The document discusses the many activities that took place during Book Week at Al Yasmina Secondary School, including students reading mystery stories to primary students, competitions around books and authors, and a book swap where students traded books. It also mentions the school's runners-up performance in the Readers' Cup final in Dubai and Aran Quintana again topping the Year 7 Accelerated Reader programme for most points earned.

1. AL YASMINA ABU DHABI Connect issue 6
SCHOOL Bloom 2012/2013
Grow
Learn
Nurture
Play
THE SECONDARY
PARTNERSHIP
AL YASMINA SCHOOL STRIVES TO BE AN
OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
SCHOOL, MAXIMISING THE LEARNING
POTENTIAL OF ALL
ALDAR ACADEMIES

2. WELCOME
Welcome to the latest issue of the Secondary The Secondary PARTnership keeps you up-to-date with
PARTnership for the 2012/2013 academic year. The student activities across the secondary department. It
Secondary PARTnership is the publication for Al also gives Al Yasmina School the chance to celebrate
Yasmina's secondary school and is published eight times progress and achievement and provide more in depth
a year. Look for previous issues on the school website. information to parents on a wide variety of subjects.
We welcome your feedback.
communications@alyasmina.sch.ae
CONTENTS
WELCOME From the HEAD OF SCHOOL 3
SUBJECT SPOTLIGHT - GEOGRAPHY 4
MIND MAP AUTHOR TONY BUZAN 5
SUBJECT SPOTLIGHT - MATHS 6
BOOK WEEK BUZZ 7
ART STUDENTS' IKEA PROJECT 10
YOUNG ENTERPRISE GROUPS 11
SPRING CONCERT 13
ROMEO AND JULIET REVIEW 14
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR 14
MUSCAT SWIMMING CHAMPS 15
WORLD CHALLENGE HARLEM SHAKE 16
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH 16
FOY UPDATE 17
The Secondary PARTnership
Topics, trends, updates, views and news from the Al Yasmina Secondary Department
Pictured on the cover: Year 8 Geography students kayaking in the Eastern Mangroves in Abu Dhabi
2

3. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL, MR GALE
I am always amazed at how quickly each term passes by and of Romeo and Juliet as part of the Abu Dhabi Arts and Music
term two at Al Yasmina is no exception. I enjoy the opportunity Festival, an inspiring presentation by Mind Maps author Tony
to sit and reflect on the diversity of activities and events which Buzan, World Book Day activities, the Music Department’s Spring
take place in our school. As I write my monthly piece for the Concert, our sports teams challenging our competitor schools
Secondary PARTnership, I am reminded once again how vibrant and our swim team giving their all at the British Schools in the
and dynamic the secondary school is. Middle East Swimming Championships in Muscat.
At Al Yasmina we appreciate that every learner has differing The March issue of the Secondary PARTnership reflects all this
needs and as mentioned on our website, lifelong learning is activity and will hopefully make for a good holiday read as we
valued here and we take advantage of every opportunity to enrich head into the Spring Break, giving both staff and students the
the curriculum. Through real life experiences, educational visits, opportunity to recharge their batteries ahead of exam season
themed activities and visiting speakers. pressures in term three.
It is no surprise then, that in support of our philosophy, term Enjoy the read. Enjoy the break.
two has seen examinations, subject options process, the drama
production of Chicago, International Day, the Austria Ski Trip,
Duke of Edinburgh expedititons and numerous events and
fundraisers. “If everyone is moving forward
together, then success
Alongside this, we have had Year 8 Geography students kayaking
in the mangroves in order to better understand management of
takes care of itself” - Henry Ford
that fragile ecosystem, English students attending a production
3

4. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
GEOGRAPHY OFFERS
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Geography in the secondary school has a global look to it, drawing on
the knowledge and experience of students from various corners of the
world, but firmly linked to issues facing the UAE.
“We have taken a theme-based approach, mapping out three themes –
Our Hazardous World, Our Threatened World and Our Interconnected
World,” says Ms Lawson, Subject Leader for Geography. “We’re
currently focusing on sustainability.”
“Across the curriculum, at Key Stage 3 particularly, we’ve built it in to
every year group, elements of looking at the world and how we can be
more sustainable, but also with a focus on the UAE.”
Year 7 looks at what renewable resources are being developed in the
UAE and how they are being used. Year 8 looks at management of the
mangrove ecosystems as part of their “Fantastic Places, Changing
Spaces” unit, and Year 9 studies the sustainability of tourism in
the UAE. “The country is making massive steps towards becoming
more sustainable and the students get a local perspective on what is
happening.”
”Wherever possible we use local and regional examples in Geography,
but as an international school we are able to draw from the cultural
and geographical backgrounds of the students.” Ms Lawson gives the
example of studying extreme weather and climate.”Some students
have really never seen anything but a desert and experienced very little
rain so it’s hard for them to get to grips with a concept like flooding.
So we ask why the UAE is so hot and dry while other countries have
rainforests. The range of nationalities at the school allows for a more
global perspective.” In GCSE and A Level years, the course content is
governed more closely by the requirements of the UK curriculum but
every attempt is made to use global examples and experience.
Trips off-campus are always enticing for students and Geography offers
plenty of scope, with excursions for most classes. Year 8 students
have been kayaking in the mangroves this month, and Year 9 have
already been to Dubai to see how tourism is managed there as part of
their “Paradise Lost” unit. Year 10 have been out in the field for their
controlled assessment - “How and why Abu Dhabi has changed in
recent years”. They have collected data in Abu Dhabi and are currently
writing it up.
Year 12 will also head into the city for their topic “Crowded Coasts”
which looks at coastal management, and again for another topic called
“Rebranding”. This looks at how places have had to adapt to ensure they
continually develop, and how they relaunch themselves. They examine
how Abu Dhabi has changed and how it has to keep modifying to stay
competitive with other cities around the world.
Geography remains a popular optional subject at GCSE level, attracting
just over 50 percent of the current Year 10s. The numbers drop a little
at A Level, where there is big competition with Maths and the sciences.
However, a recent survey of secondary students saw 98 percent of them
rate Geography as a “good” or “excellent” subject to take.
“I like Geography because it is one of those subjects you can adapt to
fit in with what’s going on in the world and because it is about the ‘here
and now’, and the future,” Ms Lawson says. “I think it is really important
that the students understand the planet that they live on and how it is
going to change.
“It is quite a diverse subject and can be readily adapted to what is
happening around us as it happens. This makes it constantly relevant to
students.” 4

5. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
IMAGE AND COLOUR KEY TO STUDY
SUCCESS, SAYS MIND MAP CREATOR
Senior students had their notions about learning, memory,
and their own potential to achieve turned upside-down at an
inspirational presentation by guest speaker Professor Tony
Buzan on World Book Day.
The prolific author of books on memory, speed reading, and
the innovative concept of mind mapping, told students in
Years 9 to 13 that pages of notes are boring, daydreaming is
productive, and image and colour are the keys to memory.
The prime language of the brain is image, not words. “The
brain works by imagination and association. Build up these
and learning will be easy.” It is human to love colour, it is a
brain cell stimulator. Using it effectively is critical to success.
“Colour helps us to organise our thoughts, it brightens
things up and helps us concentrate.”
Writing notes in one dark colour is dull. Mono tone equals A mind map always starts with an image in the centre and has
monotonous, he told students. “You will all be preparing for branches radiating out from it. There is no limit to how many
exams soon. You have to use colour if you are going to do branches it can have. “The brain is no different, it has infinite
well.” The mind map, or visual representation of a thought or potential to imagine and think. There is no such thing as a
concept, needs colour. “Every note you take, everything you mental block.”
want to remember, colour it.”
One single human brain cell is more powerful than a computer
Daydreaming is also a visualisation of thought and should be and we have millions of brain cells, so there is no limit to our
encouraged, he said. A genius will have a “big” daydream, potential to succeed, he told students. “You just have to use
want to be great and will work to make it happen. In the your brain well.”
classroom students should daydream, or visualise, concepts
they are being taught so they have a picture in their head “I’m not going to wish you luck because you don’t need it.
which helps them understand and remember. “A picture is You’ve got the potential. You’re in the starting blocks. Get out
worth a thousand words,” he reminded them. there and use the genius that you have and that you are.”
5

6. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
COOL WALL: from left Emily Rossiter, Gemma Parker, Paolo Pretorius and Arthur Noble-Ditchfield.
MAKING MATHS “SERIOUSLY COOL”
Top Gear’s “Cool Wall” has come to Al Yasmina’s Maths The department is always looking for ways to both extend
Department, but with a twist. It is just one of the ideas staff its most able students and encourage those who find maths
have come up with to make maths fun and relevant. more difficult.
This Cool Wall celebrates the progress of secondary In KS4 (Years 10 and 11), gifted and talented students have
students. Those who have made three sub-levels of progress been entered in Further Pure GCSE Maths, in addition to their
towards their target grades are deemed to be “sub zero” (the standard Maths GCSE. This is seen as a great introduction to
coolest of all!), those with two sub-levels “seriously cool”, A Level Maths.
and those with only one sub-level of progress “a bit chilly”.
About 60 students in Years 9 to 11 have also competed in the
Just as Top Gear illustrates their wall with photos of cars, UK Maths Challenge – a challenging multiple-choice exam.
the Al Yasmina board is covered with students’ photos. “There’s no point guessing the answers because they will
Results will be analysed each term and the wall updated. lose marks for the wrong answers. It’s more of a Mensa-style
Mr Hetherington, Curriculum Team Leader for Maths, says IQ test than a maths test, so it’s really for the high-achieving
staff are always thinking of ways to add value to the lessons, students we have.”
reward students, and provide real-life situations to illustrate
the relevance of what they are learning in the classroom. Some Post-16 maths students are involved in a mentoring
scheme to help prepare Year 9 students heading into GCSEs
Only last term, groups of students in Years 9, 10, and 11, next year, and borderline C grade students in the current
got maths-related work experience. A careers survey was Year 11. It’s a win-win situation as the younger students
undertaken and those interested in working in fields with benefit from the knowledge of the older ones, and the Post-
a requirement for good maths skills got to make industry 16 students who are involved in the World Challenge get to
visits. One group went to stockbroking firm Century Financial satisfy the volunteering/community service component of the
Brokers in Dubai and another to architecture firm Design IEC programme.
in Abu Dhabi. “At the stockbroking firm they got to do a little
trading, make and lose some money and see how easily it In addition to this, Maths teacher Mr Leach runs a regular
can happen in that game.” Study Club after school for secondary students, with other
staff planning more revision clubs in term three. World Maths
The students who went to Design IEC got to take part in a Day on March 6 saw Al Yasmina students competing against
“hands-on” workshop run by the managing director. “The their contemporaries from around the world via internet
students thoroughly enjoyed the visits,” Mr Hetherington quizzes. “We try to offer as many open-ended enrichment
says. Another industry day is planned for term three. He activities as we can to make things a bit more interesting than
is keen to hear from any parents who know of firms which just working out of a textbook.”
would be happy to be involved. 6

7. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
BOOK WEEK BUZZ
BIG BOOK SWAP
Book Week wrapped up with the Big Book Swap. Over the period
of a week students were invited to bring in their pre-loved books
to swap within the secondary school. Every book was swapped
for a token and at the Big Book Swap on March 14, students
exchanged their tokens for a “new” book from the collection.
The book swap received more than 350 donated books, with
around 250 going to new homes. The rest of the books will
be donated to a charity collecting books for underprivileged
children and children’s hospitals.
7

8. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
MYSTERY STORY- READERS’ CUP
TELLERS’ TALES FINAL
On World Book Day, March 7, secondary students became
mystery readers to students in the primary school. Years 7 - 11
visited primary classes to read some of their favourite stories
and to listen to some of the stories written by the primary
classes. “My children loved it,” said Year 2 teacher Miss Dean.
After elimination rounds at school last month, an Al Yasmina
team travelled to Dubai on March 6 to take part in the Readers’
Cup final, run as part of the Emirates Festival of Literature.
Mehek Mathur, Aysha Atti, Aran Quintana and Hannah Green
fought against some tough competition from schools from
Muscat and Dubai and were worthy runners-up, losing out by
only 1-1/2 points to the International School of Muscat.
8

9. From left is Zunair Khurram, Aysha Atti, Mehek Mathur, Sam Forbes, Fadhel Barakat, Jamie Queen. Not pictured: Savannah Ansell, Neha Ali
BOOK WEEK COMPETITION WINNERS
Competitions ran throughout the week: The winners were:
Guess the Teacher with photos of teachers hiding behind their Guess the Teacher – Zunair Khurram
favourite books Author Anagrams – Savannah Ansell
Author Anagrams where students had to unscramble the Where’s Wordell?--Sam Forbes
authors’ names Maths in Books – Mehek Mathur
Where’s Wordell? which involved students working out from
photos where in the world Wordell the bookworm was reading Highest point score overall – Aysha Atti
Maths in Books to tie in with World Maths Day, which tested
students’ knowledge of numbers used in literature Book Quiz – joint 1st place Jamie Queen and Neha Ali, 2nd place
Fadhel Barakat
Book Quiz which pitted literature experts against each other in a
four-round quiz.
ARAN YEAR 7’S KEENEST READER AGAIN
Following his success in the first term, Aran Quintana has topped the Year 7 Accelerated Reader
programme again this term. The year group is piloting the research-based programme, which
encourages students to develop a passion for reading and develop their skills as active readers.
Students are given a range of books to choose from and take part in a quiz to test their comprehension
skills after completing each book. Points are awarded to students each time they win a quiz and these
points are exchanged for prizes. The students were given a period off timetable on the last Tuesday of
term for a prize afternoon. The points will now be reset for the start of term three. Next term, there will
be two prizes awarded per class for progress and effort.
Highest point score: Progress
Aran Quintana Mohammed Bakhit
Gina Cantelmi Ibrahim Al Mokatash
Nour Barjes Tegan Friedenthal
Mehek Mathur Karim Moukhtar
Reem Ibsais Noah Coley
Fatima Anani Kayan Khraisheh
9

10. STUDENTS GIVE IKEA CHAIRS RADICAL LOOK
The classic sleek look of the IKEA chair is nowhere to be seen Jessica Vickery chose Art Nouveau; Haas Al Mashani,
after colourful and quirky makeovers by Year 13 BTEC Art Surrealism; Nick Bryant, Op Art; and Liam Troup, Cubism.
and Design students. In a collaboration between Al Yasmina
and the local branch of IKEA, six chairs were donated to the Miniature versions of the chairs were created in the workshop
Art Department for the students to complete the “Exploring before work began on the real thing. Each student had to
Resistant Materials and Contextual Influences in Art and address the challenges of their design and work with a range
Design” unit of their BTEC diploma. of materials, some of which they were not familiar with. It was
a steep learning curve but the excellent quality of the outcome
In return, the chairs have been on display at the Yas Island speaks for itself. IKEA created a multi-leveled display stand and
store over the past two weeks, making the vocational installed lighting to display the students’ work.
connection essential in any BTEC brief. Mrs Walsh, Art and
Design Curriculum Team Leader, says she made the initial The students provided information boards outlining the design
approach to IKEA after coming up with the idea of taking an of their chairs. The exhibition is likely to feature in IKEA’s
existing product and upcycling it. own internal magazine. Best of all though, the Edexcel BTEC
external verifier was at school on the last day of term and Mrs
“IKEA was an ideal choice as it is both global and local. As their Walsh took her to IKEA where she assessed the works in situ.
furniture range is flatpacked, it just made an ideal marriage.” “It’s a bit of a coup, really.”
She says she had already written up the brief for the students
when she approached IKEA over the summer. They were An unveiling of the chairs took place on March 21. Senior
looking to develop links with the local community and were management, teachers, parents and, of course, delighted
keen to be involved. “BTEC is a vocational qualification, so our students were able to attend.
projects are very much connected to the world of work. It was
important to get that connection.” Mrs Walsh would like to thank Matthew Pritchard, our man
at IKEA for his help and support throughout this project. She
As part of their brief, the students had to select and research a also looks forward to future partnerships with IKEA and the Al
20th century Art movement. Armed with this information they Yasmina Art Department.
had to redesign the chair in that style.
10

11. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
SCHOOL BUSINESSES EXTENSION CLASSES
GIVE CHARITY A HAND FOR AGT STUDENTS
Year 11 and 12 Young Enterprise groups Elegant Edge and A group of Year 9s identified as Able, Gifted or Talented (AGT)
Yazmania have both reported a successful year selling their have swapped a few of their free periods for extension classes
products and have chosen to make charitable donations out of in History, Science and English.
their profits.
In History, 24 students attended a 45-minute session. Fifteen of
Business Studies teacher Mr Dube says that the students are them indicated that they would be taking History GCSE. “They
keen to show that despite running a “for profit” business, they were a very engaged and interactive group of students,” says
still care about social issues. To this end, they have donated a AGT co-ordinator Miss Magee.
total of 335Dhs towards World Challenge’s Uganda expedition
in June. Looking at the feedback, the majority of students felt strongly
that the session achieved its aims of deepening their knowledge
The Young Enterprise scheme was launched at the beginning of World War One, rather than trying to teach them something
of the school year. The Year 11 company is Elegant Edge, which new.
makes and sells custom-made jewellery. To date the company
has sold at the Feline Friends charity event at the City Golf
Club, school events like International Day and National Day,
and through Facebook. The Year 12 company, Yazmania, sells
custom made t-shirts at school events, including National Day,
where they made bumper profits!
Both groups admit that the process has been challenging but
enjoyable, Mr Dube says. “Team members have had to juggle
studies, learn to work in teams, and get over their fears of
selling to the public.”
The final event for the year is the nationwide Young Enterprise
competition to be held at Marina Mall April 3-6. The purpose
of the competition is to encourage young people to think about
business as a career choice and to equip them with skills to
enable them to be successful in a tough business world. Both
teams will be dissolved at the end of May.
In Science, the students are investigating Science in the
“Team members have had to News. They have been researching and analysing a variety of
juggle studies, learn to work in newspaper sources reporting on scientific topics. They have
searched out “weasel words” in order to assess how accurate
teams, and get over their fears the reporting is.
of selling to the public.” In English, they explored different ways of promoting a cause,
such as poetry, song, visual techniques and a variety of
campaigns. This came after they had read To Kill a Mockingbird,
which deals with racism. Again, it was aimed at exploring the
issues in more depth rather than learning anything new.
The sessions have been running since January and more are
planned for other year groups. “So far the feedback from all the
sessions has been really positive,” Miss Magee says.
Back: Mr John O’Hagan (Parent Advisor) and Faisal Ali. Front: Shahmir
Khan, Jake Hughes, Mitch Keel, Abigail Alexander, Clara Ziada, Dalia
Audhali, Yea In Lim
11

12. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
MR RICHARDS’ 3 3 0 3
MATHEMATICAL 3 3 3
CHALLENGE
3 3 3
Congratulations to Taisir Al Saqri, who provided the correct
answer to last month’s challenge, correctly stating 13 plain 3
pencils (8 pence each) and 4 coloured pencils (10 pence each).
3 3 3
This month a twist on a magic square
Fill in the empty spaces so every line adds up to the same,
including diagonals. Which two numbers will be used to do Please email your answers to
this? crichards@alyasmina.sch.ae.
The solution and the person who solved it correctly will be
published next month.
MUSIC STUDENTS Al Yasmina was well represented at this year’s Abu
Dhabi Music and Arts Festival Young Artists Day.
PERFORM AT ADMAF The 27-strong combined primary and secondary
Brass Ensembles performed to a capacity audience
YOUNG ARTISTS DAY at the event, held at Abu Dhabi Theatre on March
9. They played Break Loose by David Frost and an
arrangement, by brass teacher Nick Hudson, of the
Eye of The Tiger. The brass ensemble was joined on
stage by drummers Sam and Josh Hudson and bass
guitarist Liam Troup.
12

13. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
FULL HOUSE FOR
SPRING CONCERT
Music students from across the school performed to a full house at
the Spring Concert on March 20.
A total of 450 students from Year 2-13 were involved and
performances included the Senior orchestra, Senior choir, Al
Yasmina Singers, Intermediate choir, Junior choir, the Secondary
and Primary Brass ensembles, Clarinet trio, Flute choir, Saxophone
quartet, Junior string orchestra and two piano soloists – Isabella
Jarman in Year 5 and Annia Mirza in Year 10.
The students had lots of fun and enjoying performing to such a big
audience, says Mrs Hudson, Curriculum Team Leader for Music. The
department’s next event is a student recital on Thursday April 25, at
2.45pm in the recital room.
13

14. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
ROMEO AND JULIET GETS MODERN MAKEOVER
On Tuesday March 5 the Year 8 students went to the Abu Dhabi
Theatre to watch Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Globe
Theatre Company of London performed it. I expected it to be
mediocre at best, but it exceeded my expectations greatly. The
play was based on the traditional Romeo and Juliet, of two
arguing families and forbidden love. The setting of the play was
Verona, Italy.
The plot was traditional but was portrayed in a modern way.
They still spoke in Shakespearean language but the characters
and setting was modern day London. Their accents were almost
Cockney, which was very interesting and gave it a nice modern
twist. The actors were very good and consistent throughout.
Most of them were extremely well suited to their roles. Romeo
was very good and suited his character very well as a 14-year-
old boy. His mannerisms and gestures were also extremely
consistent.
The humour was suited to our age group and was tailored
On the other hand, Juliet was not as good. No doubt she was extremely well to the conservative culture of this country and
a good actress, she just wasn’t suited to Juliet’s role. She was the audience.
quite manly and did not depict the typical image of Juliet’s
girly character. Other than that, the characters were very well Overall a brilliant performance. Very well executed, humorous
portrayed. The best part was how the actors sometimes entered and portrayed wonderfully. I really recommend it to anyone who
from the back door and interacted with the audience very well. enjoys an interactive fun performance. The set could have been
For example, in the one scene the policemen were asking the changed a little more. But otherwise absolutely brilliant!
audience who did it and that added an element of excitement
and thrill. By Rachel Foulsham, Year 8 Hatta.
............................................................................................
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR OFFERS DROP-IN SLOTS
FOR PARENTS
School Counsellor Vicki Bowen is offering parents the
opportunity to speak to her about any issues they may have with
their children at monthly drop-in sessions.
“This might be for advice, tips, strategies and support around
their child’s behaviours at home. Anything regarding their
child’s behaviours in school they will still speak directly to the
class teacher as normal.”
Ms Bowen will be available on the last Wednesday of every
month 12.30-2.30pm in Meeting Room 1, behind Reception.
The dates up until the summer break are Wednesday April 24,
Wednesday May 29, and Wednesday June 26.
Ms Bowen has made these times available to parents as some
have attempting to call in at her office, but this is for students
only.
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15. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
TALENT, DISCIPLINE AND HARD WORK PAYS
DIVIDENDS FOR AL YASMINA SWIM TEAM
I remember getting on the bus at the end of last year’s British Early mornings while most people are still in bed, our children
Schools in the Middle East swimming championships and saying are covering an average of 4km in the pool, late afternoons
to the kids, “You have done it guys. Al Yasmina is no longer a another 4 -5km, weekends training, and competitions. Hard
participant, Al Yasmina is a contender. I had my confidence in the work, discipline and team ethos have been at the core of our
team but little did I know how right I was.” success. We aim to achieve excellence and we can only do so by
been excellent every day, every practice, every stroke and turn.
We are back from the same competition a year later and my words
seem to be carved in stone now. Sixty medals – 11 gold, 25 silver, Congratulations to all swimmers. We are very proud of you.
24 bronze, six BSME records and memories for a lifetime. All
our swimmers achieved personal best times. This was the most By Al Yasmina Swim Instructor Mr Todorov
successful swimming event yet. Our school swim team is in the
top five teams in the GCC region. Record holders are:
Our swimmers provided some of the most exciting races of the Isabelle Darling (Year 4) – 50 Freestyle 37.59 and 50
competition. From close races and battles to the last stroke to Butterfly 43.19
record-breaking swims, they elevated us with great excitement
and pride. Hayden Woodrow (Year 4) – 200 Freestyle 3.00.34
The achievement of those results has not been without sacrifice. Cameron Oliver (Year 10) – 50 Backstroke 28.94,
Swimmers have committed time and effort in pursuit of goals and 100 Backstroke 1.02.51 and 200 Freestyle 2.04.51
dreams.
............................................................................................
JAKE WALKS AWAY WITH
COVETED GOLF PRIZE
Year 10 Muzeera student Jake Peate will be hoping his feet have stopped growing after he
won an extremely valuable pair of custom-made shoes at a recent competition at Saadiyat
Beach Golf Club.
The tournament was held over two days and was sponsored by the Italian handmade shoe
company La Raimondi. More than 50 people took part and Jake won the 0-9 Division A,
handicap group, with a score of 40 points.
First prize was to have a pair of custom-made golf shoes designed. Of course, Jake chose
his favourite football team colours, West Ham Claret & Blue. The shoes are worth about
1800Dhs. “Good job he won them!” says his mother Sonia.
And there’s no chance of them finding their way into someone else’s bag – his name is
engraved on the side! 15

16. AL YASMINA SCHOOL issue 6
2012/2013
ATRIUM ANARCHY ALL IN A GREAT CAUSE
The atrium was a scene of complete madness this month We raised a total of 700Dhs, which will go towards funding
as students took part in the viral internet craze The Harlem our expedition this summer and we would like to thank
Shake, in support of the World Challenge expedition to everyone who got involved in our 30 seconds of complete
Uganda in June. anarchy, as well as the whole school for the support we have
received throughout the year.
Students paid a 5Dhs entrance fee to take part in what is
best described as an absolutely random and crazy dance, By Shahmir Khan, on the behalf of the World
with Mr Gale taking the lead. Students crowded around the
banisters on the first and second floors to watch our Head of
Challenge Team.
School lead their friends into the chaos.
MARCH STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
Dana Nasser (Islamic Studies - native), Fadwa Qadan (French),
Tahira Kalsoom (Islamic Studies - non-native) Kayan Khraisheh, Jamie McMillan,
Mohamed Al Hashmi (Arabic - native), Jamie Queen (Geography),
Zaid Jafarey (Arabic - non-native), Liam Bryant (History),
Abdulla AlMheiri (UAE Social Studies), Jake and Emily Rossiter (ICT),
Ciara Loane (Art), Aran Quintana (Mathematics),
Ryan Sayegh (Business Studies), Liam Troup (Music),
Aurore Queromain (Drama), Fadwa Qadan (PE),
Abby McGough (DT), Nicola Burgess (Psychology),
Alvinderjit Gurjit Singh (Economics), Anissa Johnson (Science),
Ruby Hughes (English), Kaitlyn McVicar (Spanish).
16

17. LATEST NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF AL YASMINA
The Friends of Al Yasmina (FOY) have been able to contribute to
several exciting school activities this year. These have included
providing refreshments at functions such as the various sports
and swimming days, the Year 2 Click Exhibition, welcome coffee
mornings, and the Aldar Olympics. Putting the funds raised by
FOY to a good cause is what we are all about and fortunately this
month we are able to donate quite a bit.
We have also been very lucky this term to have been helped by
a very enterprising young lady in Year 6 - Layla Jawhari who has
raised the huge amount sum 1200Dhs on her own, and has very
kindly donated it to FOY. This will be added to an amount at the
end of the year that will be donated to charity.
FOY Veg has been getting some assistance with the vegetable
boxes from the World Challenge team, so the funds raised this
month have been donated to them to help with their Uganda
fundraising. This month amounted to 1255Dhs. Further
proceeds from FOY Veg will also go towards the World Challenge
fundraising.
A total donation of 2000Dhs was distributed by FOY to all of the
stalls participating in the hugely successful International Day.
The Primary drama production of The Wiz will benefit from the
donation of 5000 Dhs. Funds will help with props, costumes and
lighting.
The Al Yasmina Spring Ball is a major event on the calendar next
term and the funds raised will go towards Operation Smile, the
charity which helps improve the quality of life for children with
facial disfigurements. Make sure you get some friends together
and organise a table or come on your own and meet some new
people for a great night out.
We are looking at further ideas to assist the primary and whole
school and will have an update as soon as it's available.
Come along to the next FOY meeting on Thursday, April 18 at 8am.
It is a great way to be involved with your child's education and
contribute to some really worthwhile fundraising.
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