Issue 6 - October 2019 by WorldOfEducationMag

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ISSUE 6 | OCTOBER 2019

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Early literacy Improve reading with the right questions The importance of an inclusive education

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Welcome... The future of education is an exciting world brimming with possibility and opportunity. It promises a flexible, non-linear pathway for students that's tailored to their individual strengths, interests and ambitions. This future invites learning not only in the classroom but in a variety of different environments, blurring the lines between school, university and industry and enabling students to put theory into practice and gain hands-on experience that will stand them in good stead when they enter the world of employment. Even more exciting, though, is the fact that this is no longer some distant prospect or something to look forward to down the line, because the shift has already begun. The future is being realised right now and there is no stopping it. Evidence of this can be seen in the Specialist Centres of Excellence being rolled out across five GEMS Education schools, which together form this issue’s cover story on page 18. Each Centre revolves around close collaboration with industry partners and all are designed to close the skills gap to give students the best chance of success and fulfilment when they leave school. This modern approach threatens to transform the very foundations upon which a traditional education framework is built, bringing with it a sea of change that could not be more inspiring or exciting. In line with the forward-looking nature of this issue is our overview of the Global Futures Curriculum on page 54. This unique programme prepares young people for the 21st century and recently launched a version specifically for primary students. In addition, on page 56 we hear from the three student teams that won last years’ Global Innovation Challenge and who, in August, attended the Singularity University Global Summit in California. At this event, each team was given the chance to present their solutions and innovative products to an international audience of investors and entrepreneurs. This issue we have also explored the importance and benefits of an inclusive education (turn to page 32), as well as the novel ways a Dubai school is promoting student and staff well-being (see page 64). Students also tell us, in their own words, about their personal experiences interning over the summer (page 62) and competing at the World Scholar’s Cup in Sydney and Manila (see page 28). There’s plenty of advice for parents, too – not least expert guidance on what questions to ask when reading with little ones (page 26). Enjoy the read and do keep your comments and suggestions coming via www.worldofeducationmag.com.

World of Education Team GEMS EDUCATION Adelle Calumpang Benny Thomas Hfu Reisenhofer Hoda Elghool Joanna Andrews Niovi Anagnostopoulou Rose Youssef Shauna O'Loane ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi MANAGING DIRECTOR Alex Reeve CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies EDITOR Yvonne Kerr CONTACT COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, ITP CUSTOMER Jamie O'Loane T: 04 444 3193 E: jamie.oloane@itp.com worldofeducationmag@gemseducation.com www.worldofeducationmag.com

We see genius in every child

PUBLISHED BY ITP MEDIA GROUP REGISTERED AT DUBAI MEDIA CITY, DUBAI, U.A.E. GEMS Education and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, howsoever caused. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permission.

Contents Issue 06

32 NEWS 6 Happenings in the education sector A FOCUS ON 10 GEMS International School – Al Khail MEET THE… 14 Principal 16 Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation COVER 18 Centres of Excellence redeﬁning education

Issue 6 | October 2019

ACADEMICS 24 How A Levels prepare students for life 26 Developing literacy in the Early Years 28 World Scholar’s Cup 32 The importance of inclusive education 34 Finding the right pathway

45 ARTS 36 The beauty of ballet 38 The GEMS Music Hub teacher touring as a professional musician

BEYOND SCHOOL 58 My summer at Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts 62 Inspired by an Emirates NBD internship

SPORTS 40 Centre of Excellence for Swimming 42 Focus on three sporting academies 44 Discover artistic swimming 47 GEMS Sports Series

PARENTS 64 A spotlight on well-being 66 Inspiring recipes for little lunch boxes

INNOVATION 50 What 21st-century classrooms look like 54 Global Futures Curriculum 56 Student presentations at the Singularity University Global Summit

LIFESTYLE 70 Lapland at its best 74 Short haul ski holidays 76 Family stay-cay at Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City 78 Good reads 79 At the movies 80 School directory 82 What's On

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News

Most Inspirational Teacher 2019

CEO of GEMS Education Dino Varkey with award winner Mohammad Abusenenh (above right) and the four runners up (top)

Mohammad Abusenenh from GEMS United School is this year’s Most Inspirational Teacher. A red-carpet ceremony was held at GEMS World Academy, Dubai on 3 October for the fourth annual Mariamma Varkey awards. This year, 45 teachers were nominated for their year-long drive

Issue 6 | October 2019

in motivating students and inspiring their colleagues. Mohammad Abusenenh’s work has been transformational both inside and outside the classroom. Students say his classes stretch them to think, react, imagine and create, and this has had an evident impact. Outside the classroom, Mohammad is involved in everything from coaching soccer teams to KHDA panel participation. His commitment to educating the community about Islamic values and Arab culture can be clearly seen in a number of initiatives, such as the school’s first ever student-run UAE National Day celebration. Four others were awarded for their outstanding commitment to the holistic development of students. The five winners were: Annamma Lucy of Our Own English High School (Boys) - Sharjah (Early & Primary Years Teaching); Ayesha Aslam of GEMS Westminster School - Sharjah (Secondary Years); Elspeth Mackie

of GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail (Inclusion); and Ramy Wagdy Aboudishdish of Cambridge International School - Dubai (Arabic & Islamic). Each received AED 88,080 as cash prizes along with a citation. The total cash prizes presented through the awards were over AED 570,000. Dino Varkey, Chief Executive Officer at GEMS Education, said: “We strongly believe that the influence of teachers is the driving force of student success. With these awards, we celebrate our teachers for the profound impact they have on shaping the future generation of our students.” He added: “The Mariamma Varkey Award is particularly close to my heart, as it reflects the high standards set by my grandmother when she first arrived in Dubai as a teacher 60 years ago. Thanks to her efforts and unwavering vision, GEMS Education is what it is today, and it gives us great pleasure to host this special award in her honour.”

Leading UK historian becomes school adviser

GEMS Education recently announced that Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, is the new official adviser to a number of its schools. This lends students an unprecedented opportunity to gain valuable insights from one of Britain’s leading contemporary historians, educationalists and political authors. Previously, Seldon was the 13th Master of Wellington College in the UK - a position he held for a decade. He will also help some of GEMS Education’s schools to develop an innovative ecosystem by adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) in coordination with the University of Buckingham. In his career over three decades, Seldon has played a crucial role in enabling thousands of students to secure positions at Ivy League schools. His exceptional expertise will take GEMS Education’s schools to new heights. Sunny Varkey, Founder and Chairman, GEMS Education, said: “We are delighted to work with Sir Anthony Seldon, who brings a wealth of experience from two of the UK’s leading colleges. With several student-led innovations, GEMS Education schools have set benchmarks for academic excellence and underlined their position as leading schools in the country. He shares our belief that every learner deserves an education that not only develops them academically, but also builds their character and well-being. We place significant emphasis on values-led education throughout our network of schools. Students at our schools, will be able to gain valuable insight from Sir Anthony.”

Welcoming 1,800 new teachers GEMS Education officially welcomed more than 1,800 new teachers to its network of schools during GEMS Awareness Day, an annual event designed to introduce new staff to the organisation. GEMS Awareness day is an invaluable platform for information exchange and a unique opportunity for the senior leadership team to share their expertise and experience. GEMS Education Founder and Chairman Sunny Varkey welcomed new teaching staff during the event, saying: “Welcome to GEMS Education. I would like to assure you that you have made an incredibly positive decision to join the world’s greatest education company.” Speaking at the event, Dino Varkey, Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Education, said: “GEMS Education has been educating children for 60 years. We raise the profile of the profession through the Global Teacher Prize and engage heads of state and politicians around the world to give education the importance it deserves, to ensure it has its place in national agendas.” The event included presentations and workshops, with thematic insights into the mission of GEMS Education as well as the wider narratives of the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda. Sessions also covered child safeguarding, wellness, inclusion, disruption in technology, sustainability and finance.

Toyota selects Dubai student to represent UAE A GEMS Wellington Primary School Year 2 student’s drawing was selected from almost 100,000 entries in the 13th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest. Out of only 11 finalists, Aarya Abhishek Pawar was invited to a special award ceremony in Japan. Of all the participants from 76 countries, Aarya was the only student chosen from the UAE. What a magnificent honour for this student to represent the UAE and her school on an international platform. Congratulations Aarya!

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News

New Sharjah school opens with 840 students and 60 teachers

Dubai students perform Puccini at Dubai Opera Dubai Opera and GEMS Music Hub teamed up with Shanghai Opera House to put on Puccini’s final creation, Turandot, in September. Performed live under the direction of Roberto Ando, the criticallyacclaimed masterpiece starred more than 200 talented artists. Among them were 30 students from GEMS Jumeirah Primary School who received wide acclaim for their standout performances. “The students’ participation at Dubai Opera is a testament to GEMS Music Hub’s mission to provide all students with a chance to develop a lifelong appreciation of music and an enthusiasm for learning,” said Karen Hobbs, Manager at GEMS Music Hub. “GEMS Music Hub is designed to provide students unparalleled access to the power of music to experience the excitement of professional performances first-hand to broaden students’ appreciation for cultural arts.” The students of GEMS Jumeirah Primary School spent months exploring new avenues for their creativity by honing their talents under the guidance of the school’s Head of Music, Charlotte O’Connor, alongside GEMS Music Hub professional artists. Members of the chorus will perform again as part of the GEMS Choir at the Jingle Bell Favourites show at Dubai Opera on 12-14 December.

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Students, teachers and the community at GEMS Cambridge International Private School Sharjah celebrated with an official event to mark the opening of the school and the start of the 2019-20 academic year. Promising an exciting inaugural year ahead and strategically positioned to provide the best access to students and families across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, the school introduces a host of innovative programmes and teaching methods that will expand opportunities for more than 840 students and 60 new teachers. State-of-the-art facilities on campus include a spacious school library, advanced science, ICT and STEAM labs, a multi-purpose hall, art and music rooms as well as a range of dedicated sports areas. Albie Huyser, Principal and CEO of GEMS Cambridge International Private School, said: “As a brand-new school we had an amazing start. We were delighted to welcome all our parents and students. We were overwhelmed by their praise and appreciation for all our hard work and the transformation of the school facilities. It was wonderful to see how excited they are.” GEMS Education now owns and operates 56 schools and educates more than 130,000 students in the MENA region.

World-first in climate change teaching The Kindergarten Starters recently celebrated becoming the first school in the world to become fully UN Climate Change Certified. Thirty senior leaders and all 300 teaching staff, led by Principal Asha Alexander, are now Climate Change Teachers, accredited by UN CC:Learn in partnership with Harwood Education. The school can also lay claim to the title of being home to the world’s first Arabic teachers to qualify for the climate change accreditation. The UN course is designed to equip educators across all age groups and disciplines with the knowledge and confidence to deliver lessons on climate change. All students at GEMS Kindergarten Starters now have the opportunity to be taught by one of the school’s 300 Climate Change Teachers. Learning will cover a range of topics ranging from climate change science and gender and environment, to children and climate change, cities and climate change, and human health.

A Focus On

GEMS International School – Al Khail Reviewed as ‘functionally outstanding’ by Schools Compared, GIS offers students and families a close-knit school community and an excellent IB education

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Campus highlights GEMS International School â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Al Khail (GIS) is located in the newly developed Dubai Hills neighbourhood next to Al Khail Road in Dubai. The school campus was purpose-built, providing students with a wide range of facilities to support their learning, growth and development. Classrooms are spacious and naturally lit and there are speciality science, technology, visual and performing arts classrooms. Standout facilities include a digitally-connected design wing, advanced communication teaching facilities such as an on-site green screen studio and music recording studio, a robotics centre, fitness suite, black box theatre, dance studio, fully-equipped music rooms, a library, outdoor amphitheatre, design and technology labs, a food technology lab and medical centre. GIS is also the GEMS Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Space (turn to page 18 for further details). Students are encouraged to live healthy, active lifestyles and the school is committed to ensuring every student is well rounded. To achieve these goals, students have access to a six-lane, 25-metre swimming pool plus a learner pool, a full-size football pitch, indoor and outdoor KG play areas, a multi-

purpose performance and sports hall, outdoor mixed-use game courts for basketball, netball and tennis, and lots of shaded outdoor spaces.

Student ages and curriculum GIS is committed to delivering the full International Baccalaureate (IB) education programme to students in Pre-KG all the way up to Grade 12. A personalised approach to learning is offered, with a strong emphasis on developing mother tongue languages, innovation, healthy lifestyle and leadership skills. With 91 nationalities, all cultures feel at home at GIS. And all students benefit from a unique mother tongue support programme designed to strengthen their home language and encourage bilingualism. There is also a strong emphasis on character and leadership development, ensuring students develop their EQ alongside their IQ. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly qualified IB teachers, recruited from around the world, undergo rigorous and continuous IB-accredited training to promote their awareness of current educational practices and new thinking. A number of teachers are also accredited IB trainers and have been heavily involved in developing the GIS curriculum.

At GIS there is a strong emphasis on character and leadership development, ensuring students develop their EQ alongside their IQ. The Head of School is Glen Radojkovich (pictured above)

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A Focus On

Senior leadership team The senior leadership team (SLT) at GIS brings a great deal of experience to guide the school into the future. With over 30 years of combined IB Executive Leadership experience, members of the SLT have held highprofile positions such as National Chairman of IB Heads Councils, or IB Accreditors and WASC and CIS Reviewers. Head of School Glen Radojkovich, Head of Primary Kim Conlin and Head of Secondary Lee Hole together offer the knowledge, experience and passion to ensure GIS remains at the forefront of excellence in education.

School mission GIS aims to provide the ideal preparation for life beyond school and access to the world’s top universities. The school’s vision is to provide an exceptional education to meet the needs of a diverse, international community in an ever-changing world. Beyond the wonderful facilities, dedicated teaching and leadership team and internationally-minded students, GIS is a home away from home – a community where all people belong and students are encouraged to be all they can be. It is a learning environment where self-belief is fostered and students truly are proud of who they are, what they know and what they can achieve.

Classes and extracurricular opportunities Extra-curricular activities (ECAs) are an important part of the overall school offering, as they provide an opportunity for students to develop a range of attributes that are integral within an IB education. There are also options to take part in a wide variety of sporting activities as part of the ECA programme. The school believes in the value of team and individual sports and healthy competition. ECAs and other opportunities are either provided directly by the school or by external providers such as ESM.

Issue 6 | October 2019

Standout facilities at GIS include a food technology lab, shaded outdoor mixed-use game courts and a sports hall

Meet The

Meet the

Principal We chat to Karim Murcia, the new principal at GEMS Al Barsha National School for Boys

Tell us about your background in education? I gained my first experiences of teaching while I was studying for a BA in French and Arabic at university in London, and I immediately fell in love with the profession. My teaching career began in 2004, in an outstanding school in North London, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to gain a Master’s in Teaching from the Institute of Education during this time. After that I continued my career as Head of Modern Foreign Languages and Senior Leader before becoming Deputy Principal in a newly opened academy, also in London. I then had the honour of being the founding principal of Eden Girls’ School in Slough, UK, which I led from its opening in 2015. It was a privilege to be a member of the school’s vibrant learning community and see the hard work of staff and pupils recognised in May 2018, when the school was judged as outstanding by Ofsted [Office for Standards in Education]. GCSE Results in 2019 gave the school a Progress 8 score of 1.16 and Attainment 8 score of 61.5, both in the top one per cent of schools in the UK.

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What attracted you to GEMS Al Barsha National School for Boys (NSB)? I am very proud to have joined NSB and am excited about maintaining the school’s drive towards becoming an outstanding school and the flagship educational institution for boys in Dubai. I believe that personal and professional experiences and insights will enable me to develop the school’s values-based approach to education, inspired by the richness of Arabic culture. I am determined that the school will deliver a world-class, innovative and inclusive offer, ensuring students become successful global citizens with a strong national identity. It is extremely exciting to be at the heart of the UAE National Agenda, striving to meet and exceed ambitious targets in international assessments and GCSE examinations, which our Year 11 students will sit for the first time in the summer next year. How would you describe your approach to education, and what is your vision for the school? I believe the pursuit of excellence is based upon the unshakeable belief that every student is unique and special and has the capacity to succeed. My vision is of a safe and

Karim Murcia (above) is the new principal at GEMS Al Barsha National School for Boys

happy learning environment where warm and positive relationships and shared high expectations empower students to achieve excellent outcomes as they thrive and develop as leaders. I want leadership to be distributed throughout the whole school, with a range of structures and programmes ensuring pupils are able to express their opinions, shape school developments and take on greater social responsibility as they engage regularly with local, national and world events. What are the big issues, talking points, challenges and opportunities across the education sector? One of the major challenges I have faced as a principal has been related to teacher recruitment. This was

a particular challenge in the UK where so many teachers leave the profession early with the feeling that their work is not valued. In my new role, I am particularly interested in supporting the wide range of GEMS Education initiatives, such as the Global Teacher Prize and Mariamma Varkey Award, which promote the uniquely important role that teachers perform and their potential for transforming the communities in which they work. Who do you look to for inspiration, both on a professional and personal level? My colleagues and students inspire me every day. I admire the members of staff who work tirelessly in their respective roles across the school to provide students with the best possible experiences and go above and beyond to improve the life chances of learners. I am also continuously moved by

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that personal and professional experiences and insights will enable me to develop the school's values-based approach to education inspired by the richness of Arabic cultureâ&#x20AC;?

the resilience of students who, often against all the odds, work tenaciously to achieve their potential and give selflessly to others in their school and wider community. I have seen students overcome a wide range of barriers, including significant socioeconomic disadvantages, to achieve incredible educational outcomes and become role models for others. Tell us one thing about you that your students might be surprised to learn? I am not sure that students in the

school realise that, in addition to my passion for the Arabic language, I also speak French and that I studied and worked in the beautiful city of Paris. I think they would be surprised to learn that I used to walk past the Eiffel Tower every morning on my way to university. I am very much looking forward to sharing my love of languages with the learners in our school and helping them appreciate the many varied and rich benefits gained through the study of language and culture.

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Meet The

Turning ideas into action We sat down with Helen Al Uzaizi, the Director of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Environmentalism at GEMS World Academy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dubai, to find out more about the ambitions for her new role

Helen Al Uzaizi believes that all children are born entrepreneurs

Issue 6 | October 2019

“The first thing to look at is, how passionate is the student? If you don't have the desire to make an idea work, it won’t”

Tell us a little about your career to date? I studied law and politics in college and I hated it. I then fell into marketing and communications and discovered that if you love what you do, you’ll do it well. I was lucky to be successful in my communications career, but there was more I wanted to do. After 10 years I moved into community development, where I’ve been working for the past eight years, working with disadvantaged youth on entrepreneurship and getting delinquent youth back into the market. I’ve been working with young entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa. For the past three years, I’ve been setting up my own social enterprise with the aim of providing entrepreneurship education to kids aged 8-15 years. Tell us about your role here at GEMS World Academy – Dubai (GWA)? My new role at GWA embodies everything I dreamed of and is in tune with the objectives of my own social enterprise – to develop curriculums and embed entrepreneurship into the culture of schools. My main objective will be to embed the three worlds of entrepreneurship, innovation and environmentalism into the culture of the school as a way of life, rather than as add-on curricular activities. The school has been doing a very good job to date, but my goal will be to make it seamless and integrate it into everyday life, not just as three different pillars but as one guiding principal and mindset. So, we will be building curriculums from Grade 3 to Grade 12 as well as doing activities with younger groups. What this means for students, teachers and staff is that we will be taking the school to a level that focuses on life skills and prepares youth for the future. How will entrepreneurship be integrated for a Grade 3 student? At Grade 3 level, it will be a project-based learning approach, using lots of imaginative,

simple concepts, focusing on process rather than the net product itself. As the years progress, we’ll integrate innovation and focus more on the product. Hopefully we’ll see young entrepreneurs launching products and selling them and creating businesses that will evolve into real-life examples. How do you plan to integrate enterpreneurship, innovation and environmentalism? What we’re trying to focus on at GWA is teaching students how to explore entrepreneurship as a way of life – allowing them to think outside the box and preparing them for the world outside of school or university. Can anyone become an entrepreneur? Picasso once said that all children are born artists. I say that all children are born entrepreneurs. We all have it in us to do things outside the box, as it’s about taking one idea and making it actionable. Given the right approach and right skills and opportunity, anyone can create. Everyone can be an entrepreneur. It just takes that little extra step to take something from an idea into an action. Also, I want entrepreneurship to no longer be seen as an overwhelming, huge topic, as it scares people. You can even be an entrepreneur inside a company if you innovate and do something differently – an intrapreneur. It’s the mindset of wanting to evolve and do things differently. What do you look for in a business idea? The first thing to look at is, how passionate is the student? If you don’t have the desire to make an idea work, it won’t. Secondly, how scalable is it? There’s a market for anything if the product is good enough. If you’re solving a problem, generally there’s a market there, whether it’s niche or big. How much of entrepreneurship is down to pure luck? I’m the wrong person to ask because I think we create our own luck. I think luck is a series of opportunities that you take advantage of. I believe everyone is lucky. If you’re passionate enough, you create your own luck, you can see luck everywhere. I think it’s a mindset. What can you tell us about yourself that students may be surprised to learn? I’m a triathlete. I do triathlons. If you set your mind to something, you can do it. I learned how to swim and cycle in 2016. Before that, I couldn’t do either. I’ve competed in 22 triathlons and four half Ironman events in the past 18 months.

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Cover Story

THE FUTURE IS NOW GEMS Education has launched five groundbreaking Centres of Excellence to promote technological and digital learning and unique student pathways

n pursuit of creating unique learning pathways and qualifications for students with greater relevance to a fast-evolving society, GEMS Education has launched five groundbreaking Centres of Excellence. Each Centre specialises in a distinct field – artificial intelligence and robotics; digital industries and sustainability; aviation and space; performance and theatre technologies, entrepreneurship and youth start-up – but all share a focus on promoting and delivering outstanding technological and digital learning experiences, primarily for students aged 14-18. Why are these Centres of Excellence necessary? Michael Gernon, Chief Education Innovation Officer at GEMS Education, explains: “It is clear that there will be a greater focus on skills to meet

Issue 6 | October 2019

the challenges of the future. And not just the four Cs – Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical thinking, but areas not previously explored in depth by schools, such as complexity, agility, risk and increased social and emotional intelligence, will be equally if not more important. Transferability of skills and the application of knowledge to create new learning will be paramount.” If the education sector is to achieve this, Michael points to the need for businesses, higher education and schools to work together to create new models of learning, credentialing achievements when ready and offering more flexible pathways to success than the traditional graduation stages of high school, higher education and work. Put simply, it requires a bold and disruptive approach.

Karan Deep, Head of Innovation and Partnerships at GEMS Education, echoes this: “We live in a world where our lives are segmented into three different phases – K-12, higher education and the workforce. But in today’s world, by the time people start working, companies often still have to spend a year or more retraining employees on new industries, new mindsets and new technologies. So, we want to help blur the lines that exist between these three stages, bringing forward the knowledge and expertise that exists in the later stages of our lives to the age of 14 or earlier. It is our attempt to help bridge the skills gap and knowledge gap and enable our students to hit the ground running, whether it is for university or a job. That is where our Centres of Excellence come in.”

Shifting boundaries Within these Centres, students have access to new learning experiences in the world of work and undergraduate study, making them future-ready at a much earlier age. By removing the traditional age boundaries of graduation at 18 and 22, as well as the constraints of a typical academic year, students are immersed in a range of academic and industry-level qualifications and experiences and have the chance to create real-world, future-focused solutions. The Centres involve deep integration and collaboration with local, regional and international university and business partners to enable experiential learning, research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship. The aim is to lead to industry and higher educationlevel qualifications accredited by the partners involved, in addition to allowing for early identification of emerging student talent. “The whole point is to work with our university and business partners to tap into their knowledge and create new learning and development pathways for students,” says Karan.

Five Centres of Excellence have been launched by GEMS Education with the aim of creating new future-focused, industry-level learning and development pathways for younger students as well as teachers

“There is a full spectrum that begins with career and technology talks to create awareness about industries and jobs and to engage our students in long-term projectbased internships geared towards completing challenges. We are also actively co-creating some of the world’s first embedded K-12 curricula on the likes of artificial intelligence, drones, digital economies and entrepreneurship to name a few – all coupled with applications and tangible outcomes. GEMS is building long-term relationships with industry leaders to ensure sustainable impact.” This new approach is positioned as a form of talent-spotting and universities have shown particular interest in inviting talented students to their campuses to incubate them and potentially also offer early or expedited university entry. Karan explains what an ideal pathway would look like: “In an exemplar scenario, a pre-engineering course or the first year of an engineering undergraduate degree might be brought forward and covered through high school. The student would work with the school and university faculty to complete the course and then be offered expedited entry into the university, either in the second term or year of the undergraduate degree. The same applies for businesses. Having worked with the student in high school and seen their passion, a business might offer a longer internship or full-time employment. This really evolves the standard model of university and job applications and doubles down on our vision of blurring these lines.” In addition, it’s not just students who would benefit because the Centres of Excellence are also geared towards training teachers in new technologies and pedagogies, underpinned by the latest research and development. The intention is for the Centres to act as regional and international hubs for the GEMS Education community, while also creating outreach and philanthropic connections globally through the Varkey Foundation.

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Cover Story

“GEMS is building long-term relationships with industry leaders to ensure sustainable impact” Karan Deep, Head of Innovation and Partnerships at GEMS Education The newly designed AI and Robotics Centre at DAA

Closing the skills gap Partners on board so far include a range of well-known organisations, businesses and government bodies with a local, regional and global presence. These include Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, The Executive Office, Siemens, Al Tamimi & Co, Noon, Emirates NBD and Liv. Confirmed university partners to date include American University in Dubai (AUD) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The GEMS Education team is also in discussions with Arizona State University in the US, Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada and Middlesex University in the UAE. All of these universities are eager to collaborate with GEMS Education and there is also the benefit that each partnership extends across all five Centres of Excellence. “Interestingly, AUD is building its own centre of excellence focusing on sustainability, blockchain, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, so it is a good time to be developing our own Centres,” adds Karan.

Issue 6 | October 2019

“The foundation of each university partnership is built around faculty sharing, student sharing and curriculum co-creation.” The universities and enterprises on board for the launch of the Centres of Excellence were chosen following meetings with hundreds of potential partners. “These are the most forward-thinking and supportive partners we have come across,” explains Karan. “And in all of these partnerships, there is no monetary transaction involved. Our relationship setup is purely based on closing the skills gap.”

Ambitious plans So how exactly does a Centre of Excellence work and how will it be integrated into existing school frameworks and curriculums? “All our Centre of Excellence Leads are members of their school’s senior leadership team,” says Karan. “This is to ensure there is positional power and buy-in. Our aim is to embed the Centre into the curriculum and

into the normal school day – so it is not merely an after-school activity. In a normal school day, you have English, science and maths, but now you also have artificial intelligence or entrepreneurship, for example.” Karan emphasises that the programme is open to all students and not selective. And while students attending one of the five chosen schools will, of course, have direct access to the Centres of Excellence, it is also important to note that students across the entire GEMS Education network will be able to register for and attend related talks, presentations and events. Moving forward, the idea is to add more Centres, opening up the opportunities and pathways to an even greater number of students and enabling them to focus on other key industries and subjects. “Some areas of specialisation were held back this year,” says Karan, “but these might be launched next year, including industries such as data science, biotech and nanotech.”

Centres of Excellence

1. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics As the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, GEMS Dubai American Academy (DAA) will undertake initiatives across research, student and teacher development and culture development. These include: • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

Training for teachers across the GEMS network Development of active incubation hubs for best practice Generating and publishing latest thinking and research Hosting talks by successful implementers of AI Leveraging of partnerships with AUD, RIT and others AI vision processing and autonomous driving on board a modified Renault Twizy road vehicle Robotic arm research, including Conveyer, Slider, Vision Kit and Industrial Automation Virtual, augmented and mixed reality research using Facebook Occulus, HTC Vive and Microsoft HoloLens 3D printing – Multi-material and Multi-Tool 3D printers capable of printing in plastic, metal and food (paste) Coding – advanced recipes using Python, Tensor Flow, IBM Watson, Amazon Alexa on high-end Apple computing ecosystem Development of a continuum of AI courses leading to AI and American diploma AI elective for high school Introduction to AI – machine learning bootcamp for elementary and middle school students Introduction to behavioural coding in middle school Introduction of industrial robotics in high school Microsoft Azure access subscriptions for students Implementation of AI-powered chat bot and inventory GEMS-wide interschool AI hackathon/conference

2. Digital Industries and Sustainability Having already announced their close partnership with Siemens in June 2019, the role of GEMS FirstPoint School – The Villa (FPS) as the Centre of Excellence for Digital Industries and Sustainability is well underway. “What FPS and Siemens are doing is the basic framework for everything else,” explains Karan. “On one side, students can work with Siemens on sustainability and on the other side we’re working with our other partner, Noon, to build an e-commerce curriculum for K-12.” In addition, through Dubai’s Rahhal programme, for which FPS is the designated lead school, FPS has designated every Wednesday an internship day for students aged 16 and up. This sets aside time for students to engage with long-term projects on sustainability with Siemens or the e-commerce curriculum with Noon. The school’s Centre of Excellence will focus on student and teacher development, real-world links, culture and research and development. Initiatives include: • Careers programme from FS1-Y13 linked to industry, employability and soft skills • Weekly internship options for students aged 16+ • Development of project-based approach to internship • Industry-specific qualification element to FPS’ Key Stage 4 and 5 curriculums • Incubator opportunities • Creation of a continuum of staff development for digital industry based on Blooms Taxonomy • Development of alternative entry routes into university • Access to industry-level courses and qualifications on sustainability and related technologies • Involvement in Siemens’ energy efficiency programme

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Cover Story

4. Performance and Theatre Technologies Having teamed up with Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) and UDO Academy, both UK-based, the Centre of Excellence for Performance and Theatre Tech at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis (WSO) offers a transformational, personalised performing arts education that includes theatre equipment, stage design and costume design, plus opportunities for early entrance into higher education. ArtsEd has been providing outstanding performing arts training for almost 100 years, with students including the likes of Dame Julie Andrews and Dame Angela Lansbury and has been under the presidency of Andrew Lloyd Webber since 2007.

3. Aviation and Space To help develop its role as the Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Space, GEMS International School – Al Khail (GIS) has developed a partnership with Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. “They have their own educational content about space and workshops that GIS can utilise to put together a series of talks and for other content. We’ve also been asked to participate in the Young Persons in Space Conference in November,” says Karan. Discussions around the aviation component are ongoing, he says. As with the other Centres of Excellence, the focus is primarily on student development, teacher development, research and development and culture. Initiatives include: • ‘Introduction to Aviation’ and ‘Introduction to Aerospace Engineering’ IB electives for MYP and DP • ‘Introduction to Aerospace and Aviation’ extracurricular activity and Grade 9 STEM class • Microsoft Flight Simulator Licenses for Education • Implementation of Drone for EDU programme to aid piloting skills, leading to licensing by the DCAA • Integration of Python and CAD.CAM design suites from middle school onwards • Student-led design and installation of flight traffic control simulator and flight simulator rooms in MYP • Interschool drone building and racing events

Issue 6 | October 2019

Initiatives include: • Mentorship, workshops, industry programmes and seed funding to develop student performance and theatre tech leadership and business models • Bespoke Performance and Theatre Tech programmes • Development of partnerships with ArtsEd, UDO and other specialists within the UAE to provide industry training, masterclasses and skill development • Further development of WSO Performing Arts Academy and technology pathways offered including IB, BTEC, UDO, LAMDA, TRINITY and ABRSM • Industry recognised vocational qualifications, pathways and learning experiences for teachers • ArtsEd professionals working alongside WSO staff to ensure world-class student training • Collaboration with Ryerson’s Theatre School and Faculty of Communication and Design to bring forward degrees in Performance Production, including student exchange programmes and staff CPD

5. Entrepreneurship and Youth Start-up As the Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship and Youth Start-Up, GEMS World Academy – Dubai (GWA) is focused on developing programmes and curriculums that promote entrepreneurship, innovation and environmentalism. Key partners include The Executive Office and Al Tamimi, the largest law firm in the region. Discussions are also underway with Wamda Capital. “We previously worked with The Executive Office to create an entrepreneurship curriculum that was meant for higher education, but now the Centre of Excellence at GWA is working with them to create a K-12 entrepreneurship curriculum. The aim is to bust the myth that entrepreneurship is purely business because in fact it’s about solving problems for large numbers of people, which may or may not have a commercial angle,” explains Karan. And part of this curriculum involves developing a mini embedded accelerator programme of 10-20 weeks. Karan continues: “We’ve brought Al Tamimi into the mix because the vision for the GWA Centre is to graduate entrepreneurs, not just students. By that I mean students who have the skills necessary to run a business and solve large problems and who have a working business and trade licence in hand. This is where Al Tamimi comes in as through their CSR activities, they've agreed to run legal and IP camps for students and also teachers, to help them with business registration. This will be highly beneficial as typically it's difficult for those aged under 18 years.”

• 10- to 20-week accelerator programme for students • Mini MBA for Grade 11 • Development of partnership with Wamda, one of the region’s largest ecosystems for start-up mentorship, programmes, funding and thought leadership.

Initiatives include: • Development of an Accelerator Hub • Hosting professional development events for teachers • Development of a parent committee and mentors • Development of teacher trainers and start-up coaches • Social Impact curriculum for Grades 3-11

A week in the life of a Centre of Excellence student Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Morning classes Afternoon seminar & workshop by industry expert

Student project brief Morning tutorial with mentor Afternoon lessons

Extended learning session Interviews with key stakeholders re project Course on cloud computing

Internship day Mentor session with R&D team Technical project

Work with peers on R&D project Present weekly update to mentor

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Academics

is for level

Surinder Singh, Cambridge Examination Officer at Our Own English High School – Al Ain, explains how A Levels equip students for life beyond high school

fter more than 14 years’ teaching IGCSE and A Level Physics at Our Own English High School – Al Ain (OOL), I like to think that I have a good idea about why students and their parents choose these curriculums. As a parent myself, I found that choosing the best curriculum for my children was by no means an easy process. We tend to draw on our knowledge of the past to point to the future, giving our children the background they will need to move forward and make their way in an ever-changing world. At OOL, we’re proud to offer our students a range of AS and A Level subjects accredited by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). All qualifications earned are recognised by schools, colleges and universities internationally, thus enabling all of our students to gain access to the academic institutions of their choice.

Issue 6 | October 2019

Since we began the programme in 2003, our students have gone on to universities in Singapore, the UK, Canada, India, Malaysia and the US. Advanced Level qualifications (more commonly known as A Levels) are subject-based and can lead to university, further study, training or work. Students can normally study three or more A Levels over a two-year period and are assessed through a series of examinations. AS Level examinations are usually taken at the age of 17 and Cambridge International A Level examinations one year later, although Cambridge does not set any specific age requirements. In my opinion, if candidates have taken Cambridge IGCSEs (equivalent to Grade 10) or O Levels, then they will find many of the skills they’ve already learned relevant and beneficial to Cambridge International A Level study.

(pictured left) Surinder Singh, Cambridge Examination Officer at Our Own English High School – Al Ain, has been with the school for 14 years

Focused specialisation While there is no definitive answer as to where the A Levels fall in the spectrum of international curricula, they have been around for many years and continue to enjoy wide popularity. In part, this is due to the continuation of focused study and A Levels being seen as excellent preparation for entry to specialisation courses at university. The Cambridge curriculum generally celebrates in-depth learning and is completely application-based. Students are therefore able to contextualise their learning and develop the ability to think independently and apply knowledge and understanding to new or unfamiliar situations. Learners at OOL are required to appear for a minimum of seven

Over the last few years, OOL students have consistently achieved excellent results y Sana Hafsa: top in the World for Mathematics AS (2018) y Sana Hafsa: top in the UAE for Physics AS (2018) y Ahmed Mahmoud Abdel Fattah: top in the UAE for Physics A Level (2018) y Mahmoud Khalid Salah: top in the UAE for International Mathematics IGCSE (2018) and 13 A*s y Ahmed Mahmoud Abdel Fattah: top in the UAE for Physics AS (2017) y Mohamed Ahmed Abd El Aizi Omar: top in the UAE for International Mathematics IGCSE (2017) y 2019 A Level results saw a 100% pass rate with 44% A*-A grades and 43% A-B grades in AS examinations

subjects at IGCSE level and choose a minimum of three AS Level subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Information Technology and Psychology – provided they’ve appeared for those subjects at IGCSE level and scored a minimum of grade B in all. The school offers a ‘staged’ assessment route, where students take the Cambridge International AS Level in one examination series and complete the final Cambridge International A Level exam series the following year. I believe every curriculum has its strengths and challenges and A Levels are no different. Yet, what I love most about teaching and managing IGCSEs and A Levels is how they stay dynamic, evolving and internationally relevant to the needs of students across the world. The focus on student-driven learning is not just intrinsically valuable; it sets students up for success beyond school.

“I won’t hide the fact that A Levels are not easy. In fact, it’s gruelling work that can sometimes feel overwhelming if you don’t have a well-balanced routine and some slick time management skills. However, despite the rigour and challenge, I find the curriculum engaging and fulfilling, and if it helps me avoid foundation courses at university, then I think it to be completely worth it. In short, I think the A Levels prepare me quite well for life after OOL.” OOL student Sakina Moawia

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Academics

The right questions Early Years and literacy specialists Rose Carr and Mary Meadway explain how to develop early literacy through effective questioning

ow can we enable effective questioning in the Early Years setting and how can parents do this at home? That’s what EYFS and literacy specialists Rose Carr and Mary Meadway, who have extensive teaching and training experience in the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, the Middle East, USA and Kenya, set out to answer during a recent presentation at GEMS Wellington Primary School in Dubai. “Early questioning enables early effective learning,” says Rose. “And it’s really important that children aren’t spoon-fed, because the best type of development for a child is to have that questioning developed so their learning becomes their own.” Rose underlines the importance of literacy by explaining that the

Issue 6 | October 2019

seven areas in the Early Years – communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development; literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design – are all linked to literacy. She also points to three key aspects of effective learning: “First, there’s playing and exploring – so when you see children playing, they’re actually learning. It’s not always good for children to just be sitting at a table, writing all the time; they need to learn through play, and research has shown that that’s the best way forward for children to learn. And then there’s also active learning through motivation as well as creating and thinking critically.” But how do we enable effective

learning? While teachers and learning assistants generally encourage children to describe what they are doing, parents must also be actively involved in their children’s imaginative play, so they can help them develop their language skills and use numbers and writing in their play, explains Rose. “If you are modelling good behaviours, it’s a really good way for children to learn in their own home setting,” she says. “If effective learning is to take place, you need to enable an effective learning environment and we always stress an effective partnership between parents and teachers. And it’s always good to have resources relevant to all children’s cultures and communities.”

School vs. nursery

Mary Meadway says it's important to help children make connections between stories

Bloom’s taxonomy Parents reading books with their children is hugely important according to Rose and Mary, especially when accompanied by effective questioning, which provides opportunities for children to develop speaking and listening skills and challenges children to deepen their thinking. “That’s not done through a pencil and book; it’s done orally,” says Rose. “We call this Bloom’s taxonomy, which can be used for effective questioning through six levels: y y y y y y

Knowledge Understanding Application Analysis Speculation Evaluation

“Usually, we don’t go beyond the first level, which involves literal questions such as ‘what or where is’, but we want to get below that to the ‘why’ questions,” explains Mary. “Often, it’s picture books with the least words that have lots of comprehension for children. Where an answer isn’t in the book, we’re taking children to the next level, when it’s up to them to put together their knowledge of other books – that makes a good reader.” Mary suggests parents start encouraging children to use their emotional intelligence by getting them to think about feelings. Just as important when reading a story, even with very young children, is to begin to explore narrative structure and use related language. “Even if they’re three years old, ask ‘Who are the characters? What’s the setting?’ If you start using this vocabulary, it will sink in and children will be able to retell the story because they’ll know there is a recipe that they can follow.” Rhyme is just as important, according to Mary. “Rhymes give us opportunities for listening and speaking. Even with a simple rhyme like Humpty Dumpty you can start talking about characters, problems, solutions and setting.” Even before parents begin reading, it’s a good idea to look closely at the pictures. Mary explains: “If you're short of time, you might just dive straight into reading, but visual literacy is the way in. Even when the child is in secondary school, visual literacy is important with diagrams and maps. They need to know pictures help learning and advance meaning.”

When it comes to deciding whether to send your little one to nursery or an Early Years setting as part of so-called ‘big school’, Rose points to several factors that differentiate the two. “An Early Years setting within a school sets a child apart because the teachers are involved in making sure the child is using what they’ve learnt,” she says. “They are modelling very good thinking; they are not just sitting there watching the children play. It’s what we call directing their play, which is how children learn though play, although they don’t, of course, realise that that’s what’s happening.” Later, with regard to preparing children for the transition to ‘big school’, both Rose and Mary believe oral literacy is paramount. “Oral literacy is the foundation for everything that is learned through reading and writing, so it’s really important,” says Rose. “We say that spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that students hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary, grammar and understanding. Teachers should therefore ensure the continual development of pupils’ confidence in spoken language and listening skills.” This ‘Early Literacy Set’ is what the child then brings to school. And in a school setting, teachers are often better tuned into this, explains Rose. “That’s why we do a literacy baseline assessment to make sure that children don’t slip through the net. If teachers find that there are gaps, they can fill these in.”

Rose Carr says children shouldn't be spoon-fed

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Academics

World Scholar's Cup UAE students recently travelled to Sydney and Manila to compete in the World Scholar’s Cup, bringing home a host of gold and silver medals

What is the World Scholar’s Cup? The WSC is an international team academic programme with students participating from over 82 countries. Founded by Daniel Berdichevsky, the first Cup took place in Korea in 2007 as a small regional tournament. The first global round followed a few weeks later, bringing together students from Korea, Singapore and the United States. The idea behind the WSC was to create something beyond traditional academic competitions. As WSC participants, students explore different curricular aspects of a global theme (this year’s theme was ‘a world on the margins’). Students participate in debates, discussions, quiz bowls and other academic challenges on subjects including science, technology, history, social studies, literature and film, the arts and current affairs.

Issue 6 | October 2019

Three teams of students from GEMS International School Al Khail (GIS) competed in the WSC Global Round in Manila

Toshith Bhaumik won a total of 11 medals – 10 gold and one silver – across various events

Toshith Bhaumik, a Year 9 student at The Winchester School – Jebel Ali (WIN), travelled to Sydney to compete in the WSC Global Round “My first experience of the World Scholar’s Cup was in 2016 at the Dubai Primary Round. Being ranked eighth as a scholar in Dubai was a proud moment. What fascinated me to take part in the WSC was the learning experience I would receive, beyond the standard curriculum that I know. The event includes all the key skills that are crucial to evolving young minds. From debating to writing to various subject quizzes, coupled with talent shows, the Cup creates an enriching experience. Collaboration is the key, with the event based on team effort, as well as individual strengths. I won a total of 11 medals – 10 gold and one silver – across the various events; my best being ranked 25th out of more than 1,200 junior scholars in the individual debater category. Also, some of my highlight accolades were the overall scholar ranking of 41 and the writing individual ranking of 60. Another significant high for me was the great opportunity to travel to an amazing country like Australia and to experience the wonderful city of Sydney. I am really excited about taking part in the prestigious Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the US in November. My goal for this event is to break into the top 30 scholars.”

Team 350

competed in the junior division and consisted of Youssef Farag, Yuheng Yang, and Nourhan Ibrahim. The team placed 67 out of nearly 300 teams in the debate competition and was awarded a silver medal for placing 70th overall across all challenges. Youssef won a gold medal for placing 38th out of nearly 900 students in the science category and Yuheng won a gold medal for an outstanding performance in the writing competition. Nourhan was the top junior scholar from GIS, earning a silver medal for placing 75th out of nearly 900 students across all challenges. She was also awarded a gold medal for placing 24th in the history category. “I was overjoyed with the results of my most recent involvement in the World Scholar’s Cup. I performed extremely well considering that it was my first ever Global Round and my first year competing in the Cup competition. I received nine medals in total; seven of which were gold and two of which were silver. I actually performed better in the Global Round than I did in the Regional Round. It was slightly intimidating having to debate against some of the best debaters from all over the world; however, I learned new debating techniques from my opponents and received pointers on how I can better myself as a debater. I made lifelong memories and new friends from all over the world. I even watched a world-renowned poet perform live slam poetry and got the opportunity to ask him questions. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait for the next season.” – Nourhan Ibrahim, Grade 9

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Academics

Team 588

competed in the senior division and consisted of Taleen Alnaser, Zoya Kherani and Sarah Attyani. As a team, they won a gold medal by placing 35th out of nearly 200 teams in the writing competition. Taleen won two silver medals for writing and debate and Zoya won two silver medals for arts and writing. Sarah was the top performer, earning two gold medals and placing 20th out of nearly 600 students in the social studies category. “On a typical day of the competition, we would wake up early in the morning to either discover the beautiful city of Manila or head to the Newport Theatre for a long day of competition. We would meet people from all over the world. These students taught us so many new things: from different approaches to a debate motion, to the different types of food in their home country. In the evening, we would explore the local area. This was a time for both the junior and the senior teams to talk about their day, detailing the things they had learned, the people they had met and whether or not they felt successful that day. A big part of the World Scholar’s Cup curriculum is studying things that you wouldn’t normally learn in school. Due to this, our preparation was

filled with learning new things and sometimes it was difficult to manage so much information, but it’s definitely a skill we have developed after studying for both the regional and global rounds.” – Taleen Alnaser, Grade 10 “The best part of the whole experience was being on a global stage, meeting new people from different backgrounds and getting to work with students from around the world. Apart from the competition challenges, the most strenuous part was dealing with the anxiety and nervousness that engulfed me when I was debating. Personally, I feel that debating is the hardest part of the competition because it really challenges your critical thinking skills and you have to make sensible arguments to get your point across in a tense environment. My next goal is to compete in the Tournament of Champions at Yale University. This will be a great opportunity for me to visit one of the most prestigious universities in the world. My goal for the tournament is to try my best and enjoy the experience. I think the experience matters because I’ll be at a historic institution and I’m hoping that it will inspire me to apply and study law once I complete the IB Diploma Programme at GIS.” – Zoya Kherani, Grade 10 World Scholar's Cup Global Rounds in Sydney and Manila were a resounding success for GEMS teams

Team 589

competed in the senior division and consisted of Rushil Raja, Yassin Ahmed and Hania Ibrahim. As a team, they won a gold medal for placing 12th in the team writing competition and 37th in the team debate. Nearly 200 teams competed in each challenge so this is an amazing achievement. Rushil won a gold

Issue 6 | October 2019

medal for his performance in the debate competition and Yassin earned a gold medal for placing 68th out of nearly 600 students in the writing contest. Hania was the top senior scholar from GIS, earning a gold trophy for placing 10th in the writing competition and gaining a silver medal for placing 68th out of nearly 600 students across all challenges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The competition was very enjoyable; I loved working with my team and debating the topics, but the most enjoyable part was the collaborative writing event. I thoroughly

enjoyed the social elements of the trip. I met many amazing people and made great friends in the process. Balancing schoolwork and preparing for the competition was definitely a challenge. It was especially difficult for me because I was not only competing, but also leading the after-school activity as a mentor. I found that preparing little by little alongside school work, from the moment the topics were announced, was effective and drastically decreased stress and workload.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hania Ibrahim, Grade 11

All in all, the competition was a resounding success for the GIS students. They were diligent in their preparations during the summer holiday and their hard work paid off: each of the three teams earned their place at the Tournament of Champions to be held at Yale University in the US from 8-13 November. This is truly a remarkable achievement, as many of the students had never participated in the WSC before. The students were positive and open-minded throughout the competition; they made friends with students from around the world and celebrated unique cultures and experiences.

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Academics

The importance of being

inclusive The key to unlocking the potential of our youth lies in non-selective education, argues Sir Christopher Stone, Chief Education Officer at GEMS Education

Issue 6 | October 2019

n 2017, Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) published its Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework, which defines the guidelines and standards for inclusivity. The report quotes His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai: “Determination, strategy and vision for the future are our real resources in the quest for excellence and success.” Dubai’s focus on inclusive education is part of its wider vision to become a fully inclusive city by 2020 and underlines the need for all schools to be non-selective. According to the United Nations, around 10 per cent of the world’s

Credit: shutterstock.com

Social sensitivities An important advantage of inclusion is that students with disabilities can be integrated socially with their peers. This allows them to create long-lasting friendships that would not otherwise be possible and these friendships can give them the skills to navigate social relationships later in life. Their peers can act as role models for social skills through their interactions with each other, whereas in a homogeneous classroom, the only role models would be students with disabilities who may lack the same social skills. Students should be well supported by a school to make them confident, independent learners, regardless of curriculum. When these students go on to higher education or into the job market, they are more prepared than selective school students who only interact with likeminded people. There has been debate around whether students at selective schools tend not to know how to cope on their own.

Academic advantages

population live with either a medical impairment or disability, and it is up to regional education providers to take responsibility to ensure they effectively accept and allow students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) the same rights as their fellow students. At GEMS Education, all our schools are non-selective and promote the spirit of all-inclusive education in letter and spirit. We see this not as an obligation, but as a reflection of the real world, which is not ‘one size fits all’. It is important through inclusive education to prepare our children for the future and for real jobs – the nature of which is transforming with every passing day.

Students of determination can benefit academically in an inclusive setting. Many teachers and parents wonder whether students with challenges would fare better academically in a classroom that was geared specifically towards them. However, it has been proven that in a well-designed inclusion classroom, teachers can use strategies to help students succeed academically. Therefore, students encounter higher expectations – from both their peers and teachers – as well as the positive academic role models of their classmates. The benefits of targeted resourcing to ensure effective support for inclusive education extend beyond the student who experiences SEND; inclusive education is necessary for active participation in an inclusive world. Education providers should invest in professional learning and training for teachers as well as support staff

to ensure they are knowledgeable and effective in the use of evidencebased instructional strategies and adopt personalised planning techniques with the appropriate use of curriculum.

Friends & family benefits It has been suggested that children learn more socially from each other than from adults. They also form bonds and flourish from building the foundations of young friendships and relationships. The differences between students are then acknowledged and respected within the group; diversity in team and community identity is accepted and even enjoyed. This is reflective of the real world and the vast range of people students will face beyond their educative experience. By nature, schools should not take a ‘one size fits all’ approach to facilitating families; it is essential that education providers remain adaptable and flexible, with a personalised approach to a diverse community. In general, the supporting family of the student of determination benefits by being integrated more easily into the school’s ecosystem. This is especially true when the student is an only child whose parents may be unable to ‘fit in’ to the school community unless the student is placed in an inclusive setting.

Beyond education The development of learning pathways leading to employment and further or higher education for students who experience SEND, is essential to enable their active participation in the labour market and society. Securing sustainability is essential for the development of a truly inclusive system of education. Inclusive education is not a project; it is the progressive development of attitudes, behaviours, systems and beliefs that enable it to become the norm that underpins school culture and is further reflected in attitude, organisational and pedagogical decisions.

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Academics

Finding the right pathway We take a closer look at an entrance test preparatory centre that seeks to help students achieve their goals

scentria-PACE was established with the aim of operating a highly professional academy providing students with superlative training for rigorous entrance exams at reasonable rates. Currently focused on the Indian curriculum, Ascentria holds the enviable record of a 100 per cent success rate in NEET in 2017, 2018 and 2019; 70 per cent success rate in JEE Mains; and 30 per cent in JEE Advanced. Students who attend Ascentria classes have consistently achieved exemplary results in the Indian board examinations, with the average mark exceeding 91 per cent in mathematics and 90 per cent in science across all board exams. The majority of students also achieve a perfect 800 in the subject SATs. However, these statistics mask the real success stories, which are the students and their incredible journeys. While Ascentria currently has an exclusive collaboration with GEMS Modern Academy for conducting the two-year JEE and NEET courses, the academy has also welcomed students from different schools across Dubai. Read on to know more about some of these inspiring students.

Issue 6 | October 2019

Mohammed Yaseen Harris 2014-16 Our Own High School, Al Warqa'a, studying Computer Science, IIIT Hyderabad

Rahul Baid 2015-17 GEMS Modern Academy, studying Computer Science, National University of Singapore

N. Hariharan 2017-18 The Millennium School Dubai, studying MBBS, Thanjavur Medical College

Yaseen was Ascentria’s first student. He joined the academy to train for NEET, the medical entrance examination. Towards the end of Grade 11, teachers noticed that he was retreating into a shell, and he eventually admitted that his heart was not in medicine, and that engineering sciences held a far greater interest for him. He felt pulled in two directions as he was good at both streams and had always believed that he would follow in his parents’ footsteps. After discussing the situation with his parents, who were extremely supportive, Ascentria focussed on completing the Grade 11 mathematics syllabus and set regular challenges for him to sharpen his skills. Yaseen delighted everyone by not only qualifying for JEE Main, but also JEE Advanced.

Rahul joined GEMS Modern Academy’s Ascentria in-school programme for JEE. He was hardworking and completed assignments on time. Teachers were impressed by his innate intelligence. However, towards the end of Grade 12, his focus shifted entirely towards the upcoming board examinations, resulting in him missing out on the rigorous training for the JEE entrance exams. Following the board exams, he felt demotivated and was reluctant to take the JEE exam, so after much counselling by the Ascentria team, he eventually qualified for the JEE Main and also JEE Advanced. Rahul delighted everyone by achieving second place overall in the UAE’s Grade 12 ISC Board exams, losing out on the top rank by just one mark.

Hariharan joined Ascentria to attend the one-year Grade 12 programme for NEET. Although he was a regular student, he was shy and not very social. After considerable counselling, he opened up about his goals and apprehensions and was able to work actively towards achieving them. Hariharan impressed everyone when he was declared the school topper in the Grade 12 CBSE Board results and also cleared NEET. He is currently enrolled in the MBBS programme at Thanjavur Medical College.

Small wonder If you talk to eight-year-old Atharva, the maturity of his conversation is surprising. For the last two years, Atharvaa Pradhan, a student of GEMS Modern Academy, has been pursuing robotics and coding. His association with Logix Engine began when they commenced operations in 2017. “Logix Engine has been the best thing that could have happened to Atharvaa,” says his mother, Medha. “We realised he was interested in ‘creating’ when he would spend hours playing with his Lego bricks,

building structures when he was only five years old.” Atharva has a natural acumen for building. The Early Robotics Programme developed his interest in mechanisms and honed his critical thinking. He took on the challenges presented in class and gradually learned the skills to work with developing optimal programmes to complete tasks. He has been an active participant in the FLL, coding competitions as well as innovation-driven events. “I am intrigued by what technology

can accomplish. I’d like to create my own AI platform for the hospitality industry,” says Atharva. Today, while his friends play video games, Atharvaa is busy designing his own games. “It’s so much more fun when people can play the games you design,” he says. Already, Atharva has created several games, from Flappy Bird to Space Invaders.

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Arts

For the love of

ballet Thiasha Karunasekara, a student at The Cambridge High School in Abu Dhabi, displayed a talent for ballet from a young age. We asked her what ballet means to her.

Issue 6 | October 2019

What do you love about ballet and what inspires you to develop your ballet skills? Ballet has given me an outlet to express myself artistically and highlight my defining quality â&#x20AC;&#x201C; my work ethic. Things have never come easily to me and this drives me to work hard for what I achieve. Ballet has always been my passion because it rewards hard work. There is no way around the hours and hours of practice that go in to make a performance perfect, but the joy and satisfaction derived from standing on stage and hearing the applause coming your way is truly indescribable.

Describe your ballet journey so far – what have been the highlights and challenges? Ballet has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember – I’ve practically grown up in the studio. Naturally, that came with challenges. As a little girl I was extremely shy and struggled to express myself. Through ballet I have been able to gain immense confidence and face new challenges. My proudest achievement is undoubtedly representing the UAE internationally in both the US and Bulgaria; being part of such an exceptional and dedicated team was truly an honour. You have several ballet certificates and honours – what do these mean to you? Throughout my ballet career I have managed to achieve quite a lot. I successfully completed Level 8 from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and was also certified as ‘Professional’ by the Pisarev Ballet Academy of Ukraine and Fantasia Ballet of UAE. I have received recognition from Bolshoi Ballet, Russia as well. I’m definitely proud of all my accolades as they serve as a tangible reward for my hard work. I have performed in many social responsibility events for noble causes, such as Autism Week and Mother’s Day. The memories and confidence I have gained through doing ballet is invaluable. How do you go about balancing your academics and your ballet commitments? Juggling studies and dance, of course, has been a huge commitment and a real challenge, but I believe my success comes from the early realisation of the importance of excelling in both. Time management is crucial, but if you enjoy what you do, busy schedules become a lot easier to manage. Where do you hope to go with your ballet – do you see it as a career or pastime? I am currently in Year 13 completing my A levels and I’m looking forward

to studying economics at university. Although I don't see myself pursuing ballet as a fully-fledged career, I will definitely continue dancing, as it is my passion. What advice would you give to others looking to either start or develop their ballet? Ballet is a very demanding activity both physically and mentally, so

dedication and hard work are a given. Perseverance is also an integral part of doing ballet. You have to be able to pick yourself up and try again and again until you do a turn or land a jump perfectly. The most important thing to remember, though, is to love what you do and, believe me, the reward at the end makes all your hard work worthwhile.

We put some questions to Thiasha’s father, Sanjeewa Karunasekara: When did you first realise that your daughter has a talent for ballet and how did you go about nurturing this and supporting her development? Thiasha was an active child from an early age. She enjoyed various activities. In fact, she played rugby with the Abu Dhabi Harlequins when she was small. We wanted to channel her energy productively. We thought of giving her a shot at ballet and it was an instant success.

She fell in love with it. She started when she was about five years old and it has been a remarkable journey. We want to thank her ballet studio, Fantasia Ballet Abu Dhabi, for providing her with the platform to blossom. Has CHS been supportive of her love of ballet? Certainly. CHS has been greatly supportive of her love for ballet. She was awarded a GEMS Performing Arts Scholarship for the past two years in a row. This is great encouragement for every student at CHS who is hoping to take up a challenge away from studies. What are your hopes and aspirations for Thiasha? Thiasha is a multitasker. She is focused. She is now preparing for her A Levels and we hope she will continue to excel academically. Ballet is her passion and we are sure, whatever career she chooses in the future, she'll always find time to pursue her passion. We are very proud of her.

Thiasha Karumasekara has represented the UAE in ballet at an international level, in the US and Bulgaria. She also received recognition from the Bolshoi Ballet, Russia

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Arts

Musicians in focus GEMS Music Hub teacher Cassandra Chong tells us about her passion for music education and her career as a touring vocalist and pianist

GEMS Music Hub teacher Mrs. Cassandra Chong believes everyone is born creative

n experienced musician, Cassandra first started to learn piano at the age of seven. She studied classical piano with the ABRSM and contemporary and jazz music with the International College of Music (ICOM) in Kuala Lumpur before travelling to Boston. There she studied under the tutelage of Berklee faculty members Tim Ray (pianist of Lyle Lovett) and Hal Crook, a leading teacher and author in the field of jazz improvisation. After completing her studies, she pursued a career as a vocalist and pianist, performing in the UAE, Malaysia, UK, USA and Italy.

Issue 6 | October 2019

How long have you been playing? It started with seeing my neighbour play the piano when I was seven years old. I knew from a very young age that I wanted music to be my life because I always find a home for my emotions, feelings and expressions whenever I play the piano. What inspired you to start teaching? And how long have you been with GEMS Music Hub? I’ve performed for most of my adulthood. In today’s digital world, I want to share this skill with the younger generation in order to help them access their inner world and be able to express themselves creatively and skillfully. I’ve been with GMH for three years now. What is the best part about your job? The best part is seeing my students

learn and be able to play piano or sing confidently. How do you organise, plan and execute your work? While I have played the piano and been singing for a long time, I continue to learn through masterclasses, workshops and research to find the best ways to help students understand. How does learning to play the piano or studying voice benefit a child? Learning to play an instrument helps develop and improve their hand-eye-ear coordination and fine motor skills. There is a lot going on, from looking at the notes and using your fingers to find and play the notes, to playing accurately and in time with the accompaniment. By playing the

Interview with Music Hub student Kristyn DSouza Kristyn is a Year 6 student at GEMS Wellington Academy - Silicon Oasis and a keen musician. She has piano and voice lessons with Ms Andreas Levenda from GEMS Music Hub. Kristyn is a member of the GEMS Choir and was a finalist, for two consecutive years, at the GEMS Apprentice Musician of the Year competitions (2018 and 2019). Kristyn topped the Trinity Grade 2 classical vocal examinations in the UAE. She studies vocals in both the classical and rock and pop genres and enjoys musical theatre as well. How did you start to develop an interest in music? I’ve had a love for music since I was a little girl. I loved singing and had my first ever solo stage performance at the age of four. I started my formal vocal training when I was six and there’s been no looking back since then. I joined the GEMS Choir three years ago and began learning the piano recently.

piano, they learn how to multitask by doing two or three or more things at the same time. Name your favourite event that takes place at GEMS Music Hub. My favourite event has to be the masterclasses for teachers and students - best of all, they are offered for free. I particularly enjoyed the conducting workshop with London-based conductor Ben Gernon, who was in Dubai to conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra as part of the Proms Season at Dubai Opera this March.

What is the best thing about singing and playing the piano? My favourite part of singing and playing the piano is performing in front of an audience. I enjoy sharing my love for music with everyone. And when it comes to the choir, the best part is when we accomplish a song with harmonies.

What has been your favourite musical moment this year? My favourite musical moment was when I performed with my school musical theatre groups DAZZLE and DESTINY, at the GEMS Night of the Musicals, held at GEMS Wellington Academy - Al Khail in April. While I enjoy solo performances, being part of a team is a different and enjoyable experience. To top it, ours was the winning performance that night. What are your other interests? Swimming, dancing (ballet and hip-hop) and acting. It’s great that I can study my vocals and piano during the school day, through the GEMS Music Hub. Ms Andrea visits my school on a Wednesday. Saturday mornings are reserved for the GEMS Choir.

How do you weigh your success? When I see my students working hard at something they find challenging, while still being happy, I feel successful as a teacher. There is no greater reward than this kind of satisfaction.

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Sports

The fast lane Former Olympic swimming coach Dejan Pejinovic leads the bespoke programme at the Swimming Centre of Excellence at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail

Swimming coach Dejan Pejinovic competed at two Olympic Games

he Swimming Centre of Excellence at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail in Dubai has been operating for several months already. The Centre is run with the help of Hamilton Aquatics and designed to ensure swimmers’ individual needs are met. The bespoke programme is unique to the region and allows for students to effectively balance their busy training schedules with school requirements and commitments – meaning they benefit from expert swimming coaching, support and facilities, while maintaining their performance at school. The man leading the swimming programme is Serbian Dejan Pejinovic, who has been coaching for the past 12 years and who, as a swimmer, achieved national-level results in his home country. “I went to two Olympic Games as a coach and maybe five or six European and World Championships,” says Dejan. “I was also Federation Head

Issue 6 | October 2019

of Development for Swimming and a high-performance swimming director in Serbia.” Dejan firmly believes that, for general physical development and mental and psychological development, swimming is hugely beneficial. “It’s a base sport, because all movements we have in swimming are fundamentals and I believe the sport strikes the best balance between all anthropometric and physiological parameters that develop an individual,” he says. Asked what kind of individuals and swimmers the Centre of Excellence is best suited to, Dejan points to “higher-level athletes”, but says the doors are open to any swimmer with the right attitude who is interested in developing swimming as the main sport in their life. He and his team will provide the full range of support to improve their results and take their performance to the next level. “The main purpose is to provide full-day help to make swimmers’ lives easier,” explains Dejan. “It’s about balancing their swimming hours with their school commitments, adjusting their daily habits with regard to food, sleep and transport, and providing them with a more individualised approach to their development. Here, they get something more, including one-to-one work, tailored dry-land work, underwater filming work and more technical advice.”

Standout facilities The facilities available at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail are second to none. The school boasts two 25-metre pools, a performance gym, two multi-purpose sports halls and experienced coaching staff to provide everything swimmers might need.

A word from the principal “What we have created here is a unique experience and opportunity for some of the best swimmers around the UAE. In partnership with Hamilton Aquatics, we’ve combined amazing facilities with some of the best coaching, allowing us to offer a unique approach to the curriculum.” Neil Matthews, Principal/CEO, GEMS Wellington Academy

Consistency is key So, what can athletes expect from Dejan and how does he approach his task of training and motivating swimmers? “We have to admit that swimming isn’t always exciting, so I focus on ways to make it more interesting for swimmers. My coaching style is liberal – I am open to doing different things during practice,” he says. “Swimming is really demanding and the training can be challenging. You have early mornings, double practice sessions and you have hard drylands – these are exhausting, so my purpose as coach is to make my students’ lives easier in the pool.” Yet, despite the demanding training regime, Dejan advises

swimmers to push through any discomfort and keep going: “After some time, the hard work will pay off. At a certain point you will see results. When you’re younger and in the development stage, there are many areas where you can improve, which is why I always urge students to remain consistent and fully commit to the work. Having been a swimmer and raced competitively himself, Dejan knows what swimmers go through, what they have endured and how much they’ve invested before a race. He compares the race itself to the tip of an iceberg, as the majority of the effort and training is unseen by spectators. “Focusing your mind and preparing for a race

is just one part of a much bigger story, because the training and everything that has led to the race is what most people never see.” Dejan believes that the Centre of Excellence at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail enables swimmers to strike the right balance between academics and sport, especially in such a high-intensity sport. “We are not talking about three practice sessions a week; we are talking about eight per week, five drylands a week. We are talking about spending at least 20 hours a week focused on swimming. That’s what it takes to be the best and that’s what the Centre of Excellence is offering.”

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Sports

It’s more than sport... Absolute Gymnastics, It's Just Cricket and It's Just Football are three of the leading sports academies in the UAE, positively impacting the lives of more than 17,000 children every week

It’s Just Cricket

Absolute Gymnastics

It’s Just Football

Name: Aryan Lakra Age: 17 GEMS Winchester School

Name: Lola Grace Francis Age: 9 GEMS Modern Academy

Name: Ishaq Mouffer Age: 9 GEMS Royal Dubai School

Sportsman of the Year for GEMS Winchester School, Aryan has been representing the UAE in the national u19 team since 2016, and was the youngest player to do so. He also captained the UAE national u16 team to win the ACC U16 western region tournament in 2018. His position is left-handed bat and left arm spinner.

What do you love most about your coach? What I love most about my coach, Sarah, is that she has a special way of teaching. She still makes things enjoyable and teaches us a lot of things.

Ishaq has represented his school and academy for more than four years and has constantly been an integral part of every side he has played in. Showing great leadership skills, he has been promoted to IJF Academy's under 12 squad, making him one of the youngest players in his division. After winning the academy's Clubman of the Year award, as well as numerous ‘most valuable player’ awards throughout his time in youth football, Ishaq is the perfect example of a young footballer progressing up the sporting ladder.

Other accolades include: y Best junior player award 2016-17 from Sir Viv Richards y Best junior player award 2017-18 from Anil Kumble y Played u19 Asia Cup in Malaysia in 2017 (BBM: 8-0-34-2 against Pakistan u19) y Represented UAE u19 for the third time while playing the u19 Asia cup in September in Bangladesh (BBM: 10-0-37-2 against Nepal u19) y 541 runs and 24 wickets in 16 inter-state 50-over games (second highest all time run scorer and highest wicket taker) y Player of the tournament in this year’s U19 Cricket World Cup Asia qualifiers in Malaysia y Player of the tournament in the U19 Asia Cup qualifiers in Dubai y Sportsman of the Year

Issue 6 | October 2019

What’s your favourite apparatus and skill? I started gymnastics when I was four years old. My favourite apparatus is the beam because it pushes me to my limit. I would say my favourite skill is aerial.

THE POWER OF

EDUCATION

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Sports

Swimming, reimagined Artistic swimming: an alternate aquatic pathway for your child

o, your child has been taking swimming lessons in school or privately for a few years and they have become comfortable in the water. They can do more than one swimming stroke and, more importantly, you are assured of their safety in and around the water. If they really love swimming, joining a swim team or a squads programme would be the next and most obvious step in their progression. However, if taking up swimming as a sport is

Issue 6 | October 2019

not what they want, there is an alternative that still involves water and offers a little more fun than everyday laps of the pool. Heard of artistic swimming? Formerly known as synchronised swimming, the easiest way of defining this sport is that it is now a combination of gymnastics, dancing and swimming. Once your child can swim, this new sport will soon become their favourite after-school activity if they enjoy being in the water and especially if they love music, too.

What is artistic swimming? Well, can you imagine running for a few minutes while performing acrobatics, holding your breath, looking graceful and having to keep in time to the music? This is artistic swimming. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most skillful, demanding sports. In fact, a test held ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games found that artistic swimmers ranked second to long distance runners when it came to aerobic capacity.

How can my child benefit from artistic swimming?

When is my child ready to try artistic swimming?

1. The obvious benefit is learning a new sport, but artistic swimming is also a great way to exercise and improve coordination and concentration skills. 2. The sport is well stacked in relation to health benefits such as improving muscle strength, boosting heartrate and developing agility and flexibility. 3. If you love dancing, you will take no time to fall in love with artistic swimming. Choose a song with your coach, plan the suit that best complements the music, devise your own movements - there is a creative element, too. 4. Then there is the social element of being involved in a team sport - the laughs and the fun moments that are shared with a team. 5. Discipline. Waking up early, staying true to a schedule and, more importantly, hanging wet suits up after each session. This is a sport that sets you up for life.

While there is no recommended age for your child to try artistic swimming, the ability to swim and float are an important, essential foundation. Synquatics, an artistic swimming pathway offered by Hamilton Aquatics, offer trial sessions for anyone who is in the mid to upper levels of the learnto-swim programme. If you want to start early, swimming lessons and learn-to-synchro lessons can be taken simultaneously. So what are you waiting for? Why not trial the only aquatic activity in the world that allows you to swim to the beat of your favourite tune.

Synquatics currently offer individual and squad lessons at multiple GEMS schools in the UAE

Synquatics is Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading artistic swimming academy offering learn-to-synchro and synchro squad pathways for all swimmers. Synquatics currently offers lessons at multiple schools in the UAE. To book your free trial, email info@synquatics.com

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Sports

nce again, the GEMS Sports Series managed by ESM has offered countless students across the UAE the chance to play competitive sports at the highest level. Representing their age group, playing against other teams from other schools and being awarded for their talents is what the GEMS Sports Series is all about. While some students play football, others have the skills to shoot a basketball and some are talented

in running track, swimming or martial arts. Keeping in mind the talents and passions of all students in mind, ESM are always looking to expand the range of sports tournaments being offered in the GEMS Sports Series, which has proven to greatly impact the lives of many top aspiring athletes at schools across the UAE.

GEMS Sports Series 2018-19 stats

6,500+

25+

students participated

schools participated (primary + secondary)

Top three schools (Secondary)

GEMS Modern Academy

GEMS Wellington International School

Our Own High School, Al Warqaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a

Top three schools (Primary)

Issue 6 | October 2019

GEMS Jumeirah Primary School

GEMS Wellington Academy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Silicon Oasis

GEMS Modern Academy

Participant achievements

Yayin Kiran, The Cambridge High School Abu Dhabi: the only participant from CHS who competed with 17 other schools

Holly Fernandes, GEMS Jumeirah Primary School: the only participant to achieve two out of three awards for Most Valuable Player (MVP)

Achievements in GEMS Athletics Cup (U10s): • 1st place in 100m race (14:62) • 1st place in shotput (8.30 - a new record) • 2nd place in long jump (3.80) • 3rd place in 200m race (32:01) • 3rd place in the overall U10s Athletics Tournament with 23 points, compared to 2nd place 24 points and 1st place 25 points.

Achievements: • MVP in basketball - U10 • MVP in netball - U10 • 1st place in 600m race (2:08:25) • 1st place in shotput (6.24m)

Adithya Shetty, The Winchester School Jebal Ali: Cricket U16 Tournament

Akshat Rai, GEMS Modern Academy: Cricket U12 Tournament

Achievements: • Runs - 140, Balls – 41, 4s – 15, 6s – 12 • MVP - U16 category

Achievements: • Most fours (27) and sixes (19) in the entire tournament • MVP - U12 category • Runs - 245, Balls – 85, 4s – 27, 6s – 19, 50s – 3, 100s - 1

“Our original vision for the GEMS Sports Series was simple, it was to be 'Inclusive – Active – Competitive’ and I believe we have fulfilled our promises to deliver more and more competition for students across the UAE and we plan to grow the series even more,” says James Bowring of ESM.

After the successful completion of last year’s GEMS Sports Series, organisers are looking forward to a new season this year with an additional sports competition. The aim this season is to add even more sports, thereby creating more opportunities for our students across the UAE. We will be having a total of 16 tournaments for the coming year 2019-20. Starting the year with the GEMS Karate Cup which will be held at the GEMS Wellington Academy - Al Khail this October and ending with the GEMS Basketball Cup, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre during June 2020. Setting the stage higher this year with the introduction of additional tournaments namely; the Gymnastics Cup, the Dance Cup and the E-Sports Cup. This will be the first E-Sports Cup organised in the UAE, bringing students across all GEMS schools to compete together. This tournament might also create the platform for the gamers to strive to compete on a world stage since there's talk of adding E-Sports as a "demonstration sport" in the 2024 Olympics.

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Innovation

Learning environments for the 21st century Craig Cantlie, Elementary Executive Principal at GEMS Dubai American Academy, explains the vision driving the school's recent classroom redesign

any people see innovation as the ed-tech tools that are used in schools and classrooms, but that is just one component of it. As a school that values innovation, future-focused fluencies and inquiry-based

Issue 6 | October 2019

learning, GEMS Dubai American Academy (DAA) is teaching in a manner that is changing the way students think – but what we hadn’t changed until now is where that thinking takes place. The power of environment is well known in education

and recognised by progressive companies such as Amazon and Google. A number of years ago, ‘breakout areas’ in schools were designed to be collaborative spaces where students could think critically and communicate with each other. Libraries became ‘learning commons’ where spaces were created to provide students with more choice and voice as to where they learn best. My question has always been, why would we reinvent these spaces and not the classroom where most student learning takes place? Why, in a world that has changed so much, are our students still learning in environments that are really no different to the classrooms our teachers once sat in? With these questions in mind, we began to move forward in the rethinking of learning spaces that better reflect the world of work and foster aptitudes and skills our students will need in the future.

The campfire This area is designated for ‘sharing knowledge’. It is an area with fixed furniture designed for people to come together in conversation. It is perfect for whole class learning and mini lessons with students.

New learning ecosystems As a result, each of our classrooms in Elementary is now a learning ecosystem where students and teachers are able to move to spaces that best fit their needs throughout the day. There are four main areas in each classroom that meet the daily learning needs of our students:

The watchtower This is a tall table in the classroom. For those students who like to oversee their surroundings, it is the perfect spot for learning. Students who also feel the need to move as they work find the watchtower to be a successful spot for them while they stand and learn.

The watering hole This area is much like the campfire but smaller and more flexible in that seating can be brought together for an impromptu sharing of learning.

The office This is a space for students to go when they would like to learn on their own, or they need some alone time during the day. Many students find it an excellent space to focus.

Our classroom microenvironments provide options for students as they undertake their daily learning. Beyond these, we have also created classroom spaces where purposeful posting on the walls is valued. Looking at what we put up in the classroom and asking why it’s there, ensures that our classroom walls are positively impacting student learning.

Finally, we included a ‘lamps and plants’ component to our redesign. We are very fortunate to have great natural light in our school, so we added soft lighting into the classrooms to provide our students with a calm learning environment. We also brought the outside in and provided every classroom with a few plants for their different micro-environments.

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Innovation

Switching it up The new spaces have been very well received by staff and students. There is more room for movement, increased student ownership and students show pride in their space and a greater sense of calm and focus. And as the class is a shared space, we as administrators love that when we go into classrooms, we have trouble at first locating the teachers, as they tend to be connecting with students within the spaces rather than sticking to

‘their space’ at the teacher desk – which we no longer have. The redesign has been a huge change for our staff, who have been learning right alongside the students in how to live and learn in these new learning ecosystems. We still have a few items to come and are always thinking of how we can make improvements, so even though we have redesigned and furnished all our classrooms, just like the learning, it continues to be a process.

Driving the transformation DAA formed a committee of teachers who were interested in looking at their classrooms differently – teachers who were willing to try something new. The committee asked the following key questions: 1. What spaces would foster the learning being implemented in our school? 2. What spaces do we think students would like? 3. What would inspire us as educators? Committee members were asked to teach in the school library and DAA’s staff Collaboration Hub, which are designed with microenvironments in mind. Students and teachers then provided feedback on what worked and what didn’t. Next was a visit to a workplace that reflected the variety of classrooms DAA was looking to create. At Office Inspirations, the team was able to experience and understand the purpose of different furniture and environments, allowing them to draw up a plan that included two long-term pilot classrooms and a system for collecting feedback. Finally, a proposal to redesign all 52 of DAA’s classrooms was put forward and with the help of Office Inspirations and Natural Pod, the school successfully opened the 2019-20 school year with brand new learning environments for students.

Issue 6 | October 2019

About the author Craig Cantlie is the Executive Principal of the Elementary School at GEMS Dubai American Academy. Prior to joining DAA, Craig spent four years as the principal of Caulfeild iDEC (inquirybased digitally enhanced community), a highly regarded K-7 elementary school in the highest performing school district in Canada. During this time the school team was nominated for the Cmolik Prize for the Enhancement of Public Education based on the team’s work developing a Program of Inquiry based on Future Fluencies. This involved completely redesigning learning spaces across the school to reflect approaches to modern learning. Throughout his 19 years as an educator, Craig has strongly valued inquiry-based learning, collaboration, innovation, the pursuit of each child’s personal excellence and the capacity building of educators. Craig spent five years as the licensee and curator of TEDxWestVancouverED, an event designed to inspire educator ideas and practices.

Craig Cantlie, Elementary Executive Principal at GEMS Dubai American Academy

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Innovation

Global Futures Curriculum The Curriculum has been running since 2016, preparing students for the 21st century. Rohan Roberts, Innovation Leader at GEMS X, explains

e live in a world of accelerating change brought about by exponential technologies. New inventions and innovations are disrupting all aspects of human life. Genetics, nanotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and other digital technologies are changing the landscape of society and having a significant impact on the job market. In an effort to prepare our students to adapt to this rapidly changing world and to give them access to the most cuttingedge educational programmes, GEMS Education and Singularity University co-created and launched the Global Futures Curriculum (GFC) in 2016-17. Singularity University is a Silicon Valley think tank that offers educational programmes and a business incubator. It focuses on scientific progress and "exponential" technologies. It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil at the NASA Research Park in California, United States. The GFC enables students to leverage exponential technologies

Issue 6 | October 2019

to succeed and excel in the 21st century. It also provides students with the insight, conceptual framework and tools to understand and succeed in a rapidly changing society. More specifically, it provides students with:

• Deep intellectual insight into a range of exponential technologies (such as artificial intelligence, digital biology and robotics) • Conceptual frameworks for discussing the positive and potentially negative implications of these technologies, for society and for them as individuals • A “tool kit” centred on design and critical thinking that will help students to make more informed career decisions • An appreciation of the extent to which both technically and non-technically minded students can leverage technologies and thinking when addressing some of society’s greatest challenges.

Flexible learning The GFC programme is now in its fourth year at GEMS Education. Twenty-eight schools in the GEMS network currently offer the programme to over 6,000 students at no extra cost. This year, GEMS is piloting a primary school version of the programme, led by GEMS Education’s innovation, research and development arm, GEMS X, developed in collaboration with innovation leaders and curriculum experts from 34 schools. Schools offer the programme in different ways: some offer it as part of their enrichment lessons or zero period, while others offer it as an after-school activity. The programme allows for a great deal of flexibility depending on the requirements of the school. Students who learn the GFC are in a stronger position to take part in

The vision of GEMS X is to redefine learning and schooling through a lens of work, technology and interconnected societies. For more info, go to www.gemsxonline.com

Rohan Roberts is Innovation Leader at GEMS X. He has been with GEMS Education for 18 years

the Global Innovation Challenge, an annual competition that encourages students to leverage exponential technologies to solve the grand challenges facing humanity. The curriculum has helped GEMS students with essential design and critical thinking skills development, offering them a better understanding of future thinking and its application, as well as the difference they can make in the world. Charvi Sharma, a GFC alum from The Winchester School – Jebel Ali, says, “I like how the programme prepares us for the future and gives us a clear idea about the technologies which could help us in creating solutions in the real world.” The collaboration between GEMS Education and Singularity University to create this

programme is the first of its kind in the world. Singularity University is a global community of entrepreneurs, corporations, development organisations, governments, investors and academic institutions using emerging technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. Their learning and innovation platform empowers individuals and organisations with the mindset, skillset and network to build breakthrough solutions that leverage these technologies, and their mission is to educate, inspire and empower leaders. The technological singularity that Ray Kurzweil talks about is a point in the future where exponentially growing technologies will usher in an age of greaterthan-human intelligence and an increasing merger between biological and artificial intelligence. When artificial systems become trillions of times more powerful than human brains and when they learn to communicate with each other in ways we didn’t programme them to, that’s when we’ll see the technological singularity — the technological equivalent of the biological Cambrian explosion. All this will have an even more dramatic impact on the human condition, when quantum computing combines with AI and when that in turn combines with robotics. The question for us now is, what do we teach our students in schools? What should we educate them for? These are precisely the sort of questions the GFC seeks to address.

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Innovation

Growing global thinkers The Global Innovation Challenge is one of the world’s largest youth engagement programmes for innovation and entrepreneurship

he Global Innovation Challenge (GIC), run by GEMS Education, invites GEMS students from around the world to submit ideas that will leverage exponential technologies. Selected students are taken through an eight-month development journey where GEMS, Singularity University (SU) in California and partners deliver workshops on design thinking,

Issue 6 | October 2019

exponential technologies, user testing, prototyping, marketing, business planning and pitching. The GIC culminates in a demo day where shortlisted teams present to a panel of judges that include futurists, investors and entrepreneurs. The top three teams are awarded a free trip to San Francisco, plus exhibition and presentation opportunities at the SU Global Summit in August.

“Attended by 2,000 people from 64 countries, the Singularity University Global Summit in San Francisco brings together the world’s leading futurists, organisations, start-ups and individuals to solve global challenges. Our three teams of GEMS students were the only school exhibitors present at the Summit, where they were able to meet corporates, investors and other startups, and enjoy constructive discussions about mentorship, collaboration, sales and even investment. Their ambitions and tangible solutions were given credibility by the interest and support provided by leading experts and cuttingedge companies. The GIC hopes to inspire and nurture more students to channel their potential towards solving global issues.” Karan Deep, Head of Innovation and Partnerships, GEMS Education

Winning GIC teams The last few seasons of GIC have seen five student teams go on to work with leading public and private organisations to develop their products, with four teams applying for patents and one team that has already brought their product to market. The 2018-19 GIC saw the following three exceptional teams present their solutions at the SU Global Summit:

SHERO Three girls from GEMS New Millennium School – Al Khail presented a wearable bracelet to enhance women’s security with a GPS tracker, emergency notification system and a mild taser. SHERO also created an app to lend a voice to a community of assault victims and connect them with psychologists to help alleviate their trauma. “My life changed for a greater good when I was selected as a finalist competing against 33,000 students at the GIC. The weekly mentoring session and the bootcamp hosted by GEMS before the demo day helped us polish our skills and encouraged us to win. The mentoring session by Mr Karan Deep [Head of Innovation & Partnership at GEMS] and Mr Zev [from Singularity University] evolved our thought process from that of a student to and entrepreneur. “At the Global Summit, I had the privilege to showcase my obsession for SHERO to a dynamic audience of innovators, industry heads, students and investors.” Aastha Das, SHERO Founder and CEO, together with Priya Sadhu and Amritha Kondapalli.

Alivean Four boys from Our Own English High School – Boys, Sharjah presented an AI-powered visual aid (glasses plus an app) for the visually impaired. This aid leverages machine-learning to identify and relay emotions, identify personal objects and offer indoor navigation and mapping. “The opportunity to present our product to an international audience was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The summit has opened up limitless possibilities for the future of our product. While we gained valuable feedback, we were also shown alternate paths where our technology could be used to make an impact. Attending the summit also opened our eyes to the era of technology that we live in and how fast industries like AI and blockchain are spreading their wings. The experience undoubtedly pushed us out of our comfort zone, but for the greater good. Following the feedback from innovators, we are continuing to work on our project to bring our vision of helping 285 million visually-impaired people to life.” Ahsan Nayaz, Vraj Rajpura, Aryan Krishnan and Mrudul Mamtani

Aastha Das is now taking SHERO forward on her own after winning the Best Gen-Z Startup Award, part of the GITEX Future Stars Supernova Challenge, earning a cheque for USD10,000.

Smart Bandages Two boys from GEMS Millennium School, Sharjah were inspired by their diabetic uncle to create a sensor-loaded, bio-compatible bandage for chronic wounds. Sensors track moisture and heat levels, so the patient knows when to change their dressing, contributing to faster healing and a reduction of waste. “It was a privilege for us to showcase Smart Bandages on an international platform. Having a prototype helped us a lot, as we could give visitors to our stall an idea of what our future project would look like. The second day was also huge for us, as we had to showcase our product on a stage in front of CEOs, executives and Singularity University staff. We were able to clarify questions about the project through a Q&A session. “On the third day, visitors and investors came to our stall where we could provide them with more indepth information. We also shared our brochures and business cards. There were many other projects at the Summit that inspired us. We are extremely thankful to GEMS for their mentorship and guidance.” Mohammed Ismail Sadaf and Hisham Abubacker Musthafa

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Beyond School

Lessons from afar

ith high hopes for the future, 16-yearold Akshat Goyal, a student at GEMS Modern Academy – Dubai, wants to pursue a career in architecture and eventually become one of the best architects in the world. Last summer, he had the good fortune of attending a two-week programme with Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts (CSVPA) in the university city of Cambridge in the UK – the experience proved rewarding on multiple levels. The opportunity came about thanks to the GEMS UniConnect programme, which partners with academic institutions all over the world with the aim of offering GEMS Education students exclusive access to scholarships, fee discounts and other opportunities. After submitting a series of essays for consideration by CSVPA, Akshat was awarded a full scholarship to attend a two-week summer programme that covered painting, drawing and 3D design.

Issue 6 | October 2019

Naturally, he jumped at the chance. And apart from the unpredictable British weather, Akshat enjoyed every aspect of his time in Cambridge, pointing to numerous highlights, including his fellow students, the teachers, the course itself, the city and the overall stay. “I made new friends from various countries like France and Korea, and I learned about their cultures,” he says. “The diversity of the group made the whole learning experience a fun exercise. The teachers were very helpful and I got to learn all kinds of new things.” Yet the standout experience for Akshat was meeting CSVPA’s Architecture Head of Department, who helped him finalise his architecture portfolio for university admissions and who offered words of encouragement and praised his enthusiasm for the subject. This feedback has reaffirmed his decision to pursue a career in architecture and served to motivate him even further.

Credit: shutterstock.com

Akshat Goyal, a Dubai student in Grade 12, won a scholarship to attend a summer course with the UK’s Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts. Here’s how he got on

Winning a scholarship to attend a summer course in the UK has reaffirmed Akshat Goyal's decision to pursue architecture

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Beyond School

A valuable experience The first week of the course covered painting and drawing, followed by a focus on 3D design in the second week. “The programme has helped me immensely,” says Akshat. “I learned to use various mediums and different kinds of paper and this taught me how to visualise various structures in three dimensions. I learned about perspective, sculpting and programs for designing in 3D. I know all these new experiences are going to be extremely useful to me when I study architecture, as the course requires a lot of 3D visualisation.” It wasn’t all work and no play, however, as Akshat had ample opportunity to explore Cambridge in his free time. Various activities were laid on after 6pm, but students could opt out of these and head into town on their own. Even study time was pleasurable and Akshat remembers fondly a class trip in the first week to Cambridge University Botanical Garden where they sketched sceneries and flora. So, would he recommend the experience? “Yes, yes, yes, definitely!” says Akshat, leaving no room for doubt. “I think this was a once-in-alifetime experience for me. Absorbing the beautiful and positive energy from Cambridge and having the chance to live like a college student was really enjoyable. The learning from the course was immense. I hope it helps me excel in my chosen career.”

Akshat was delighted to meet CSVPA’s Head of Architecture Department who helped him finish his portfolio

Issue 6 | October 2019

“I learned to use various mediums and different kinds of paper and this taught me how to visualise various structures in three dimensions. I learned about perspective, sculpting and programs for designing in 3D”

The first week of the course covered painting and drawing, followed by a focus on 3D design in the second week. Students were free to explore Cambridge in the evenings and at weekends

Summer 2020 Scholarships Under the GEMS UniConnect programme, students will next year again have the opportunity to benefit from summer programme scholarships at CSVPA as well as CATS Colleges in both the UK and USA. Successful applicants will receive 50 per cent scholarships for the following courses: y CATS College London – two-week Bloomberg Advantage Programme y CATS College Canterbury – two-week Careers in Medicine Taster Programme y CSVPA – three-week Portfolio Preparation Programme and two-week Game Design + 3D Design Programme y CATS Academy Boston – two-week Ivy League Programme and two-week STEM Programme

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Beyond School

Teenpreneurs When four students from Our Own English High School, Sharjah – Boys Branch set out to tackle poverty and debt, they had no idea where it would take them. This is their story

t all began when four crazy high school kids began to look for solutions to different world problems. Pollution, global warming, water scarcity, food scarcity – you name it, we spent countless hours poring over these big issues. Why? Ever since we heard about ‘Project Pentagon’, an innovative initiative by seniors in our school, we’d dreamt of accomplishing something just as novel. Poverty was one issue we looked at. We also researched statistics of people falling into debt traps in the UAE and that was quite startling. Nearly 66 per cent of UAE citizens save less than 10 per cent of their monthly income. So, what would we do? How could we go about solving this? We realised that we couldn’t exactly pull people out of poverty but we did come up with a

Issue 6 | October 2019

solution that could potentially help people save more money, thereby improving their financial prospects. We were pleased to hear about a new component of the annual Global Innovation Challenge (GIC) – The ENBD Future of Digital Finance Challenge – and concluded that this was going to be the best platform for us to transform our vision into reality. In January 2019, we began work on our project, which we named ‘XBank’. After doing endless research on banks, app development courses and AI technologies, we developed the first prototype of the XBank App, which utilised AI chatbots to help users with their banking experience and introduced a new loyalty system, budgeting system, virtual wallet and other features. We felt we were ready. Boy, were we wrong!

Project development In February, we presented our app during the GIC Demo Days event at GEMS Modern Academy – Dubai. The judges loved our idea and we ended up as one of four finalists. After this, the next big event was in April, when we began our mentorship programme with Emirates NBD, Meydan as part of our GIC training sessions. Our mentors helped us identify flaws (huge ones at that!) in our project and suggested how we might make improvements. We then attended the GIC Bootcamp at GEMS Wellington Academy – Dubai Silicon Oasis. Over the course of those two days, we learned about patenting, starting a successful business, pitching ideas to investors and much more. What we took away from the experience was truly invaluable.

It was at this point that we began to realise that we were going about our project all wrong. We’d been looking for an innovative solution that could potentially solve a global issue. But if we had first identified a problem and then designed an innovative solution to it, we could have saved ourselves lots of time and effort. And so, we started from scratch, tweaking and re-tweaking bits and pieces of our project. We added new features such as volunteering and a start-up platform to make the app more engaging for young adults. Finally, at the end of April we presented our project to the GIC judges for what we thought would be the last time. Sure enough, we didn’t win – but we were runners-up and we were happy, nonetheless. So that was the end of the road, yes? No way!

Persistence pays off We didn’t give up. Instead, we created an account on LinkedIn and spammed every banking official we could find in the UAE. Surprisingly, we received calls

from RAK Bank and even an invitation from Emirates NBD to present to their Head of Liv. Digital Bank, Mr Jayesh. He loved our idea and promised he would get in touch soon. One week later, we received an email inviting us to intern at the Liv. Head Office in Meydan, Dubai. Over four weeks in the summer, we were fortunate to intern at such a high-profile banking institution. We helped Liv. design and develop the Liv. Young App, an upcoming extension of the Liv. App, which is primarily for adults. Incorporating our concept as a new feature, we provided Liv. with a means to educate young adults about managing their finances, preparing them for the ‘real world’. We also explored marketing strategies and how we could build new ways to engage our customers. We learned first-hand how an app comes to life, from an initial concept to full-fledged application. Best of all, we were delighted to hear that our app will go to market within a year. Mission accomplished!

Team XBank (left to right): Harshit Raj, Abel John Sunil, Deepam Damu NaiK and Radi Aman Riyas, together with Ms Noorulayin Shainsha

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Parents

The meaning of

well-being What is your school doing to enhance your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being? We take a closer look at the initiatives undertaken by The Millennium School, Dubai

Issue 6 | October 2019

he well-being of students and staff is hugely important at The Millennium School, Dubai (TMS) – so much so that it’s written into the school motto; ‘we choose to care’. Following the Well-being Census by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), TMS has made a conscious effort to strengthen its well-being journey for all involved. Over the past two years, the school introduced ‘morning mindfulness’ – two minutes of meditation to give students and staff time to connect with their inner selves. The initiative has been a tremendous success, reflected in a recent survey conducted by TMS student leaders, which revealed that 73 per cent of students strongly agree that the initiative should continue, as they find it helps to calm them as well as boost their concentration and focus. Last year, the school rolled out a similar initiative for middle school students; ‘happiness hour’ permits children to play board games on campus. Students shared their experiences with other schools and within TMS itself, resulting in seniors also requesting a ‘happiness hour’ every month. To further promote students’ well-being, the Counselling and Learning Support Department also held several workshops exploring various topics such as anxiety and stress management, the importance of sleep and nutrition, and the ill effects of substance abuse.

“Happy teachers create a happy school where great learning occurs”

Student initiatives TMS student leaders have played a particularly active role in promoting well-being, kicking off with a workshop with ‘well-being champions’ made up of one student from every grade. These workshops explored how well-being could be further enhanced at their school. Based on their findings, as well as their analysis of the Dubai Well-being Census 2018, the students put together an action plan that they shared with the management board. Student leaders also conducted several talks on the topic of bullying and how it can be prevented at TMS, which adopts a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. In addition, the school hosted a ‘values matter’ workshop with the aim of helping both students and parents to improve their communication channels. This was extremely well received and the findings have been shared with the wider school community. In terms of staff well-being, the school formed a 10-member committee with representation from all faculty departments. Named ‘Joy Radiators’, the committee has, in the past year, organised popcorn and movie mornings, Zumba sessions, Eid celebrations and a well-being day for staff. Further plans include organising a workshop on growth mindset and stress management for staff members, as well as weekly mindfulness and yoga sessions for the entire school community. Commenting on the success of the school’s well-being push, Ambika Gulati, Principal of TMS, said: “Happy teachers create a happy school where great learning occurs and, for us, the wellbeing of our community is extremely important. We have undertaken numerous initiatives to enhance the well-being of our students and staff members. Recently, even our parents have taken this forward by organising mindfulness sessions for the school community on Thursday mornings. We found that concentration and behaviour improved thanks to our well-being initiatives, and staff morale is high.”

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Parents

Lunch box

ideas

Need some inspiration for your child’s weekday lunch box? Try these hassle-free ideas from Spinneys!

KIT

1 Tritan drink in the box

2 Blue Water Bento seal cup trio 3 Citron sandwich cutter COM BO

4 spinneysFOOD Orange Juice with Pulp 5 Rooted Food Co. Popped Lotus Seeds 6 Cheese string 7 spinneysFOOD Seedless White Grapes 8 spinneysFOOD Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine

9 Cream cheese and cucumber star-cut sandwich

Cream cheese and cucumber star-cut sandwich Prep time: 5 minutes Makes: 1

1 Cream cheese and cucumber star-cut sandwich

Issue 6 | October 2019

2 slices spinneysFOOD High Fibre White Bread Cream cheese, for spreading spinneysFOOD Sea Salt, to taste spinneysFOOD Black Pepper, to taste ½ spinneysFOOD Organic Cucumber, sliced 1 Trim the crusts from the slices of bread. 2 Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on one slice. Season with salt and pepper. 3 Layer the cucumber slices on the bread. 4 Top with the remaining slice of bread. 5 Cut the sandwich with the Citron star-shaped sandwich cutter.

KIT

1 Fruitfriends apple box 2 Citron Vert 3 stainless steel lunch box compartments 3 Fruitfriends snack box

COMBO

4 spinneysFOOD Clementine

5 Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich 6 Cheddar and tomato sandwich 7 Kalamata olives 8 Del Monte chocolate pudding 9 spinneysFOOD Strawberries

1 8

10 spinneysFOOD Baby Cucumber 11 Bio-tiful Dairy Kefir – Morello Cherry Smoothie

Cheddar and tomato sandwich Prep time: 5 minutes Makes: 1 Salted butter, for spreading 2 slices spinneysFOOD High Fibre White Bread 2 spinneysFOOD Mild White Cheddar slices ½ large tomato, sliced spinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns, freshly ground, to taste 1 Spread the butter thinly across the bread. 2 Place the slices of cheddar on the buttered slice of bread. 3 Blot the tomato slices with a paper towel to soak up excess moisture and place the slices on top of the cheese. 4 Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. 5 Top with the remaining slice of bread. 6 Cut the sandwich in half.

11 3 Top tip! Kefir drinks are a great way to boost your child’s probiotic intake

Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich

Recipes courtesy of Spinneys Magazine

Prep time: 5 minutes Makes: 1 1½ tbsp mayonnaise ½ x 185g tin spinneysFOOD White Meat Tuna Solid in Spring Water, drained 3 tbsp tinned sweetcorn, drained spinneysFOOD Salt, to taste spinneyFOOD Black Pepper, to taste 2 slices spinneysFOOD High Fibre Brown Bread 1 Place the mayonnaise, tuna, sweetcorn and seasoning in a small bowl and mix well. 2 Spread a generous layer of the tuna mixture on one slice of the bread and top with the other slice. 3 Cut the sandwich in half.

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Parents

1 5

KIT

1 Fruitfriends banana box 2 Citron lunch box – 4 compartments

COMBO

3 Innocent smoothie 4 Cheese and coleslaw bap 5 spinneysFOOD Mango Snippets 6 spinneysFOOD Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine

3 2

7 spinneysFOOD Blueberries 8 spinneysFOOD Cut Fresh Fruit – kiwi 9 Banana KIT

Cheese and coleslaw bap

1 Bambooware lunch box (designs vary) Prep time: 10 minutes Makes: 2

COM BO

2 Bear Real Fruit Yoyos – raspberry 3 spinneysFOOD Blueberries

2 bread rolls Butter, for spreading 2 slices spinneysFOOD Mature White Cheddar coleslaw, from Spinneys in-store deli

4 Campagne de France raspberry yoghurt 5 Veggie sausage roll 6 Babybel 7 Rockit apple

Veggie sausage roll 1 Slice a bread roll in half and butter the bottom slice. 2 Place a slice of cheese on the buttered half of the roll. 3 Spread coleslaw over the cheese. 4 Cover with the top of the roll. 5 Repeat the process with the remaining roll.

For the filling 250g leeks, finely sliced 50g salted butter 100g spinneysFOOD Veggie Mince 1 egg, beaten 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 100g spinneysFOOD Mild White Cheddar, grated spinneysFOOD Salt, to taste spinneysFOOD Pepper, to taste

6 7 2

8 9

Issue 6 | October 2019

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus cooling time) Cook time: 30 minutes Makes: 20

For the pastry 375g puff pastry 1 egg, beaten 15g mixed seeds (cumin, fennel, sesame or caraway) 1 Sauté the leeks in butter over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. 2 Once softened, increase to a medium-high heat, add the vegetarian mince and fry for 5 minutes. 3 Remove the pan from the heat, add the egg, wholegrain mustard, cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper. 4 Mix, then set aside until fully cooled. 5 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. 6 Once the mixture has cooled completely, remove the pastry from the fridge and unroll it on a lightly floured surface. 7 Spread the mince mixture along the length of the pastry sheet, moulding it into a cylinder. 8 Tightly roll the pastry around the mince mixture until it resembles a log, with the seam facing downwards. 9 Brush the roll with egg and sprinkle it with seeds. 10 Using a sharp knife, slice the roll into 3cm-thick pieces and transfer to a lined baking tray. 11 Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 12 Serve warm, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

1 baby gem lettuce, shredded 1 avocado, sliced Rotisserie chicken, shredded, from Spinneys deli

K IT

1 Blue Water Bento 3-in-1 splash box 2 Citron triple insulated kids’ food jar

1 Place the wrap on a flat surface and spread with the mayonnaise. 2 Add the shredded lettuce to one half of the wrap. Top with the avocado and follow this with the chicken. 3 Roll up the wrap tightly and secure with a toothpick.

C OMBO

3 spinneysFOOD Hummus 4 Sun-Maid raisins 5 Apple crumble muffin 6 Strawberry Suckies by The Collective 7 Chicken and avocado wrap

Apple crumble muffins

8 Red radishes 9 spinneysFOOD Baby Carrots with Tops

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Makes: 15

Chicken avocado wrap Prep time: 10 minutes Makes: 1

For the crumble 90g spinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour 50g cold, unsalted butter, cubed 50g spinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 spinneysFOOD Organic Flour Tortilla Wrap 2 tbsp mayonnaise

For the muffins 100g light brown sugar 100g butter, at room temperature 200ml full-fat milk

2 eggs, beaten 4 apples, peeled and grated ½ tsp spinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon 150g spinneysFOOD Self-Raising Flour 100g whole-wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder A pinch of spinneysFOOD Salt 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. 2 For the crumble topping, add the flour, butter and caster sugar to a bowl and rub together with clean fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Set aside. 3 To make the muffins, in a second bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. 4 Gradually pour in the milk and eggs. Continue to whisk for 30 seconds. Add the grated apples and then sift in the cinnamon, selfraising and whole-wheat flours, baking powder and salt. 5 Fold until fully combined, then spoon the batter into greased muffin cases. 6 Top the batter with the prepared crumble mix and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Chicken avocado wrap

6 8

2 5

EASY Try the spinneysFOOD Roast Red Pepper Hummus

AP SW

3 Apple crumble muffin

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Lifestyle

The northern sights Buildings shaped from ice and snow, reindeer rides under the aurora bourealis and a midwinter visit to the village that Santa Claus himself calls homeâ&#x20AC;Ś Lapland promises the ultimate family adventure Written by Stephen Phelan

Issue 6 | October 2019

December in Rovaneimi Finnish Lapland’s capital city is located almost as far north as humans can comfortably live – six miles shy of the Artic Circle and bounded by an unspoiled wilderness of icy forests, lakes and mountains. And while the natural beauty of the region gives visitors plenty to do in summer, it’s the colder months that make the place a genuine winter wonderland for families. Snow begins to fall as early as October and lies thick on the ground as late as May. Solid blocks of snow have been used to build restaurants, hotels and chapels. Christmas comes right in the middle of the season and up to half a million people will travel to spend it right here, where Santa Claus lives, works and welcomes visitors even (especially) at his busiest time of year.

Credit: Rovaniemi Tourism & Marketing Ltd.

Official hometown of Santa Claus The story goes that Santa has a secret headquarters even further north, but as of 1985 he also set up a more visible, sociable administrative base just outside Rovaneimi, with the requisite fairytale village feel. He’s there all year round, presenting himself as the world’s jolliest diplomat, an “ambassador of goodwill, love, and peace”. But the month leading up to Christmas sees a non-stop procession of kids coming to see him right before he begins his long gift-giving trek around the world – setting off on 23 December with great ceremony. (Parents, meanwhile, may be interested to note that Santa’s village began with a cabin built for industrious American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1950, who came to survey the city after it had been almost destroyed by German forces in the Second World War.)

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Lifestyle

Reindeer everywhere Obviously, Santa has his own elite team of reindeer, who are essential to his distribution system. But there are plenty more where they came from. The native Sámi people have been reindeer-herders for centuries, and specialist farms in surrounding pastures now host all manner of visitor-friendly activities, from feeding sessions to “sleigh schools”. Packages for rides and safaris with these gorgeous creatures include nighttime treks to see the Northern Lights.

Fire in the sky The Sámi word for the Northern Lights is revontulet”, which literally means “fox-fire”, and comes from an old native legend about a fox running over the fells of Lapland and whipping snow into the air to form the glittering sparks of the aurora. Science says it’s caused

Issue 6 | October 2019

by electric particles from the sun colliding with earth’s atmosphere. But either way, you have a better chance of seeing them here than almost anywhere else in the world, and local apps provide alert systems to let visitors know when the lights are glowing bright. Local photographer Alexander Kuznetsov recommends the Ounasvaara Fell as a prime spot for aurora-watching.

Snowmobile safaris Snowmobiles and skidoos can get you to off-track quarters that huskies and reindeer can’t reach, cutting fresh tracks across the untouched whiteness. Companies like Aurora eMotion now offer the enchanced experience of riding electric vehicles, which help sustain that pristine environment and run almost silently, so the rider feels as if they’re gliding through the trees.

Husky tours Various farms and centres like the Arctic Circle Husky Park are famous for breeding and training Siberian husky puppies to be world-class sled dogs. Visitors are bound to get their faces licked and the resident doggos are always happy to give you a short ride around the park. But what they really want is to take you out on a longer tour, running deep into the surrounding forests.

Holes in the ice Ice-fishing on frozen lakes is an age-old means of sustenance for the Sámi people, and it now makes for a popular form of tranquil winter sport. Fishing excursions from Rovaniemi range from short tasters of a few hours to major expeditions of a few days. And if you want to know what the fish actually feel like, there are bigger

Credit: Rovaniemi Tourism & Marketing Ltd.

How to get there

“Snowmobiles and skidoos can get you to off-track quarters that huskies and reindeer can’t reach...”

holes in the ice at Ounaskoski Beach that you can actually swim in - if you’re not averse to profound sensory shocks.

Christmas festivities The December schedule is obviously packed with midwinter events, including snowboard and freeski displays, food fairs and Christmas market stalls highlighting Lapland cuisine, art and photography exhibits, icesculpture contests, and Moomins on parade in Santa Claus Park.

Holiday accommodation Obviously Rouvaniemi has plenty of brick-and-mortar hotels, but most families dream of sleeping between walls of snow. Options in that range include quasi-rustic ice cabins at Appuka Resort (apukkaresort.fi), exposed to the cold air but equipped with state-of-the-art sleeping bags. The Arctic Snowhotel has an annex of luxury glass igloos that allow you to watch the Northern Lights from your own heated crystal dome. For further information, visit arcticsnowhotel.fi.

Flights Daily flights between Rovaniemi and Helsinki are operated by Finnair and Norwegian throughout the year. For detailed info about Rovaniemi Airport, go to www. finavia.fi/en/airports/rovaniemi Visas As with other European nations that form part of the Schengen system, visitors from the UAE do not need a visa for entry to Finland. A valid UAE passport allows the bearer a stay of up to 90 days. Weather If you plan to visit at Christmas, it’s going to be cold. Average daytime temperatures at the Arctic Circle in December are –6°C and a few degrees lower at night. You should wrap up warm to do anything outdoors, from sledriding and walking to just visiting a restaurant.

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Lifestyle

Escape from sand to

snow Nobody denies that Ski Dubai is a phenomenal feat of engineering, with its perfect pistes rising out of a desert city. But in the heat of the Emirati midwinter, even inexperienced skiers sometimes yearn to whizz down real snow, on real slopes, in real mountains. Lucky, then, that some of Central Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best resorts are just a short-haul flight awayâ&#x20AC;Ś Written by Stephen Phelan

Issue 6 | October 2019

Credit: shutterstock.com

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

Tufandag, which means “blizzard mountain”, has seen heavy investment as part of Azerbaijan’s growing tourist sector and more locals take up skiing on their own doorstep. A multilingual ski school and all the requisite apresski venues and restaurants are now in place, as well as a suitably luxe five-star property at Qafqaz Mountain Resort. Its main rival is Shahdag, the country’s first purpose-built winter sports hub, which is positioning itself as the Courchevel of the Caucases, albeit with only 17 kilometres of blue and red ski runs.

Even Prince Harry of Great Britain has helped to put Shymbolak in Kazakhstan on the map – a relatively compact resort with only about 15 kilometres of runs, though some begin at altitudes of over 3,200 metres. It’s a former training ground for the Soviet Olympic winter sports teams, so it’s got plenty of challenging angles for the average skier, as well as wide, shallow runs for the less confident.

Turkey The highest, longest and steepest runs in Turkey are way out east, in the furthest, coldest corner of Anatolia, around Mount Palandoken. The ski centre built for the 2011 Winter Universiade championship has got a lot busier in the last few years, but experienced skiers can still find mostly empty stretches of deep, fresh powder, up to three metres thick, toward the peaks, while the lower reaches have good facilities for families.

Some of the best ski resorts are only a short-haul flight away, from Georgia to Turkey to Lebanon

Lebanon Mzaar Kfarbedian, about an hour outside Beirut, is generally considered the best-appointed resort in the country, and the peak at Mazaar itself is where the most experienced skiers head for steep runs on deep powder. The views look right out over the Mediterranean, which is close enough to give visitors the fairly unique option of lolling on the beach or floating in the sea after a morning on the pistes. You can also visit the nearby ruins of an ancient Phoenician temple and a Roman tower. Dome Jabal El Dib is a good bet for beginners, with its slopes and long, winding backcountry trails, while The Cedars is an oldschool, almost antique ski area with good beginner slopes.

Georgia The Greater and Lower Caucases have developed their own distinct ski scenes in the last decade or so – the former offering more dramatic peaks and longer seasons, the latter more consistent snowfall. Some visitors swear by the relatively quiet and family-friendly slopes at Bakuriani, but Gudauri remains Georgia’s biggest and best all-round resort. Englishspeaking instructors and route guides cater well to holidaymakers while the pistes range from wide, gentle runs for kids and beginners to rocky, narrow chutes higher up.

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Lifestyle

Inner-city resort living It’s rare for a hotel to draw both young professionals and families, but the towering landmark of Hilton Al Habtoor City, on the banks of Dubai Water Canal, does exactly this, writes Yvonne Kerr

union of three Al Haboor City hotels in Business Bay, including the Hilton Al Habtoor City, offers such eclectic attractions as the dramatic La Perle by Dragone aqua show, a collection of high-quality restaurants, the UAE’s first airconditioned indoor tennis court, a Kids Club and family pool area, a spa, beauty salon, a 24-hour gym with personal trainers and even a yoga studio, plus a shuttle to the beach and Dubai Mall. Amid all of this, singles, couples and families mingle easily and happily as they relax in their choice of these distinctive, bespoke zones. We’re here for a free brunch. Well, not exactly. We’re here so our child can enjoy a free brunch

Issue 6 | October 2019

(as can every other child up to 12 years old), so that we can hopefully (ambitiously, naively?) relax while he plays in the supervised children’s play area. Amazingly, we get the odd 10-15 minute reprieve of adult-only conversation in between him running out to show us the coaster that he makes at the art workshop, or to present his latest sugary find, from a green cake to a red cake to a blue cake. I suspect the quiet time coincided with him discovering one of two large-screen movie corners for kids. Little people aside, The City Brunch at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City offers an abundant feast that’s captivating enough to sate any grown up appetite, palate or desire with more than 15 live cooking stations championing

dishes from India to Japan to Korea to America. The BBQ section presents six cuts of steak, a leg of lamb, roast chicken and herb crusted salmon alongside a jawdropping spread of 30 sauces, gravies, jus and mustards. We started with a perfectly divine plate of fresh sushi and sashimi with ginger, soy and wasabi. Resisting the urge to order lobster to our table, we could not pass the sumptuous chicken or seafood dumplings and Peking duck pancakes from the Asian station, where you could create your own soup, adding fresh vegetables and noodles to a bubbling hot chicken or vegetable broth. Fish lovers are in heaven, with 10 types of smoked salmon and French oysters, as are vegans and vegetarians.

I could go on but that would leave less room to brag about the tables upon tables of dessert. It was a bonanza of scrumptious sugar and spice, so many treats in all configurations and casts, large and small, layered and iced and coated in a most fantastic array of hues and stains and pigments and artistic flair. In fact, more than 30 types of cakes and pastries are presented among many sorbets and ice creams and custards. Yes, I counted. We then rolled out the door to our room to nap the evening away. Only joking. We have two small kids… Our room offered a memorable, expansive view over fishing and tourist boats cruising along the Dubai Water Canal and the many al fresco cafés lining its waterfront 44 floors below, across to Dubai’s unmistakable marker, the Burj Khalifa, as many rooms and suites at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor do. The more family-friendly offering

Promotion Up to two children aged 12 and below eat free with each paying adult at The City Brunch and weeknight theme dinners from 7-10pm Sunday-Thursday, Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, Sheikh Zayed Road (04 435 5577) *terms and conditions apply

of the three hotels boasts the complementary Kids Club. This spacious, brightly coloured room (pictured below) is divided into individual play areas, from board games and books in one corner, to a floor-to-ceiling stack of toys, to a TV room with a Playstation and wall-to-wall bean bags. The Club includes a fully-equipped kitchen; a useful addition as any parent will know. Each toilet incorporates mini facilities for little ones of toilet training age. Not to overlook a shallow kids’ pool where youngsters can splash about (just in case they are

dissatisfied with the other four rooftop pools). One night was barely enough. There really is so much to do and sample in this lifestyle resort in the middle of Business Bay. The other standout during our brief stay was the impeccable service; two waiters in particular at brunch, who seemed to be right there at the exact second that I dropped my fork or my son’s pacifier. And when my newborn started to cry, one waiter even went out of his way to step in and rock the pram back and forth. That’s going above and beyond, in my opinion.

The City Brunch at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City offers more than 15 live cooking stations and a children's play area. The hotel also offers a Kids Club and four rooftop pools

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Lifestyle

By J. K. Rowling and Jim Kay The fourth book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling has been illustrated in full colour and meticulous detail by award-winning artist Jim Kay. Featuring more than 115 incredible images, this version will delight fans and first-time readers alike. The book follows Harry Potter, a wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the mystery surrounding the entry of his name into the Triwizard Tournament. New characters, creatures and plot twists are all reimagined in Kay’s signature style.

ALL AGES

Books

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Illustrated Edition (Hardcover)

Available from: Amazon Price: AED168.52

Me: Elton John Official Autobiography

Time to Eat: Delicious Meals For Busy Lives

My Pet Star

By Elton John

By Nadiya Hussain

By Corrinne Averiss

In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, from the shy boy who grew up in London to the living music legend he is today. The book tracks his rollercoaster lifestyle, as shown in the film Rocketman, from spinning out of control as a charttopping superstar to conquering Broadway with The Lion King and Billy Elliot the Musical. Elton also writes about his personal problems and how he turned his life around.

If you’re trying to juggle a busy workload and feed a family, you’ll love these recipes from Nadiya Hussain who has crafted more than 100 recipes that will teach you how to be time-smart in the kitchen. Featuring recipes that are both quick and easy to make, as well as those that have shortcuts to creating second - and even third - delicious meals without any additional preparation, Nadiya will share with you all her tips and hacks for making meal prep as fast and hassle-free as possible.

This is a heart-warming children’s book about the importance of kindness and friendship. When a little girl finds a lost star, she takes it home and cares for it, just like a pet. She reads it stories, makes it snacks and tucks it into bed at night. The more she cares for the star, the brighter it glows until one day, it’s time to let go. This magical story about caring for others comes from BAFTA award-winning writer and CILIP Greenaway-nominated author Corrinne Averiss. A magical story.

Available from: Amazon Price: AED103.95

Available from: Virgin Megastore Price: AED109

Available from: Virgin Megastore Price: AED39

ADULTS

Issue 6 | October 2019

ADULTS

KIDS

Maleficent was born in an enchanted forest kingdom known as the Moors, bordering a human kingdom. Her parents were killed by humans, leaving her an orphan. In this sequel to the 2014 Disney hit, Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces at play.

This upcoming 3D computer-animated comedy horror is based on the comics of the same name by Charles Addams. The movie sees members of the mysterious and spooky Addams family readily preparing for a visit from their even creepier relatives. Trouble soon arises when shady Margaux Needler realises that the Addams’ eerie hilltop mansion is standing in the way of her dream to sell all the houses in the neighbourhood.

Release Date: 17 October Starring: Angelina Jolie, David Gyasi, Michelle Pfeiffer

Release Date: 31 October Starring (the voices of): Charlize Theron, Oscaar Isaac, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler

Eli

Peaky Blinders: Season 5

ELI is the story of a young boy plagued with an unknown, debilitating illness that requires him to live completely sealed off from the world. After exhausting every option, his parents put their trust – and his life – in the hands of a doctor whose experimental treatments may hold Eli’s last hope. As Eli undergoes the intense process that could cure him, he is haunted by experiences that make him question who he can trust.

Crime drama TV series Peaky Blinders transports viewers to 1920s Birmingham at the height of post-war gang violence. As the Shelbys grapple with the 1929 stock market crash, which throws the world into turmoil, their gang leader Tommy confronts new threats to his power from younger family members and fascist rivals. Irish actor Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby, who viewers will see as an MP this season.

Available: Netflix from 25 October

Available: Netflix now

Streaming

The Addams Family

Movies

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

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