SUNDAY, 14 MAY 2017 Issue 217

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

SECOND EDITION OF THE UAE TEEN SPORTS & FITNESS AWARDS 2017

EDUCATION JOURNAL MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2017

DIA IS WINNER OF THE

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEAM OF THE YEAR

AWARD Left to right: James Roberts - Director of Standards, Innoventures Education; Poonam Bhojani - CEO, Innoventures Education; Pratibha Rao - Principal; Jayne Needham - Head of Secondary and Hitesh Bhagat - Deputy Head of Secondary (Learning Systems) and Group Head of Technology; accepting the award at the awards ceremony on Wednesday, 3 May 2017.

Mihail Kouzev, Director of Sports and Activities receiving the award

at the awards ceremony. DIA PLACED SECOND FOR SPORTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

HUMZA SALAM WINNER OF THE OUTSTANDING ATHLETE ACHIEVEMENT U16 MALE

Mihail Kouzev, Director of Sports and Activities and Humza Salam of

Year 11 B with their respective awards.

EDUCATION JOURNAL MIDDLE EAST AWARDS 2017

CONGRATULATIONS ALSO TO

PRIMARY TEAM OF THE YEAR Highly Commended: Dubai International Academy

TEACHING ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR Highly Commended: Radhika Khanna, Dubai International Academy

ENGLISH TEACHER OF THE YEAR Highly Commended: Andrea Waller, Dubai International Academy

UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR Highly Commended: Raffy Santos, Dubai International Academy

KINDERGARTEN/FOUNDATION STAGE TEAM OF THE YEAR Shortlisted: Dubai International Academy

SCIENCE TEACHER OF THE YEAR Shortlisted: Lewis Miller, Dubai International Academy

Left to right (standing): Raffy Santos, Hitesh Bhagat, Candice Combrinck, Tim Richardson, Lewis Miller and Poonam Bhojani Left to right (seated): Jayne Needham, Pratibha Rao, Radhika Khanna, Andrea Waller and Donica Cuspard at the Education Journal Middle East Awards Ceremony held on Wednesday, 3 May 2017.

INNOVENTS TEDx

Held at Raffles World Academy on April 26, 2017

Students with their TEDx supervisor, Ms. Damayanthi Rao DIA’s TEDx Team - Gautam, Oscar and Maryam

Maryam Gautam Oscar

DIA’s TEAM DID US

PROUD AT INNOVENTS

TEDx

BAKE SALE IN AID OF GIVE BY YEAR 10 ARABIC A STUDENTS

As a class, the Year 10 Arabic A students worked together to organise a bake sale in

order to raise funds for the Give Foundation. This was done as we were learning about

the Year of Giving and as a class, we decided that we would like to give back to others

and have a bake sale for this cause. With the help of Mr. Reda and the students, we

were able to collect AED 2,200 and donate to the Give Foundation. This was a great

success and all the students had fun organising and selling the goods to the rest of the

students of DIA. We

felt extremely gratified

for this opportunity to

give to others in this

special Year of Giving

and in doing so helping

the cause of education

in Nepal.

Tamara Khudair Year 10

NEWS FROM OUR SWEDISH MOTHER TONGUE PROGRAMME

The Swedish mother tounge students at DIA gathered at the beach the other week with their parents and friends to celebrate Valborgsmässoafton!

Valb..?? ..What..??

Well, in Sweden the long dark Winter's finally over. Summer is just around the corner. That's as good cause for celebration as any!

Valborgsmässoafton -Walpurgis Night - on April 30th gets pretty heated.

This night, massive bonfires lit up, both in Sweden and in the Swedish communities globally in honour of an 8th-century German abbess, St. Walpurga, or Valborg in Swedish.

Despite its modern links to Christianity, the original pagan festival heralded the onset of the growth season. It attempted to ward off evil, ensure fertility and cleanse the land of the dried and dead of winter.

What happens at a typical Valborgbrasa or bonfire? Bundled crowds of optimistic Swedes warm themselves up facing the blaze. Mischievous children feed the fire with anything flammable they can drag and toss into the flames.

Folk and student songs bring a nostalgic feel which reminds the outdoorsy Swede that better weather is knocking at the door. The Spring flowers have fought themselves up through the last snow.

This is also the day that both new and old students gather and put their students’ hats on. Singing in choirs and then throwing their hats off. Celebrating that the final exams are soon to end and therefore adulthood soon arrives. Happy belated Walpurgis and happy new season to you all from Swesec, our pupils, parents and teachers! Josephine Lejholm Secretary, Swesec

ACADEMIC YEAR 2015 - 2016

MAY 2017

Sunday, 14 May IVEI Sports - Basketball - U8, U9, U10 & U11 – PS - @ DIA

Sunday, 21 May Parent Appreciation Coffee Morning

Sunday, 21 - Tuesday, 23 May Year 11 Internal Exams

Sunday, 21 - Thursday, 25 May Year 7-10 Semester 2 Exams

Sunday, 21 - Thursday, 1 June Year 12 Semester 2 Exams

Wednesday, 24 May DP Graduation

Wednesday, 24 - Thursday, 25 May Year 11 Subject Choice Interviews

Thursday, 25 May PS CCA Indoor Activities finishes

Saturday, 27 May Beginning of Ramadan (TBC)

Sunday, 28 May - Thursday, 1 June SS Week Without Walls

Tuesday, 30 May Innovents - Art Competition hosted by RIS

Wednesday, 31 May Year 6 Exhibition Day

JUNE 2017

Sunday, 21 - Thursday, 1 June Year 12 Semester 2 Exams

Sunday, 4 June Secondary School Sports Awards Ceremony 2016-2017

Wednesday, 7 - Thursday, 8 June KG2 Graduation

Sunday, 11 - Tuesday, 13 June PTS, PTM, PTE Testing for year 7-9 students

Wednesday, 14 June MYP Graduation

Thursday, 15 June PS Parent/Teacher and Portfolio Conferences (no school for PS only)

Tuesday, 20 June Year 6 Graduation

Thursday, 22 June Last day for students and teachers

Saturday, 24 - Tuesday, 27 June End of Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr (TBC)

Please Note: The above dates are subject to change. For calendar updates please refer the school website - http://www.diadubai.com/learning/academic-calendar/2016-2017/

GENERAL PRIMARY

SCHOOL NEWS SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS

NEWS FROM YEAR 4A BY SALLY SAID

TRIP TO AVENTURA IN MUSHRIF PARK

4A students had a chance to experience outdoor learning at Mushrif Park for our “sharing the planet” unit. Zip lining through the Gaff trees and working together on various activities during the nature walk was a chance to show off our cooperation and team building skills.

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

NEWS FROM YEAR 4A BY SALLY SAID

TRIP TO SUSTAINABLE CITY

4A students went on a field trip to Sustainable city to inquire about the different ways cities can be sustainable. We

learned lots of information on environmental, social and economic sustainability. Great research and inquiry skills

4A!

PRIMARY SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL RECITAL

On Wednesday the 4th of May, the 2nd annual Instrumental Recital took place in the KG Gym. Musicians in the

Primary School got together and performed for friends and family. In the beginning you could feel the nerves and

excitement of all! There was so much talent to show off at DIA. Instruments included were the piano, drums, violin,

flute and guitar. The finale was the Year 6 band who finished off the show with a phenomenal performance. Huge

congratulations to all the musicians who took part in this event. We look forward to seeing more talent next year.

Heidi Collyer

Primary Arts Coordinator

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS PADIA

SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS

DI@TECH 2014 – 27 APRIL, 2017

The integration between man and machine is one that I have always been fascinated by. When I heard about the DI@TECH Club, I realized that I had found the perfect opportunity to put myself forth and be part of a group which organized and helped support the background processes of DI@TECH 2017.

April started with a flurry of activity for DI@TECH. Boards being made by students, robots roaming the 2nd floor corridors, students working on movies and websites… the hectic days quickly culminated in the event on the 27th April. The technology fair showcased work throughout the school, ranging from Robotics to interactive displays produced by the Secondary School students on the topics of Robotics, Networking, Design Technology, Animation using Flash, Digital Media, Web Designing, Photoshop, 3-D Designing, Video Editing and Music mixing. The student projects emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the MYP curriculum and linkage to the real world.

This exhibition of technology in Dubai International Academy has been running for several years and has attracted the likes of Jumbo Electronics, Linksys, and other companies affiliated with technology. Held on the 27th of April 2017, students from Collegiate American School, Raffles, as well as our own elementary and secondary scholars, came to view the technology and innovative ideas that students had researched and exhibited.

As the Deputy Head of Communications, I assisted in sending the word out about the exhibition, the bake sale, and the competitions throughout the school. Moreover, I participated in the inter-school video making competition.

Personally, this is one of the most enjoyable and constructive days on the DIA calendar. I have seen so many different types of technology that I would have never known about. The inter-school competition also brought out creativity in all the students. Being a videographer for many years, I can say that the competitive nature of this competition made me research and learn new techniques quickly, instead of ‘doing it later’. Overall, DI@TECH is an amazing event for all - competitions and technology exhibitions - it caters all interests.

Marcello Pereira, Year 12

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

ANTI-BULLYING CONFERENCE – RWA 18TH APRIL

On the 18th of April, 5 representatives of the Secondary School Student Council - who have made critical contributions to the yearly Anti-Bullying week in DIA were invited to participate in Raffles World Academy’s third annual Anti-bullying conference. Upon entering the school’s campus, there was a looming sensation of camaraderie - I don’t know if it was the school’s building, or just the sheer number of individuals from different schools coming together against a critical issue, but it was a brilliant feeling felt by each and every participant.

After being seated at one of the conference tables, the first of the conference’s events began; firstly, the Anti Bullying Committee was introduced by the president of the committee along with further description by the social media head Saher Kapadia. The club’s goals, motives, and the concept of bullying was fully described and unraveled for the curious audience until the conference segued to the next speaker - Inclusion Officer Amir for the Anti Bullying Committee. He explained his role as being an advocate for intercommunication between all people, acting as a voice for those who

are less equipped (SEN, Mentally and Socially Disabled, etc.), trying his hardest to ensure that they are included in the social hierarchy of Raffles World Academy. The last of the speakers was Ms. Rebecca, a psychologist and in-house counsellor for GEMS World Academy - she voiced her knowledge of the mental state of bullies and the bullied, the means of counteracting a bullies attempts to bully, and how to soothe the mental wounds left behind on the bullied.

From this point on till the conclusion of the conference, we participated in an open Q&A session. The President of the committee leading the discussion around various prompts; such as bullying cases experienced in the past and how to solve them, news articles surrounding bullying cases, and social media outbursts. She called up representatives from the different schools to either discuss their answers, but also to come up and speak to the attendees about their strategies. It was a tremendously interactive experience in which different strategies, counteractive measures and general bullying advice has been shared from a multitude of sources. Leaving the hall after such an enriching discussion was a difficult feat, but the experience that was had in that conference

was one that will always affect how I and the other Student Council members of DIA will treat bullying. Braeden Bihag, Year 11

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

We are delighted to inform you of the exceptional opportunity afforded to our Year 11 student, Shreyas Raman. As part of his Personal Project, Shreyas focused on the promotion of STEM subjects and set up a website during this endeavour. To in turn reach out and connect with like-minded individuals in the field of STEM education, Shreyas contacted the Minister of Higher Education, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, and was invited along to interview him for Shreyas’ website. You can find the whole interview here http://inspirescience.club/2017/04/19/h-e-dr-ahmad-belhoul-minister-of-higher-education-uae/ and Shreyas’ account of this wonderful experience below. Robert Jennings Deputy Head – Pastoral DIA Secondary School

“H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, the Minister of Higher Education in the UAE, is an inspirational & successful personality, the ex-CEO of an innovative company (Masdar) and a PhD. I had the privilege to interview this powerful Arab-under-40 a few weeks ago, as part of my personal initiative to promote STEM amongst the youth. “I was truly blown away when Dr. Belhoul, despite his busy schedule, took the time to personally reply to my email and actually invited me to his office and allowed me to record an interview with him on my mobile. Through his engaging responses, I got to know a little bit more about Dr. Belhoul, his personal journey and early passion for STEM. I also understood his perspectives and some deep insights regarding UAE’s initiatives/progress to push the boundaries for STEM technologies - some highlights being: UAE's Mission to Mars, Masdar’s innovations around renewable energy and getting to know about interesting platforms such as the “Think Science” program. My moment of elation was when Dr. Belhoul mentioned my project as being one of the meaningful ways in which interest for STEM could be sparked amongst the youth. “I am very thankful that what started as a humble Personal Project has provided me the opportunity to meet real life heroes and amazing personalities through whom I have understood a lot about science in action. It has shown me how hard-work and deep passion can really make one push traditional boundaries. I take this opportunity to thank my teachers who have been a great support in this process and have instilled in me the motivation and guidance to achieve my goals. My special thanks again to H.E. Dr. Belhoul, for taking valuable time to see me, and for sharing his thoughts.” Shreyas Raman 11 B

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS PADIA

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS GENERAL PRIMARY

SCHOOL NEWS SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

PADIA

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

NEWS FROM THE POOL

Three young swimmer of DIA traveled to England between April 12th and 17th to compete at The Norwich Easter Swim Meet with their club Hamilton Aquatics Dubai. Sophia Dumont (Y7 E), Louisa Pohl (Y7 D) and Antonia Pohl (Y9D) had not only the chance to experience a very competitive event but also spend time with their team, develop their leadership skills, and take responsibility for themselves. To prepare for the event, the students had to train six times a week. As they were missing some days in school during the trip to Norwich, there was also a lot of catch up to do. They all did us proud with their achievements in the pool and with their outstanding behaviour at the poolside, cheering for and supporting their teammates all day and being extraordinary sport persons. Sophia came home from Norwich with a gold medal for 200m IM, a silver medal in 400m IM, a bronze medal for 200m breast and a bronze medal for 100m breast and some fantastic PB’s (personal best) in her other events. Fantastic job Sophia, congratulations! As she did last year she will swim in the “Swiss Age Nationals Espoirs" in Switzerland in June. Best of luck! Louisa won silver medal in 50 m fly, a bronze medal for 100 m breast and a bronze medal in 50m breast in her age category. She also achieved some great new PB’s. In a very competitive age group, Antonia got the 4th place in 50m back and 5th place in 50m fly and some PB’s. Unfortunately Antonia had to pull out of some of her events due to a knee injury. Great job everybody, keep it up!

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS PADIA

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS GENERAL PRIMARY

SCHOOL NEWS SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

PADIA

ICE LOLLY DAYS

The blue vans rolled in on April 26th and 27th to bring the whole school a lovely ice lolly on 2 of the hottest days we have had so far this year! Everyone enjoyed the icy treats as you can see in the pictures!

SUPPORT STAFF APPRECIATION

On 9th May, PADIA was able to say a huge thank you on behalf of all parents to the people who keep our school safe and clean for our children. Each of our bus drivers, cleaners, security staff and gardeners was given a delicious packed lunch and a gift of AED 200 in appreciation of their services to our community.

UPCOMING EVENTS

BAKE SALE - WEDNESDAY 17TH MAY 2017