Motiongate is a Hollywood-inspired theme park located in Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai, showcasing themed areas and attractions based on DreamWorks Animation, Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate and The Smurfs. All students had assembled in the school as per their regular school timings and they started their journey to Motiongate at 10:00 am and arrived at the destination at 10:35 am. At the entrance, food coupons were handed over to the students and without wasting much time, students, in their groups headed towards the world full of fun, laughter and enjoyment. When it was time to go home kids were reluctant as they wanted to stay a little while longer. But as it is said that ‘All good things come to an end’, in the evening at 4:30 pm, all students had to gather at the meeting point. Teachers counted their students and got into their respective buses and headed back towards the school. This event was a huge success as it helped the students to spend some quality time with their friends and created great special bonding between teachers and their students.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
IMG Worlds’ Surprise of Adventure Madelyn Addatu (English Teacher)
In order to have a fun-filled experience outside the four corners of the classroom, The City School International (TCSI) organised a field trip among Year 5-7 students on 28th January at the IMG Worlds of Adventure. Few days before the trip, students were so excited to choose which rides they would try. Some of them already went to IMG with their respective families, yet they still wanted to go once more because according to them, going on a field trip even to the same place gives a different pleasure when they are with friends. IMG is no longer new to the people living in UAE especially in Dubai; however, it is widely visited because of its novel and diverse forms of entertainment. Having the best and fun rides makes it enticing to visit, again and again.A map of the different adventure zones helped the students to easily locate the rides they wanted to try. Marvel, Lost Valley, Cartoon Network, IMG Boulevard and Novo Cinemas are the destinations in the world’s largest theme park.
Accordingly, a group of Year 5B students affirmed that the trip was very enjoyable. Sakina Khalid, a student from the same class mentioned, “What a thrilling adventure. I tried The Velociraptor 12 times, and it was fun! I did not get scared, instead I enjoyed so much.” The Velociraptor can be found in the Lost Valley, outside of the IMG. Some teachers bravely tried the exhilarating rides and enjoyed a lot. When asked how they felt, Ms. Roshin Rajan, a Year 7 teacher stated, “At first, I thought Thor was very dangerous, but when I tried with some of my students, I was fully satisfied because I conquered my fear.” The day ended with so much laughter and so many experiences to keep that were etched in the hearts of those 111 students and 10 teachers who went on that trip.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Trip to Azure Waters of Musandam Kamran Ahmed (HOD English)
On 13th February the students of Year 10 and 11 embarked on a trip to Musandam on their annual trip. The excitement was in the air as it was first ever trip to the Musandam Peninsula. The Musandam Peninsula, likened to the fjords of Norway and the Galapagos islands, offered the students a refuge from the hectic urban life. The students witnessed great aquatic life and also took time to see some of the region’s most spectacular views with a day trip along Oman Musandam. It provided a glimpse of beautifully defined rock cliffs, through waters surging with colourful sea life. The unique geography of the place made it ideal to have a close look at the coral, fish, dolphins, birds and other wildlife that thrive there. The trip included picturesque views of the place, delicious lunch aboard the dhow, and plenty of water activities. The best part of the trip was snorkelling, banana boat and speed boat rides, diving in the middle of the Arabian Sea but definitely with life jackets and swimming in the pristine waters of the gorgeous Musandam Dibba. The pinnacle of joy overwhelmed the students as it went on and on in an endless cycle. The students completed the trip with unforgettable memories.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Pandemic Meets TCSI Anti-depressants Kamran Ahmed (HOD English)
No matter how easygoing you are, life can get stressful. The emotional demand of stress can build up over time, but if you learn to silence the outside world, if you find an unshakable peace, you will find a way to return to your happy place, no matter what. In April Year 9 and 10 students worked on stress busters during their English class. They discussed their ideas and feelings. Moreover, they debated on possible solutions to the ongoing problem. Their expressions were subtle but powerful and sublime. During the time of great depression due to pandemic COVID-19, life has become tougher, stress and anxiety are inevitable, connections are contagious and staying at home most of the time is unbearable. Students were assigned a project “Caremongering” to write poems or create videos to motivate others that one day our lives will be normalised, our soul will be sanitised, and our habits will be revised. Students evaluated the current situation and enchanted the readers and listeners with their words of wisdom, motivation and anti-depression. Students came up with a message- a powerful and stirring one – to invigorate us.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Pandemic Meets TCSI Anti-depressants
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Corona Awareness Campaign Concludes on a Strong Message
All these were posted on the school Facebook page as the
Sabina and Vanessa (Humanities Teachers)
this intense situation so that they can take care of themselves and their families.
intention behind these activities was noble. Our students tried their best to make people aware about
Moral Education lessons were made interesting as they were related to the current scenario of the world. It was about Covid-19. As the pandemic broke out, it was important to educate our young generation about the do’s and don’ts of Coronavirus. This would in return help the community to understand the seriousness precautionary measures.
of
the
situation
and
take
We started the awareness campaign and the best people who could spread the word were our students of Year 5, 6, 7 and 8. They made videos, collage and posters. These were about the symptoms of the virus, any misconceptions that people may have about coronavirus, also where to look for the reliable information or updates about Covid-19 instead of believing in the rumours that are spread through social media, collage was also made with the collaboration of eighty two students, giving precautionary messages to the community and at last but not the least, a dance collaboration video was also made to show our gratitude to the frontline heroes who continue to ensure everyone’s safety and wellness in these difficult times. As it is said, ‘Charity begins at home’. So, our students tried to spread awareness amongst the school community with these activities. PAGE |57
NEWSLETTER 2020
ePTM at TCSI
Sridevi Sriram (English Teacher)
Parent teacher meeting is the most effective way for parents and teachers to connect and discuss about the progress of the students and suggested areas of improvement. Academic and non-academic performances are discussed and also facilitates the teachers and parents to work towards the positive modification of students. TCSI conducted its first ever week-long ePTM in the month of June 2020. The learning curve at TCSI is always on the rise, not only for students but also for teachers. They always are ready to adopt new strategies, best practices and well-adapt to the changing needs of the learning environment. Hence, along with the middle and senior leadership team, they ensured the following: meticulous planning, organising and coordination. This led to the smooth sailing of the event. Almost all the parents were on the same page and very appreciative of the hard work and efforts taken by the school in order to provide seamless education during these unprecedented times. Attendance for the ePTM was very encouraging and the parents’ feedback was highly motivating. Recordings of the meetings were documented to serve as evidence. In a nutshell, the ePTM was a successful event and left the school and teachers with some cherishable feedback.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
They did not only imbibe the informative lecture by Mr. Dhiya about the history of the mosque, but also applied what they learnt from the demonstration on the dry ablution and some of the traditions of UAE culture.
TCSI students visit Omer bin Khattab Masjid Naghma Nafees (Islamic Studies Teacher)
On 25th September 2019, the students of Years 6 and 7 visited Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque and Centre in Dubai along with some Islamic teachers.
Moreover, they visited the library and gallery of the mosque where pictures and articles of UAE and Islamic culture were displayed. The sacred place can accommodate over 2000 worshipers and is one of the largest mosques in UAE. It is named after Omar bin Al Khattab, a companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the second Caliph.
The mosque was magnificent, beautifully built and adorned from both inside and outside with great architectural designs and Islamic Calligraphy. Some students took down notes about the information shared with them. PAGE |59
NEWSLETTER 2020
Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate Naveeda Ijaz (Art Teacher)
“Natures Beauty Revealed through Art” Students have created these art pieces directly influenced by Nature and different artists' work. They have utilized different shapes and lines to create their designs. A combination of different media was used in the drawings. Some students’ paint brush strokes and mark making techniques reveal a competence that originated through one’s dexterity in Art. The output revealed the high quality of creativity- a manifestation of how passionate the students are in this field that requires their full imaginations There is also a sense of fun, the sheer enjoyment of shapes, colours, harmony, compositions, texture, patterns and theory. Use of different materials like watercolours, pencil colours, acrylics, charcoal, crayons, oil pastels and markers help students to work effectively and think about innovative design ideas. These young artists successfully expressed their ideas and explained the task in a simpler way later to exhibit their work.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Islamic Ramadan Project Sadia Obaid/ Minaam Azeem (HOD Islamic Studies/Year 10 Student)
Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year in the Islamic culture. During Ramadan, Muslims fast and abstain from pleasure, and pray to become closer to Allah. For the importance of this Holy month, The Islamic Department arranged a Ramadan Project for Year 1-10 in which all the students had to either make a 2-3 minutes long video or any animated presentation on the sub-topics of Ramadan that are very important to be discussed. The motive was to make people, especially children, aware of the rules of fasting while Ramadan, the do’s and don’ts, and the consequences of following the don’ts. The project was out of 50 marks, and the best projects were uploaded on the Facebook page to spread awareness of the discussed topics and appreciate the students for their hard work put into the projects. The students received online certificates for showing their excellence and effort in this project. Some of the students were assigned to make videos regarding the dua’as recited in Ramadan according to the Ashras, and some even decorated and organised a Ramadan corner in their homes with Ramadan lanterns.
The purpose of these projects is to teach our children the moral values of Islam and to motivate them for being a good human being, as well as teach the younger ones the ethics of Ramadan so they can follow these when fasting for the first time.
The topics assigned to the students were the following from which they had to choose minimum two topics and present them in an informative way. The topics were Importance of Ramadan, Zakah and Charity Camp, Recitation of Surah/Dua (learned in your Quran lesson), Ramadan Baraka’s, Healthy Suhoor/Iftar Meals, Tajweed rules (learned in your Quran lesson), My Ramadan Calendar of Good Deeds and My Ramadan routine. PAGE |61
SEPTEMBER 2020, ISSUE 1
NEWSLETTER 2020
THE VOICE
TCSI participates in Virtual Sports Week Prescila Santos (HOD P.E.)
Nowadays, distance learning sessions and homeschooling are the new normal in education due to the pandemic. Learning takes place beyond the four walls of the classroom as the students get glued to their seats at home during online sessions. The integration of Physical Education is vital in this aspect. Since students take more time with their devices and are seated most of the time during online sessions, doing physical activities during their PE class balances their holistic growth. Cambridge International, a reputable school in Dubai, organized the Virtual Sports Week for Primary students in the UAE. TCSI was invited and many students participated actively.
Enjoyment was not the sole consideration of the event. It has improved the students’ mindset, alertness and attention. Moreover, it has increased concentration among the children as their brains get energized, enabling them to retain information easily. Certificates of recognition and prizes were given to those students who placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd and the rest received certificates of participation. THE CITY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL got the 7th position showed in school point board. Parents were very grateful for this activity our school has joined in. They have extended their immense support and the students felt very proud of themselves being able to do all the tasks assigned to them. COPYRIGHT PORTAL TECH 2023
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Empowering Student Council – CAPTAINS Zakirunnisa (Coordinator Year 3 &4)
" True leadership lies in guiding others to success. In ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well. "—Bill Owens As Student Council members, our students get opportunities to showcase leadership skill. To enhance this skill, the SLT (Senior Leadership) organised a webinar in collaboration with People Pro Enterprise for social impact. The webinar started off with greetings, and the host, Mr. Mathew was introduced to the TCSI Student Council. He emphasized the importance of being a good leader and its future implications. Many aspects of leadership were discussed, such as having a clear vision and having a positive mindset about the obstacles that come in a leader’s path.
Moreover, Mr. Mathew and some members of the student council had an interactive session where the members were asked about their visions as leaders of the school and their ideas while facing challenges that they were put up to in the school. Many of the leaders of the school said that they felt that the hurdles that they had to cross during their time as leaders had molded them to be better leaders and better decision makers. This webinar was a very good exposure to the Student Council members. This was a learning experience for them. The students were awarded Certificate of Participation too. PAGE |63
NEWSLETTER 2020
The Fantastic Journey to French Ms Razan Tutunji (French Teacher)
Bonjour! Bienvenue à la langue française au TCSI. After a long wait and much demand, The City School International introduced the French language as an optional subject. French is one of the most romantic languages. Moreover, it is spoken by 136 million people as a first language, and 500 million as an additional language. It is also the official language of 29 countries which places it at the fifth most common language with its number of speakers. While French is considered a difficult language to learn, daily practice and exposure to spoken French make it easier to learn and absorb it. Listening is a key to learn any language. Therefore, the teacher makes sure that the kids listen to conversations in French regularly so they can learn the correct
While some students were hesitant at first in speaking the words because it sounded funny to them. In the end, all of the students were engaged and tried their best. The students’ reception to learn the French language was both enthusiastic and passionate. The French language was introduced through a character “Pinocchio” - a puppet which was used as a prop to play the role of a French man and to encourage the students to speak in French. Most of the topics covered during the year were about everyday life and subjects that the students could relate too. Drastically, many students declared that French was their favourite subject.
pronunciation of words and get familiar with the language structure. The subject was introduced to students from Year 3 to 8 with a total of 135 students who chose the French subject: some were driven by their dream of visiting France one day; some were intrigued by a movie and others by their favourite football team. PAGE |64
NEWSLETTER 2020
Wacky Day Wavers the Whack of Wonder Minaam Azeem (Year 10 Student)
‘Be silly, be fun, be wacky, be unique, be YOURSELF!’ TCSI believes students of year 5-11 should enjoy a day full of creativity, fun and happiness before diving into the exam season. Therefore, TCSI arranged a ‘Wacky Day’ on 7th November to give the students a chance to showcase their creativity by wearing unique outfits and dressing up as different characters.
Many of the students were dressed up as clowns and zombies. Some even dressed up as fairies or characters from different movies and books. Students showcased their talents by painting their faces as skulls, zombies, clowns and so many other wacky characters as suggested by the title given to the event. It was a sight to see!
To start off the day, the featured hosts of the assembly, the deputy heads of our student council; Amaan Aziz and Manal Fatimah called
Year 10 students had arranged a bake sale along with face painting and some exciting games for the juniors such as freeze dance, cup tower race, ring toss and cross bar. To add more thrill and zeal to the event, Year 10
a student to recite the beautiful verses of the Holy Qur’an followed by the National Anthem. They then called every class on stage to show everyone what they were dressed up as.
students also held a costume competition for students to be able to present all the hard work they put into their costumes. The students enjoyed delicious treats and their favourite food items like brownies, cupcakes, pastries, and many more to serve their sweet tooth. They also had some traditional food items like biryani, pani puri and samosa chaat for the desi foodies. Sadly, everything must come to an end and so did this eventful day, with students dispersing to their buses.
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DECEMBER 2020 |
NEWSLETTER 2020
| ISSUE 1
Cricket Match Spreads Awareness Maheen Faisal (Year 10 Student)
On 17th October 2019, The City School International held a Cricket Match in support of Breast Cancer Day. There were two teams on the field, Sir Frank captain of Green Team and Sir Mudassir captain of Red Team. This was a challenging as well as thrilling game between two strong teams which kept the audience engaged throughout the match. It was an 8-over match with perfect weather.
After a break of 15 minutes it was Green Team’s turn to bat. Surprisingly, their batting made the spectators spellbound. The incessant shower of 4’s and 6’s helped them to chase the target and win the match with 96 runs. Once the last over was attained Green Team rejoiced and celebrated the win. A loud cheer was brought from the audience throughout this intense game.
Decision which team to bat first was done by flipping the coin. Red Team won the toss and decided to bat first. Opening batsmen were in full control and surprised the crowd with their batting skills by holding a streak of several runs that gave the instant rise in score. Other players played extremely well with an exception of some outs that would have given a higher score. Red team set the tough target of 90 runs for Green Team. On the fielding end, Green Team did a brilliant job catching some difficult catches and stopping ball from hitting the boundaries.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Environment Club Zakirunnisa (Coordinator Year 3 &4)
To spread happiness and excitement, Happiness Hour was
"Let’s nurture the nature, so that we can have a better future." ~Anonymous
incepted at TCSI. To a surprise, students who were ready to make a BEE’AH Awards: TCSI registered for this award under difference to the environment these categories: around them poured in for the
Best Environmental Film Category- Year 6 Students had to make a video on the topic, “Preservation of Marine Life and Water Resources” and create a survey Students were exposed to an questionnaire. They were required to spread awareness orientation and a committee was among their school mates about the topic. founded with the members: Mohammed Sarim Malik, the Used Battery Collection Drive: In this drive, students President; Maheen Faisal, the collected used batteries to avoid their toxic materials from Environment Leader; Dania reaching the garbage bins. For this, TCSI was gifted a Rehman, the Secondary Leader; Battery Dustbin to collect batteries. Mahd Anees, the Primary Leader and Mohammed Hamza Khan, the Simply Bottles: TCSI has been a part of this campaign for 4 Primary Leader. years. Students collect water bottles in huge quantities enrolment.
The club actively participated in a number of activities throughout the year. Furthermore, different campaigns and activities organised by the ministry and privately were welcome by the club members. One of the activities was DEWA Conservation Award which consisted of three categories: Distinguished Educational Institute, Distinguished Educational Leader and Distinguished Conservational Team.
and send them to the DGrade collection company where these bottles are then recycled to make T-shirts, caps and other products. Desert Clean Up Campaigns: TCSI has been an active member in clean up drives. Students from different year groups were given opportunities to participate in such drives that were held throughout the year.
TCSI students contributed to all the initiatives, campaigns and activities which come under DEWA:
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Environment Club School Clean Up Campaign: The club even organized clean up drives at the school premises. Poster Making: The club members organised an activity to make posters, showcasing conservation of water and energy. Paper Bags Making: The members of the club made paper bags using old newspapers and gifted them to the school canteen for usage. The club leaders visited classrooms to spread awareness about conservation, recycling and reusing things. Seeing the tremendous excitement and volunteering spirit shown by the students, TCSI is sure to achieve as well as contribute more to the environment in the future.
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MARCH 2020 | VOL. 9
NEWSLETTER 2020
Student Leaders on the Go Doha Sarwer (Year 10 Student)
The candidates started with
The students were full of zeal
On 15th September 2019, at The City School International, students from Year 3 to 11
campaigns during snack breaks. They had three days to convince the students to vote for them. Such less time
as they were making a big decision. After the students cast their votes, teachers were given the chance to
made it even more thrilling for the candidates to give their best.
vote. All the primary and secondary teachers voted for capable candidates.
gathered in the assembly area and listened to the candidates for the Student Council 20192020 who gave their inspiring speeches. The morning programme started with a short message from Ms. Zakir followed by the speeches of candidates running for deputy head girl, deputy head boy, head boy and head girl. All candidates put their best foot forward and promised to make the upcoming year an enjoyable one. It was a very tough competition making it even tougher for the students to select their heads as each had amazing leadership qualities.
On 18th September 2019, elections commenced. Each student received a ballot paper which was divided into 4 sections: the head boy, head girl, deputy head boy and deputy head girl. The students were supposed to tick under each category and then cast their votes. The voting started at 9:00 am and ended at 1:00 pm under the supervision of Ms Zakir and Ms Farah. There were members of the media team who took pictures of the event. PAGE |69
MARCH 2020 | VOL. 9
NEWSLETTER 2020
KS2 Activities Keep Students Busy Zakirunnisa (Coordinator Year 3 &4)
“Education is the passport to
under the slogan "Raise it
the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” - Malcolm X
High.. Raise it Proud," we raised the UAE flag on Sunday 3rd of November 2019, at 11:00 AM in celebration of
After the commencement of the school in September, the activities that were planned for the year started, here is a brief report of the events accomplished by our kids.
the occasion, Students came with their flags and at the scheduled time the Head Boy and the Head Girl hoisted the flag with pride.
UAE Flag Day: This day is celebrated with
Dubai Fitness Challenge : Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) is an annual celebration of
great spirit to show the solidarity to the leaders of UAE. In honor of the anniversary of the accession of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and as part of the
fitness and wellness. Launched in 2017, by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council for Dubai Government, the initiative
initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, rime Minister and Ruler of Dubai to celebrate "Flag Day"
challenges everyone in the ity to complete 30 minutes of activity a day for 30 days. DFC heralds a month-long calendar of exciting fitness
events and wellness-focused entertainment to keep Dubai up and on its feet. It not only cultivates fitness-focused mindsets but also inspires Dubai’s residents to work towards a common goal of maintaining healthier, active lifestyles in the long run. TCSI was a part of this challenge, a number of fitness activities were planned and executed. It was indeed a great platform to impart knowledge on health and healthy lifestyle. PAGE |70
MARCH 2020 | VOL. 9
NEWSLETTER 2020
KS2 Activities Keep Students Busy Story Narration: Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration encompasses a set of techniques through which the creator of the story presents their story, including: Narrative point of view: the perspective through which a story is communicated. Narrative voice: the format through which a story is communicated. Narrative tense: the grammatical placement of the story's timeframe in the past, the present, or the future. These techniques are inculcated in the kids to enhance their skills of dialogue delivery, pronunciation and tone modulation through these activities. Above all, the kids were given opportunity to showcase their skills in narration.
National Day Competition: To add to the celebrations of the National Day, there was a competition among the Year 3 and Year 4 classes to create models of Landmarks in UAE, using recycled materials. As a result, the teachers could see creativity, team spirit, healthy competition between classes and the concept of recycling, reusing too. Students came up with neat, perfect models of Burj Khalifa, Dubai Frame, The Palm Jumeirah, Clock Tower, Waste- Energy (Energy Plant) and the World Trade Center. A Field Trip to Adventureland: The students had an opportunity to visit Adventureland, it was a fun filled educational trip. They learnt science concepts in the activity area at Adventureland. The students enjoyed the trip as it was a learning experience of different scientific theories with the joy of rides.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
KS1 Brushes up Creativity Sadaf Wajahat (KS1 Coordinator)
The City School’s Key Stage 1 had an amazing year full of creativity, personal development and fun. Students arrived in inspirational classrooms and an engaging corridor which were being used as learning spaces. The children were able to settle very quickly into daily routines and progress in their learning which has been evident since the beginning of the year. We have had some wonderful events linked to our curriculum where students were able to make links between their learning and the world around them. As part of the Moral Education topics students were encouraged to exhibit leadership qualities and this was achieved through peer teaching activities. Students were given a number of topics such as Fairness, Kindness, and Honesty on which they prepared short presentations and shared them with other students in different classes. This allowed them not only to gain confidence but also to develop public speaking skills. The International Day was celebrated where our students dressed in their national costumes and confidently spoke about their home country through a show ‘n’ tell session. UAE National Day was again a big day in the TCSI where our students proudly dressed in UAE national dress and paraded their outfits in celebration of this great event. It is very important to read to young children because their reading skills are important to their success in school and work. In addition, reading can be a fun and imaginative activity for kids, which opens all kinds of imaginary worlds to them. PAGE |72
NEWSLETTER 2020
KS1 Brushes up Creativity During the Winter Break, students of Year 1-2 read printed/digital books of their choices. They took screenshot of their starting and ending point to prove the challenge was met. The student who read the most number of words in a class was declared a Reading Champion. In collaboration with the English Department and with the help of many parents, kids unleashed their creativity to create the craziest hats on Crazy Hat Day at TCSI. The amazing thing we noticed this year was the number of students who used recycled items to create their crazy hats. They used items such as plastic bottles, wraps and many other items which are easily found everywhere at no cost. There was a parade where each student displayed their unique and colourful hats. Selected students from Year 1 and 2 presented their hats and talked about them to their teachers and friends. It was a fun-filled event that brought smiles and joy to everyone. KS1 celebrated the Character Day by dressing up as one of their favourite characters from a fairy tale book encouraging students to develop their interest in reading. Debate is one of the academic activities that give students creative room to express what they feel. The length of knowledge that they gain through it is simply unparalleled. The City School International has set the benchmark for conducting activities in such a way that the students not only enjoy but also learn a great deal from it. With the same perspective in view, the Inter-School Debate Competition was held during the English Month. All the participants exhibited great oratorical skills. They put in tremendous hard work to showcase their hidden
talent. The debaters displayed confidence in presenting their ideas and opinions before audience and a panel of eminent jury members. The kids were well-prepared, and they used various skills like overstatement, definition, questioning, etc. to convince the audience. The participants were armed with knowledge and confidence and made their opinions more emphatic with right facial expressions, body movements and gestures. Math Week was another fantastic opportunity for children to engage in math activities, which they may not normally get a chance to experience in their regular lessons. Science Week was celebrated throughout the week, and it was based on STEAM activity throughout KS1. All classes worked on different projects where they got a chance to showcase their creativity and scientific enquiry. Students made the fastest roller coaster design, tugboat, parachute launcher and other creative projects. They were excited to work in groups. Furthermore, students were asked to discuss their projects and ideas within their groups. On the last day of this week parents were invited to motivate the students, appreciate their work and be awed by their presentation skills. This has indeed been a busy and productive year for the children where they have had plenty of learning opportunities both in and outside the classroom. PAGE |73
NEWSLETTER 2020
TCSI Cinema Runs Its First Show
Nosheen Ali (FS Teacher)
On Wednesday, 30th Oct 2019, FS2 students had a movie day. They were shown the animated movie “Home”. Movie was scheduled at 10.45 am in the FS gym room after the snack break. Two students did the movie ticket cashier role and two stood at the cinema hall entrance. It was like a real cinema going experience. Students used fake cash register money and made a line at the ticket counter. each student purchased the ticket and went inside the hall. Once students from all the classes were seated, a movie trailer was started. Students were given popcorn jars and the movie started at 11am. Students enjoyed eating popcorn while watching the movie. The movie ended around 12.10pm. Overall, students enjoyed this wonderful experience.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
FS2 ANNUAL SPORTS DAY KICKS IN Nosheen Ali (FS Teacher)
On Sunday, 9th Feb 2020, FS2 students had their annual sports day in the school ground. The sports day started at 8.45 am and finished around 10.45 am. Many parents came to support and encourage their children. The sports Day started with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by UAE National Anthem. Later Ms. Lina, Head of FS, gave a brief description about rules and regulations to be followed during the fun games. Ms Dilyara started the day with an enthusiastic and energetic warm up exercise for all the kids which enabled the students to begin with their fun games with great fervour and determination. There was a total of eight games (each class representing two games). Ms Dilyara was keeping the time watch. On the first whistle, students started the game. On second whistle, students stopped playing the game. On the third whistle, students changed their station and moved to the next game. All students got the chance to play all eight games. Once each class came back to its original station, Ms Dilyara blew the final whistle. Ms Nosheen gave Vote of Thanks. Then parents were invited to join their children to play the same game. While parents were playing, teachers awarded the medals to all the students. Teachers took a group photo of their students before going to the class. PAGE |75
NEWSLETTER 2020
Hats-off to FS 2 Crazy Hat Day and Socks Day Nosheen Ali (FS Teacher)
The City School International celebrated the month of reading and encouraged the students to read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books to develop the love for reading in each individual. On 6th Feb 2020, all FS2 students came to the school wearing their crazy hats. Students read the story of ‘A Cat in a Hat’ by Dr Seuss. Teachers took pictures of all the students wearing crazy hats in their classrooms. Later at around 8.45am, all FS2 students went on a parade wearing and showing their crazy hats. Ms. Lina gave a short speech on the stage and informed teachers about the rubric for selection for the best crazy hat from each class. After the parade students went back to their classes. Students took turns in their respective classes and spoke a few lines about their crazy hats. Finally, they drew their hats and wrote a few words/ captions about their hats. As the Read Aloud month continues, on 13th Feb 2020, all FS2 students came to the school wearing their crazy socks. The parade started at 8.30 am and all classes from FS2 to Year 2 gathered in the assembly ground. Ms Lina gave a brief description about the crazy socks day. Then each section of FS2 came up on the stage. Winners were chosen from each class based on the creativity of their socks. Every winning child was given an opportunity to talk about his/ her crazy socks.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
FS2 Read Aloud with Parents Nosheen Ali (FS Teacher)
Every year, on World Read Aloud Day, on February 5th people from all around the globe read aloud together and share stories to
World Read Aloud Day recognizes that literacy begins with teachers and families who foster a love for reading in their students and
advocate for literacy as a human right that belongs to them.
children! We, at TCSI, want to share the joy of reading. Apart from teachers reading to their students, parents were also invited to read from 11:00am to 12 noon. In each section of
February 5th, 2020 is World Read Aloud Day which gave an opportunity to celebrate reading and storytelling with entire communities, including the one created in our school
FS2, parents came and brought along age appropriate books which they read to their child’s class. After the reading session, parents and students were engaged in group discussions about the story, its characters and moral of the story.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Field Trip to Arabian Wildlife centre
Our students had a lot of fun in our last field trip. They're looking forward to the next one! Nosheen Ali (FS Teacher)
On Thursday, 23rd January 2020, all FS2 students from section AD went on a field trip to Arabian wildlife Centre in Sharjah. It was an informative tour since children learnt about various animals through the theme Feathers, Furs and Fins. On this day, 72 students from FS2, along with their teachers, teaching assistants and class nannies went on the trip. The students left the school around 8.40 am and reached the centre around 9.30am. A tour guide was already present at the venue, so students directly went inside the wildlife centre after taking a class picture at the main gate. Inside the wildlife centre, students saw various kinds of reptiles, fish, amphibians, birds and mammals like fox, wolf and tiger. After coming out of Arabian Wildlife Centre, students boarded the buses and went to the farm. There students saw and fed various farm animals like cow, sheep and horses. After feeding farm animals, students washed their hands and went to the grassy sitting area where they were provided with snacks from the trip organizers. Around 11.50 am students boarded the school buses and reached the school at 12.30 pm. It was a fun trip for FS2 students. PAGE |78
NEWSLETTER 2020
FS 2A Class Assembly “Head to Toe” Asma Azher (FS Teacher)
On Tuesday, 21st January 2020, FS2-A had its first-class assembly based on Eric Carle’s famous story” Head to Toe”. The assembly started on time as parents were already waiting in the assembly ground. First all sections came and lined up for the assembly. Then FS2- A students went on the stage and lined up according to their characters. Hosts came in front and started the assembly with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an followed by the UAE National Anthem. Then the host came forward and spoke a few lines to the audience regarding their act on the story of “Head to Toe” by Eric Carle. All class students dressed up as different characters from the “Head to Toe” story came forward and spoke a few lines about their characters following the sequence in the story. Lastly, the host came forward and invited all students to perform a dance on the nursery rhyme “Down by the Jungle “. After the performance of students, hosts came forward and thanked the principal, parents, teachers and fellow students. Ms Lina gave the vote of thanks. Later Ms Lina awarded those students who got star of the week awards. PAGE |79
NEWSLETTER 2020
FS 2C Assembly ‘Under the Sea’ Performed on the Stage On Wednesday 5th of Feb 2020 FS2-C had their class assembly. The theme for the assembly was animals” Under the sea”. The
We started the assembly with the recitation of the holy Quran followed by the UAE National anthem. There were two narrators
whole idea behind doing this topic was to cover our unit of feathers furs and fins so the students get a better picture and understanding of the theme. Parents were
who took us through the entire assembly. Children came forward in pairs to enact and talk about their character. It was such a proud moment for teachers and parents to see their
invited well in advance through an invitation sent and were expected to be at the venue at sharp 7.50. Students were expected to be dressed in different coloured clothes from home according to the (fish) character they were going to portray.
children talk so confidently. Later the students performed a dance on “The Yellow Fish” song. It was an immense pleasure to see them perform so well. Lastly, Ms Lina Omar our section head came forward to give her vote of thanks and distributed the certificates for the star students and the super readers from FS Department.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Assembly on ‘Farm Animals’ FS 2D Nosheen Ali (FS Teacher)
On Wednesday, 12th Feb 2020, FS2 D has its first-class assembly based on the theme of Farm Animals. The assembly started at sharp 7.55am. Parents were already seated in the assembly ground. First all sections came and lined up for the assembly. Then FS2 D students went on the stage and lined up according to their characters. Hosts came in front and started the assembly with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an followed by UAE National Anthem. Then the hosts called upon Old MacDonald. Old Macdonald came forward and spoke a few lines about his farm. He spoke about the benefits of farm animals. Then he invited his farm friends to come forward turn by turn and introduce themselves. All class students dressed up as different farm animals came forward and spoke a few lines about their characters. Lastly, the Old MacDonald came forward and said that now students would perform a dance on the nursery rhyme Old Macdonald. After the performance of students, hosts came forward and called upon Ms Lina.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Show and Tell Heena Shaikh (FS Teacher)
Every Thursday in the FS Department, a session called PSED (Personal, Social, Emotional Development) are organised where different activities are streamlined to develop students' personal, social and emotional skills. Teachers plan activities well in advance to meet the needs of every child to ensure there is maximum participation of every child in the session. One of the activities is Show and Tell. The children are given the opportunity to speak in front of their friends. Each child fascinates to be the centre of attention. Children share things from home with their friends and the teacher. They choose items that are meaningful to them to talk about. They also learn to respect each other’s turn to talk. Children practice the skill of listening to and answering simple questions. They practise the skill of asking simple questions. Once all the children have had a turn to share, the teacher then let the children take some time to play together with all the toy.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
Thrilling Thursdays Nosheen Ali, Umaira Iqbal, Asma Azhar & Saba Aun (FS Teachers)
From Thursday, 7th May 2020, onwards PSED sessions were started for FS2
FS2 D has so far done the below mentioned activities in Thrilling Thursday sessions:
students. These sessions are named Thrilling Thursday
Red Dress up day, show and tell, Favourite toy at home,
PSED Session. These sessions are aimed at enhancing and promoting social skills of the students. Hopefully these sessions will help students in their smooth transition in Year 1.
Pre Eid celebrations, Eid celebrations and designing Eid cards for friends.
Initially FS2 D started with
The latest topic was based on healthy eating. During this session, students spoke about the importance of healthy eating and living.
the small groups based on a maximum of 4 students. Each session was around 15-20 minutes. Each week the
They had a fun activity of creating a design-based fruit/ veggie plate with their favourite fruits and veggies.
teacher selected a theme or topic and the students were engaged in group discussion and activities based on that topic.
Students created their plates during the session and shared their creativity with their friends and teacher.
Later the timing of these sessions was increased to 30
One of the activities that was conducted in the PSED Session after Eid Holidays
minutes per group. As the timing was increased, the group size of students was also increased to 6 or 7 students per session. Teacher tried to accommodate those students in one group who were close friends or had similar interests.
was “Baking Instant Mug Cake”. The teachers started the session by greeting each other and then children were asked to share their experiences on Eid Celebrations, how they celebrated Eid at home and share with their friends how much Eidi they received this PAGE |83
NEWSLETTER 2020
Thrilling Thursdays Eid from their elders. Children happily shared their experience with friends. Once discussion was over, teachers asked each of them to be ready with ingredients to bake a mug cake. Children revised some rules to be followed before starting an activity. In this activity children learnt to follow simple instructions by adding each ingredient one by one , they learnt the purpose of using objects such as “use big spoon to add flour” “Microwave to bake mug cake” etc. they also learnt the concept of measurements such as “ Spoonful of sugar”, “Half spoon of baking powder”, “Few drops of vanilla essence” etc. They learnt to listen attentively with increased attention. They learnt to give others a chance to speak and take turns. At the end of this session each child was asked to name a person they would like to share this mug cake with. Some of them wanted to share it with their friends, some with their favourite sibling and some with their parents.
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NEWSLETTER 2020
The TCSI Inclusion Department Makes a Difference Consuelo Navarro (Head of Inclusion)
The TCSI Inclusion Department was established to make sure that Students of Determination, the Gifted and talented and those students who are having special educational needs are well taken care of and not left behind. The TCSI inclusion department includes the Inclusion Team, The Head of Inclusion, Special Education Teacher and one support teacher who provides intervention and extra support in and out of the classroom. The Achievement Center is set up in a way that is conducive for students’ learning. Goals and targets for the students in the Achievement Center register or under its care are set to make sure that students excel and significantly progress academically. The inclusion department also touches life skills, communication skills and social skills. The inclusion department makes sure that we meet and achieve the UAE National Agenda on the provision for, and achievements of students with special educational needs and disabilities.
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The TCSI Inclusion Department Makes a Difference Inclusion Department Vision: Leveraging a diverse and inclusive learning environment for all students of determination and for the gifted and talented. There are no students left behind in TCSI. All students belong to one safe environment for learning and development.
Inclusion Department Mission: The TCSI Inclusion Department serves as a bridge to embrace inclusion to make our school a conducive place for learning and development.
From the left: Apple (Special Education Teacher), Hira (LSA), Sultana (LSA), Ms. Marcheta (of Sunshine Learning Center), Nandy (Teaching Assistant, Consuelo (Head of Inclusion, and Bana (Special Education Teacher)
Students of Determination and those who are gifted and talented are treated with respect and acceptance. Provisions for extra support and interventions are given to Students of Determination where their progress is monitored and tracked. Teachers are trained and equipped in handling diverse students in class especially those with special educational needs. We build a strong partnership with parents and seek external professional support from our partner center. The Inclusion Department’s Services: Re-assessment-Students’ level and academic performance are re-assessed to make sure that the intervention to be provided to the child exactly meets his/her needs. CLASS System is used to assess the student.
Personal Learning Plan (Termly)-Personalized learning plan refers to instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each learner. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) Pull out session for Math, English or Science- may all vary based on learner needs. Students are pulled-out once or twice a week for an extra English or Math Session/support Behaviour Intervention Plan/Behaviour Push-in/in-class support for Math, English or Monitoring Chart-A behaviour intervention plan Science-A learning support assistant comes (BIP) is a plan that’s designed to teach and reward during English or Math class to provide extra positive behaviours. This can help prevent or support for the said subjects. stop problem behaviours in school. Individual Educational Plan (Termly) -IEP is a written plan/program developed by the school’s special education team with input from the parents and specifies the students’ academic goals and the method to obtain these goals.
Social Skills/Life Skills intervention (by Special Education Teacher) -Student are pulled out for some social/life skills session to improve their self-esteem/confidence, communication and social skills with peers, basic and functional skills for everyday living PAGE |86
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The TCSI Inclusion Department Makes a Difference The Inclusion Department’s Services: Training for Learning Support Assistant (if your child requires a shadow teacher/LSA) Disney Club (small group sessions on reading and writing)Students have small group sessions on writing and reading every Sundays and Mondays, 8:00-8:20 am. Accommodations -are supports and services provided to help a student access the general education curriculum and validly demonstrate learning. Examples of Accommodations: Time: extend the time allotted to take a test, finish an assignment, learn a concept, or complete an activity. Curriculum Modification- refers to any changes in the curriculum made to accommodate a student's particular need. Modification entails altering the content taught, whether that means omitting or adding to the curriculum or changing the standards for assessment and evaluation based on a student's needs and limitations. Inclusion Department/Achievement Center On Board During The Distance Learning Period Since the Distance Learning started, the Inclusion Department has always been on board to ensure the parents of Students of Determination (SODs) and those students under their care are able to cope up and wil not be left behind during the challenging times of online classes. The Department headed by Ms. Consuelo with the full support of Ms. Apple has been providing extra Intervention Classes to those students who are most in need of extra support and assistance. Despite the current situation, Personalized Learning Plans (PLP) and Individual Learning Plans (IEP) are sent out to parents for their reference. PLP and IEP Goals have been set for Students of Determination and other students needing support to make sure that they are able to progress and meet their academic targets during the school year. Consistent follow ups with parents and teachers are also being done to make sure that students are coping up well. The Department has also been in close coordination with its partner external institutions like The Tender Hearts Arena, BE ME FZ LLE and Sunshine Learning Disabilities Center for extra external support that could be best provided to students like ABA, Laughter Yoga Sessions, and other Well Being Sessions. The Inclusion Deparment is concerned to the well being of all students, parents and teachers. It will continue to make sure that students are well taken care of and that their well being will being given outmost priority aside from their learning during the pandemic. PAGE |87
NEWSLETTER 2020
Our Parent Council Annual Report Arooj Omer (Parent Council President 2019-2020)
The academic year 2019-20 was an enlightening experience for the Parent Council. For any school community to flourish and make progress, good wellbeing practices targeting students, teachers and parents are extremely important. The motivation to do better is directly impacted by the desire for the school to be a better place for students and the entire school community. TCSI Parent Council is a body of 11 members: Arooj Omer, the President; Lubna Saif, the Vice President; Hanan Joumaa Zabadne; Tayyaba Ejaz; Amber Durrani; Muhammad Amer; Sumera Hasan; Muhammad Asif Hanif; Rabbia Fatima; Rukhsana Tariq and Dr. Sadaf Kashif. The Council works in partnership with the school to represent parents community as one of the stakeholders to promote positive change at TCSI. The involvement of the Parent Council in school activities, the role of School Representatives in sharing important information as well as taking parents' opinions and concerns into consideration all hold a true essence of positive culture introduced by school. Surely, this positive relationship has contributed a lot in betterment of school. Over the course of year, the Parent Council meetings have been conducted to focus on a range of agendas. Parent Council's contribution in some major events at TCSI during the year are accentuated here to show the relentless commitment. The first meeting was held on 15th October where the members discussed all major events of the school year along with roles and responsibilities of the Parent Council. The Pink Ribbon Walk in October was the first event of the academic year. It was very well organized by School Representatives, and the members of Parent Council took an active part in the walk. Moreover, the Parent Council was side by side on the initiative of Dubai Fitness Challenge to promote healthy living. The Parent Council was also involved in supporting School Management in UAE Day Celebrations and Sports Day. Special meetings were held to discuss the aims and planning of these major events. Furthermore, the Parent Council Members were given the opportunity to share their opinions and views on School Policy, Disciplinary Actions as well as their feedback on School Gate Timings and Dispersal, and to lay their suggestions in a meeting with School Board. The participation of all Council Members contributed to the success of events in the academic year 2019-20. The Parent Council’s dedicated efforts will continue in the next academic year with greater achievements for the whole school community. PAGE |88
NEWSLETTER 2020
Be Healthy Be Safe Raihana Hashir RN / Clinic/TCSI
Hand Hygiene Programme Thousands of people die every day around the world from infections acquired while receiving health care. Hands are the main pathways of germ transmission during health care. Hand hygiene is, therefore, the most important measure to avoid the transmission of harmful germs and prevent health careassociated infections. The hand hygiene activity explains and demonstrates how and when to practice hand hygiene. Hand hygiene activity was conducted on 7th Jan for Year 2 and included the topics: ‘What is Hand Hygiene’, ‘Importance of Hand Hygiene’, ‘When should We Wash Hands?’ and ‘Hand Washing Techniques’. After the presentation, the students were given a demonstration of hand washing techniques. A Q&A session was conducted where the students interacted with the presenters and asked numerous questions to learn the depth of hand washing technique. The students understood the hand washing procedure to implement it in their day to day life. Happy Teeth Awareness for FS2 Students The practice of good oral hygiene is essential in preventing early childhood caries. Developing good oral hygiene is also the first line of defense against common dental problems such as plaque, tooth decay, gum disease, and halitosis. The activity was conducted on 3rd Feb for FS2 students. The presentation was lively through the cartoony slides to engage and to understand the topic through interaction. PAGE |89
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Be Healthy Be Safe Novel Coronavirus Health Education Activity Novel coronavirus is the strain of virus first identified in a cluster with pneumonia symptoms in Wuhan city Hubei Province of China. Most of the cases were epidemiologically linked to the seafood and animal market. This likely originated in animal species and then spread to humans. Human coronavirus strains are spread from person to person through contaminated droplets from a person who is sick with illness. On 17 February Novel Coronavirus awareness was spread among TCSI staff. The purpose of the activity was to understand the pandemic and to train the staff to spread further awareness to all students. Detailed information about COVID 19, its symptoms, treatment, sources, prevention and hand washing techniques was highlighted through posters and videos. After the presentation, the staff was given a demonstration of hand washing techniques.
Another workshop was conducted for the domestic staff to understand how serious COVID 19 Pandemic is and to highlight the importance of cleaning and disinfections. At the end of the workshop the teachers were confident enough to conduct the activity in their own classes to make students aware of precautions. Puberty Awareness Programme for Girls. Puberty is the most important turning point in adolescence, which is the transition period from childhood to adulthood and the time to gain fertility. This period is caused by the activation of the sexual glands and is accompanied by a series of symptoms and physical and mental changes On 3rd March this workshop was arranged to learn about puberty and its stages. The awareness programme helped the students to understand the profound change they were experiencing so that they would be equipped with the skills to cope with it. Thus, this particular education developed the knowledge, attitudes, values and skills needed to live a healthy life. PAGE |90
NEWSLETTER 2020
Teachers League Stuns the Crowd
Kamran Ahmed (HOD English)
In February to promote the healthy activities and keeping the staff fit Teachers League was launched. The league consisted of 8 participating teams from different departments of the school including the ancillary staff. Four games - Throw ball, Table Tennis, Badminton and Basketball - were chosen to increase maximum participation from the staff keeping their available time in mind. Therefore, the games were organised in snack break and long breaks. The staff excelled to impress the spectators and depress the opponents. In the meantime, the teachers and staff cheered for their favourite player and team to create a buzz of excitement. The pandemic halted the intense games. However, soon the players will be in the arena again to level their scores or grab the trophy of this championship.
ACHS Newsletter
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Consuelo Navarro (Head of Inclusion)
TCSI Teachers and Staff have undergone quite a lot of personal development trainings and sessions throughout the school year 20192020 to further support them with their wellbeing and professional growth. The teachers started the school year by attending trainings and workshops on the following: “Building IEP Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)” by Sunshine Learning Difficulties Center; “Use of Google Classroom” by Ms. Bindhu; Workshop by Smart Tech Education; “Dealing with Challenging Behavior in the Classroom” by Pulse Center; Workshop by Education City; “CAT4 Workshop” by Ms. Farah and “Session on Health and Safety” by Ms. Sana. During the second term, important and significant workshops and trainings were again provided to teachers and staff. These are the following: “Happy Kids Learn Faster” by Tender Hearts; “Critical Thinking” by Sunshine Learning Difficulties Center; “New KHDA Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education” by Ms. Consuelo; Workshop on “Progress and Attainment” by Mr. Mudassir; “Curriculum Mapping” by Ms. Lina; “Inclusion and Intervention” by Ms. Consuelo; Training on Paradigm and “Introspection and Digging Deep Down the Past” by Landmines which focused on teachers’ wellbeing. PAGE |92
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One of the most important trainings that the teachers had was the KHDA Accredited course on “Differentiation of Instruction” conducted by Ms. Marcheta of Sunshine Learning Difficulties Center when all the teachers received their KHDA Certificates. Amid the current situation, teachers and staff are still encouraged to undergo training to maintain professional growth and most of all support them with their wellbeing. Teachers had an intensive training on MS Teams before TCSI even launched the distance learning through the said platform.
Different webinars on Online Teaching as well and Trainings on how to handle students during the distance learning period have been very helpful too. Online teachers’ workshop by Expo 2020 has also been introduced to teachers where they can navigate the Expo 2020 online library of Learning Resources Step-by-step and learn how to incorporate Expo 2020 lessons into the classes that teachers will be teaching online in the classroom. TCSI Teachers and Staff are now very well equipped for the next academic year and still expecting more trainings and workshops for the continuity of professional and personal growth and development. PAGE |93
NEWSLETTER 2020
ACADEMIC TEAM Our Team is Our Strength
ARABIC DEPARTMENT ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT
ISLAMIC DEPARTMENT MATH DEPARTMENT
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ACADEMIC TEAM Our Team is Our Strength
FRENCH , URDU, & MUSIC TEACHERS
IT DEPARTMENT
FS TEAM
KS1 TEAM
P.E DEPARTMENT
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CITY CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 2019 - 2020