Newsletter - DESSJun 08, 2017 · Newsletter Issue 60 th– Thursday 8 June 2017 It never ceases to...
10
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8 th June 2017 As I left school one afternoon last week, one of the heart-warming images I remembered was watching a few members of the local community gathering together around the fridges (kindly stocked by our DESS families) at the back of school to see what was available to them. And our local road-sweeper hovering to see if he could take a bottle of water or a juice. It is a memory that I keep revisiting. Ramadan brings people and communities together and is associated with giving, self- control, kindness and goodwill - a time for reflection, happiness, discipline and peace. As we embrace the reflective season of Ramadan, it has led me to think again about our community. How well do we know our neighbours, the people that we live next to? When was the last time that we spoke to our family or friends? Given the recent, tragic events it seems more important than ever that we ‘close the gap’ to connect and stay in touch with each other and our humanity – it’s at times like this that we revisit our moral compass. What makes us human is that we are giving to each other all the time – whether it is a smile, time, friendship or a hug, it is the small gestures that make a difference. And it is important that we remember that. Research also attests to the benefits of giving—not just for the recipients but for the givers’ health and happiness and for the strength of entire communities. Giving makes us feel happy - in a 2006 study, the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust, creating a ‘warm glow’ effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behaviour releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the ‘helper’s high’. Giving is good for our health – a wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health with reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness. Giving promotes cooperation and social connection. Several studies have suggested that when you give to others, your generosity is likely to be rewarded by others, sometimes by the person you gave to, sometimes by someone else. These exchanges promote a sense of trust and cooperation that strengthen our ties to others and research has shown that having positive social interactions is central to good mental and physical health. What’s more, when we give to others, we don’t only make them feel closer to us, we also feel closer to them. Giving evokes gratitude - whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of a gift, that gift can elicit feelings of gratitude. And research has found that gratitude is integral to happiness, health, and social bonds. So how pertinent is it that in this special ‘Year of Giving’ and as part of our Ramadan initiatives, Mrs. Yaqub organised for some of our student leaders to visit Rashid Al Saleh School to give a gift for Ramadan and this week has also organised food parcels to be delivered to other communities in Dubai as part of the Saahem Initiative. You can read more about these events on the following pages and we look forward to the remaining charitable act in the last two weeks of Ramadan (the Sals Shoes Initiative) and are thankful to everyone who work so hard to make DESS the special and giving school that it is. And what better way to be mindful at the close of a busy year of how lucky we are to have such a caring community. ‘only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have’ - Jim Rohn
Transcript of Newsletter - DESSJun 08, 2017 · Newsletter Issue 60 th– Thursday 8 June 2017 It never ceases to...
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
As I left school one afternoon last week, one of the heart-warming images I remembered was watching a few members of the local community gathering together around the fridges (kindly stocked by our DESS families) at the back of school to see what was available to them. And our local road-sweeper hovering to see if he could take a bottle of water or a juice. It is a memory that I keep revisiting. Ramadan brings people and communities together and is associated with giving, self-control, kindness and goodwill - a time for reflection, happiness, discipline and peace. As we embrace the reflective season of Ramadan, it has led me to think again about our community. How well do we know our neighbours, the people that we live next to? When was the last time that we spoke to our family or friends? Given the recent, tragic events it seems more important than ever that we ‘close the gap’ to connect and stay in touch with each other and our humanity – it’s at times like this that we revisit our moral compass. What makes us human is that we are giving to each other all the time – whether it is a smile, time, friendship or a hug, it is the small gestures that make a difference. And it is important that we remember that. Research also attests to the benefits of giving—not just for the recipients but for the givers’ health and happiness and for the strength of entire communities. Giving makes us feel happy - in a 2006 study, the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust, creating a ‘warm glow’ effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behaviour releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the ‘helper’s high’. Giving is good for our health – a wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health with reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness. Giving promotes cooperation and social connection. Several studies have suggested that when you give to others, your generosity is likely to be rewarded by others, sometimes by the person you gave to, sometimes by someone else. These exchanges promote a sense of trust and cooperation that strengthen our ties to others and research has shown that having positive social interactions is central to good mental and physical health. What’s more, when we give to others, we don’t only make them feel closer to us, we also feel closer to them. Giving evokes gratitude - whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of a gift, that gift can elicit feelings of gratitude. And research has found that gratitude is integral to happiness, health, and social bonds.
So how pertinent is it that in this special ‘Year of Giving’ and as part of our Ramadan initiatives, Mrs. Yaqub organised for some of our student leaders to visit Rashid Al Saleh School to give a gift for Ramadan and this week has also organised food parcels to be delivered to other communities in Dubai as part of the Saahem Initiative. You can read more about these events on the following pages and we look forward to the remaining charitable act in the last two weeks of Ramadan (the Sals Shoes Initiative) and are thankful to everyone who work so hard to make DESS the special and giving school that it is.
And what better way to be mindful at the close of a busy year of how lucky we are to have such a caring community.
‘only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have’ - Jim Rohn
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
It never ceases to amaze me that when we reach the final half of the school year, there is still so much to celebrate and look forward to – in this issue of the Newsletter, you can read about the Year Six Show of ‘Willy Wonka’, individual sporting achievements and our Staff Stars of the Week.
Liz Miller has been described as always being ready with a smile and coping with every adversity and challenge in a highly professional way; especially appropriate last week when she managed to orchestrate a smooth induction for all the new FS1 and FS2 children, despite the FS2 classrooms being unavailable. Murali was awarded ‘Star’ status and nominated by a large number of staff as, although all the site team were working all night to fix a site issue, he was then up on the roof in the early morning at a moment’s notice to fix the AC compressor, with his same characteristic smile. Well done to both of our ‘Stars of the Week’.
Giving through the Saahem Project
During this past week, DESS have been taking part in the Saahem Project where donations of non perishable items have been collected for distribution to the needy across Dubai. Children from FS2 and Year 6 joined forces to sort, pack and parcel the boxes. The children worked exceptionally well together to pack 35 boxes. Together with the boxes from DESC, these will be delivered to a labour camp just outside Motor City on Thursday 8th June in the afternoon by staff and students from DESC. We thank all children, parents and staff for their kind contributions and generosity.
Culmination of the month of Giving
We look forward to our last Giving initiative during the last week of term where we take part in the Sals Shoes initiative – collection of unworn/outgrown shoes for distribution to children in other parts of the world.
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Giving to our Neighbours
The month of Giving started with a neighbourly visit to The Holy Trinity Church and Rashid Al Saleh school. Children from across KS2 went to wish our neighbours ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ and give a small gift of dates and chocolates. They were welcomed with warm smiles and open arms. The children appreciated the importance of visiting and getting to know neighbours as a way to strengthen friendships.
Returning our invitation of a visit to DESS, we were delighted to receive the children and staff from Rashid Al Saleh school who had never visited our school before. During the tour of our school, it was delightful to see the children make new friends and build ties – one aspect of the spirit of Ramadan. This is the start of things to come as we look forward to sharing many more memorable moments throughout the year with our neighbours. Later on in the day, a reporter from ARN, Dubai Eye, came to visit the children to hear about our plans for Ramadan and their experience of visiting our neighbours. Hear their response on the following link. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1264923490272543&id=791235507641346&_rdr
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Chief Scout’s Silver Award
The Chief Scout’s Silver Award is the highest award available to a Cub Scout and is achieved by completing the seven challenge award and a minimum of six activity or staged activity badges over two to two and a half years.
Ted Hill (5B), Elyas Zebadia (5R), Jacob Cassar (5B), Toby Latimer (5O) and Joshua Rennie (5R) were awarded the Chief Scout’s Silver Award at their last meeting of the term on Tuesday 23rd May. The boys all attend Cubs at the 1st Dubai Cubs located in Mirdif. Congratulations to all the boys on achieving this high award.
ExDESS Student Success
IndyCar driver Ed Jones (an ex-student of DESS) of Dale Coyne Racing competed at the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2017 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ed Jones, the Dubai-born rookie, finished an impressive third in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 race but said he believes he could have won had his car not suffered damage.
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Commodore Cup Competition at DOSC
Congratulations to Zoe (6O) and Zak (5Y) Sanderson-Davies who received their first place trophies from the Commodore at DOSC this weekend. Zak took first place in the Commodores Cup Cadet Fleet and Zoe took first place in the Commodores Cup Silver Fleet 2016-17 race series. The next stop is the 2017 Optimist British Nationals and Open Championships in Weymouth this July. Best of luck to both Zoe and Zak!
Stage 1 Dive Competition
Cara White (4Y) came first and Tamara White (1R) came third in the Beginner Stage 1 Dive Competition held at the Hamdan Sports Centre at the end of May. Well done Cara and Tamara.
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
A Magical Moment in Music
On Tuesday 13th June at 8.15am the Performing Arts Department are hosting a morning of musical performances by our talented DESS students in Latifa Hall. Children from Year 1 to Year 6 will perform pieces which they have been perfecting throughout the year on everything from Piano, Guitar, Flute, Violin, Drums to Voice.
For further information please contact Mrs Mead at [email protected]
A Magical Morning is guaranteed!
Congratulations to Mr Wael (Arabic Department) on the
birth of his second child Omar Wael who was born on
Wednesday 31st May 2017.
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Congrats Archie Jack!
On Thursday evening Archie Jack (2 Red) attended an award
ceremony to mark the end of the golfing season. He was 1 of 4 out of
a total of 190 children that received a special award. Archie was
presented with 'Fundamental One Junior Golfer of the Year' due to his
commitment and dedication to the sport. Congratulations - a fantastic
achievement Archie.
Congratulations Evin Young!
Congratulations to Evin Young (6G) who came second in the National Development Plan Finals and
was awarded a silver medal; this tournament took place on the 3rd and 4th June at the Fenton
Manor Sports Complex in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Evin will be invited to take part in the National Finals in the UK in July. We are all very proud of you.
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Year 6 Production Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
After months of auditions, rehearsals and prop making, the Year 6 production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a fantastic and colourful success. Everyone from the chorus to the townspeople, the main cast to the backstage crew put on a performance to be very proud of. Thank you to all the parents for your support over the last few weeks and for being such a wonderful audience to perform in front of this week. Photographs and video of the performance are available from Melissa Lear; an order form will be sent home with the children today.
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Stars of the Week
We are proud to announce that the following children each received this week’s Star of the Week. Each child received a certificate during assembly and a big round of applause from their teachers and fellow classmates. Well done to everyone!
Thursday 1st June Thursday 8th June
Amine Jaafar FS2B Esa Raza FS2B
Henry Milne FS2G Ava Frost FS2G
Lisa Sakaya FS2O William Wingrove FS2O
Jumaanah Ahsan FS2R Matilde O'Neill-Novais FS2R
Eileen Abrahimi FS2Y Harry Onley FS2Y
Jake Davison 1B Leena Zebadia 1B
Jeh Manath 1G Erin Williams 1G
Jordanna Joseph 1O Mona El Dajani 1O
Sienna 1R Ishaan Puri 1R
Finn Carruthers 1Y Hannah Benbrooke 1Y
Madhi Momin 2B William Harper 2B
Eleanor Perry 2G Cillian Rouse 2G
Sophie Wright 2O Lucas Sandison 2O
Madeleine Cassar 2R Abi Wallis 2R
Charlotte Skinner 2Y Falak Jalal 2Y
Zein Elshishiny 3B Anaya Ahmed 3B
Moosa Karim 3G Oliver Cooper 3G
Helena Clements 3O Barry Almheiri 3O
Dilan Gauba 3R Finlay Tennant 3R
Kushal Pagarani 3Y Joshua Shehryar 3Y
Imogen Spring 4B Riyaan Manghnani 4B
George Roberts 4G Oliver Wood 4G
Connor Arthur 40 Aaminah Hussain 40
Mariya Zahid 4R Mitchell Lynch 4R
Matheo Schulpen 4Y Fynn Taylor 4Y
Thomas Eulenstein 5B Nicholas Van Loon 5B
Daisy Mullane 5G Ruby Dunne 5G
Alexander Kerr 5O Daniel Cargill 5O
Joshua Rennie 5R Angelina Nair 5R
Emily Gatward 5Y Shivam Bakdha 5Y
Jack McMurren 6B Seb Mulders 6B
Evin Young 6G Lara Muhtaseb 6G
Charlie Pollard 6O Zara Kaviani 6O
Layla Elnadi 6R Maddy Gissing 6R
Leo Campbell 6Y Geeve Abrichami 6Y
Newsletter Issue 60 – Thursday 8th June 2017
Upcoming Events
Sunday 11th June Foundation 2 Red & Yellow Arabic Assembly for Parents Monday 12th June Foundation 1 Fabulous Finish Tuesday 13th June Musical Performance Morning Thursday 15th June Sports Awards Assembly Sunday 18th June DESS Iftar Tuesday 20th June Year Six Leavers Assembly Thursday 22nd June End of Term
Enjoy the weekend break!
Jane Shaddick-Brady
Deputy Headteacher
