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Message from the Head of Primary |
Dear Parents,
This week we have been focusing on the Performing Arts here at NAS Dubai, hosting several visitors from New York who worked with us on our Juilliard-Nord Anglia Education Performing Arts Programme. Next week sees the official launch of the programme and of the music element in particular. We hope you and your children will enjoy the musical workshops, concerts and other events taking place throughout the week, especially the concert by Juilliard alumni Claire Bryant on Monday at 8am.
So much for music but on Sunday our guests focused on Dance. Dance in school is currently taught through PE and is studied by nearly all of our students at some point in the year. We observed our very youngest children moving to music with Jess Thornton. Already those three year olds can follow instructions, respond to music and enjoy simple dances together. This lesson was great for the development of their gross motor skills as well as providing opportunities to enjoy and engage with music.
Angela Minervini has been particularly inspirational in her planning, teaching and delivery of Dance since she joined the PE department last year. We observed her rehearsing students from the Primary Dance CCA. These pupils are beginning to prepare two pieces for ‘Desert Dance’, a large scale competition held at Dubai College each January. The girls involved have all ‘opted in’ to the hard work and discipline involved in preparing for such a prestigious competition. Later in the day we returned to the studio to watch Angela teach Year 8 Dance, where the technique and creativity of the dancers were equally impressive.
Aside from observing lessons, our visitors took the time to speak to two serious Dance students from Year 8 and Year 9. These young women really impressed our guests with their articulate description of their love of Dance and their aspirations for the future. They had some thoughtful, well-considered questions to ask our experts and both sides gained much from the discussion.
As someone who loves Dance myself, I am particularly looking forward to working with Juilliard in future on further embedding Dance into the curriculum. I know that many of you are similarly excited about the Performing Arts becoming an area of excellence here at NAS Dubai and hope you enjoy the launch events next week.
Have a great weekend!
Elizabeth Lamb
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Message from the Head of Secondary |
This week I have had the opportunity to engage with lots of parents in various forums. We have had an open morning for our current Year 6 students, sporting fixtures, meet the Personal Tutor and of course we had our amazing Halloween BBQ.
The community at NAS Dubai is an integral part of our success and to work alongside a parent body who is so invested in the ethos and values of the school, as well as the academic success makes this school a very special place.
I have had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing students throughout my career in education. Students who have played sport at the highest level, performers who are now starting their journey at theatre school, individuals who have managed to overcome huge obstacles to graduate to top universities, doctors, lawyers and even some who are now teachers. All of the students needed at times a champion, all of them needed someone to pick them up when they were low, some of them needed to be redirected and others sometimes needed to be forgiven. However, not all of the students I talk about have had the luxury of the range of support mechanisms the students at NAS Dubai have.
When recruiting teachers I look for individuals who are child centred and recognise their role and importance in ensuring children have every opportunity to succeed. I am lucky, as I not only have these student centred classroom teachers but I also have a parent body who I know are there to support and guide their children. Maybe not a luxury I have had in my previous settings.
The feedback from the meet the Personal Tutor has really inspired me, I am confident we have created a model of support where parents feel they have an outlet that they can go to, in which they can get a true reflection of their child's personal development.
The teachers and parents of NAS Dubai all have one common aim and that is the success of our students. Over a student’s journey at times they will fly, they will sometimes make mistakes and also at stages they will find things tough, we all know as adults this never really changes. All our children are unique and they all have exceptional talents, our job is to work together as one. Let us not loose sight of this common goal and when they graduate we will all be there to celebrate the exciting future that awaits them.
Liam Cullinan
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Mentors Needed!
NAS Young Innovators 2016/17 require mentors to inspire, challenge and nurture |
Last year over two hundred NAS Dubai students contributed to a health innovation programme which saw them developing, testing, validating and presenting solutions on teenage health improvement to influencers in Dubai which included Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Eye 103.8fm.
We are delighted to announce that after the success of last year, the programme has been extended to Years 9, 10 and 11 students.
We will immerse our Young Innovators in practical and real life enterprise and innovation to channel their ideas and empower them to make a difference in their community.
We need twenty-five mentors to volunteer to support the programme at different stages throughout this year. We welcome all types of backgrounds and experiences and most importantly the passion for entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation for the following:
- Innovation Day: Thursday 24th Nov 2016 8am-3pm (This year's theme is Cyberbullying)
- Tech Talks: 1x hour session looking at product/ service development Dec 2016 and May 2016
- Accelerator Programme: Guest mentor 1 x 30 min session with Accelerator Programme teams on areas such as securing funding (in particular crowdfunding), market research, managing budgets, marketing and pitching
- Offer a 1 x week Work Placement Opportunity for Year 10 Students: June 2017
Please email jennifer@elementalsoftware.co with your area(s) of support and for more information by 10 November 2016
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NAS News Bites
Dubai Rugby Sevens Visit
On Wednesday Dubai Rugby Sevens fever hit NAS Dubai!
Pupils from the Primary school (Years 3-6) were invited to take part in the annual Rugby Sevens passing drill as well as a series of fun, competitive and challenging rugby skills.
Our Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 2 pupils had the opportunity to meet Sabba the camel (official Rugby Sevens mascot) as each class had their picture taken.
At lunchtime a group of pupils were invited by Joanna Brown (NAS Music Department) to sing the national anthem of Fiji, having been asked to adopt Fiji as our nation throughout this year’s tournament.
This event was organised ahead of this year’s Dubai Rugby Sevens that takes place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December at the Sevens Stadium, Dubai.
Thanks again to all the pupils, teachers and the Rugby Sevens team for putting on a fantastic event.
Danny Thomas
PE Teacher
Email Disruption
We are aware that some of our parents are experiencing on-going problems with receiving our emails. We are very concerned about this situation; unfortunately, this is a problem somewhat beyond the school’s control. It is actually the individual ISPs (Internet Service Providers) who are blocking our emails, delaying them or putting them into junk folders. The ISPs will have to learn to trust our email addresses over the few weeks and the problem will resolve itself. Our relationship managers are actively working with the ISPs on this. In the meantime if you are experiencing an email disruption and have an alternative email address, please log into the Parent Portal and change your email address (under the My Details tab).
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Sunday Nov 6
- Juilliard Launch Week- workshops & performances
Monday Nov 7
- Student Busking in the main atrium 7:10am - 7:40am
- Concert for Parents by Juilliard Alumni Claire Bryant 8am - 8:30am
- PA Meeting 8:30am - 9am (delayed due to concert)
Tuesday Nov 8
- Dubai Drums performs in the main atrium 7:15am-7:40am
- Year 1 trip to Children's City 8:30am - 2:15pm
- Year 2 visit to Chef's Cooking Workshop 9am - 12:15pm
- Secondary Open Evening for entry in Sept 2017 6pm - 8pm
Wednesday Nov 9
- Staff Busking in the main atrium 7:10am - 7:40am
- Juilliard Launch Secondary Music Performance 6pm-8pm
Thursday Nov 10
- Student Busking in the main atrium 7:10am - 7:40am
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Important Notice:
Please help us keep our school clean. Food is not permitted in the PE and swimming pool changing rooms. Ensure that all items consumed on or around the sports pitch are properly disposed of.
Thank you!
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Chatter Box Cafe
HUGE THANKS to our awesome parent vendors and Reema from Paloma's Kitchen for another wonderful Market Day at CB!
Have a great weekend
Liz & Marie
Parents' Association
What spooktacular good time we all had at the Halloween BBQ and what fun to see as many fantastic costumes on the adults as there were on the children! The night was a great success; starting with an eery graveyard entrance including a terrifying witch and cauldron, to the crazy impressive cars and endless sweets of the Trunk or Treat, the feast at the Fat Dads BBQ and Sweet Secrets and finishing it all off with a disgusting Gruesome Grab and funky flash mob dance.
Thank you to the massive amount of NAS Dubai families that attended the event and supported the PA by contributing the much needed sweets. Your wonderful feedback, true appreciation and the smiles on your faces make it all worthwhile.
Our biggest thanks goes to the core group of the PA that dedicated the countless hours of hard work to ensure the enjoyment for us all at this event, they are:
- Torben – for precise logistical organization and a perfectly executed BBQ with the of help our fabulous Fat Dads Football grill experts
- Sophia & Cindy – being true creative masterminds and wonderful managers of the super talented artists; (in alphabetical order) Andrea, Anne, Ainhoa, Ashita, Charlotta, Christina, Evette, Ghazal, Joelle, Julie, Julia, Layla, Maj, Maria, Marina, Mary-Kay, Niamh, Reem, Rhea, and Thushari.
- Marina – having meticulous financial management with the help of voucher clerks May, Charlotta, Karen & Melanie
- Ian – recruitment & management of the amazing Trunk or Treat cars
- Moni & Heather and their Spinners Team - keeping us so well refreshed
- Karen of Sweet Secrets – offering a deluxe bakery selection
- Dorothea, Kylie & Ruth - for the stinky yucky Gruesome Grab fun
- Emma, Gill & Nicola - for giving us all a witchy glow
General thanks for all around help: Dilanthi, Brent, Joanna, Julia plus the NAS Dubai staff that volunteered their time
And finally, Marie & Liz – for always helping us all in absolutely every single way you can!
Next on!
PA meeting: Monday Nov 7th at 8:30am in the Secondary Library
Quiz & Curry Night:
- Friday Nov 18th, 8pm @ McGettigans JLT
- 15 teams of up to 10 people each
- 150aed per person
- Registration via email only, starting at 8am on Sunday Nov 5th at naspadubai@gmail.com
Have a restful weekend.
Svenja & Maria
PA Co-Chairs
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Sunday Nov 6
- U8 & U9 Boys Football vs DIA, DBS, JP @ NAS Dubai 3:00pm - 4pm
- U12 Girls Football vs Kings Al Barsha (A) 3:15pm-5pm
Monday Nov 7
- U16 Boys Football vs Greenfield Community School @ NAS Dubai 4pm - 5pm
Tuesday Nov 8
- U10 & U11 Boys Football vs DIA, DBS, JP @ NAS Dubai 3pm - 4pm
- U12A & B Netball vs JAPS (A) 3pm-5pm
- U14A Boys Football vs Rashid School for Boys @ NAS Dubai 4pm - 5pm
Wednesday Nov 9
- U14 Girls Football vs Safa @ NAS 4pm - 5pm
Thursday Nov 10
- U11 Rugby Trials 2pm - 3pm
- U12 Boys Football vs Emirates International School Jumeriah @ NAS Dubai 3pm - 4pm
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