StudentNewsletter: Edition 3

KINGS'SCHOOLALBARSHA

In this edition:Fighting for their freedom! TheKings' community joint

effort to keep rhinos on our planet!

SPECIALRHINOEDITION

FrontCover Image

This issue and this day, sees the launch of our efforts to do our part in averting a disaster in ournatural world. Without the strongest of actions, rhinos will be extinct before our students leaveschool!

Canwe allow thismagnificent species, part of the planet’smiraculous shared inheritance be takenaway for the sake of greed? Kings’ won’t look away!

MESSAGESFROM

The Head Teacher

Now that we are about to become rhino parents I have been learning some facts to help me bringhim/her up properly. I already have three boys, but I think bringing them up was a bit easier thana rhino!

Rhinos are herbivores; thatmeans food should be relatively easy. Theyweigh 1400 – 3600 kg; thatmeans a lot of food. Black rhinos have pointed upper lips which help them get leaves and fruit fromtrees and bushes. White rhinos have square lips, helping them graze on grasses. I have learnt thatin fact they are all grey in colour and that the difference between the two is in the lip shape, whichin itself is because of their diet. This takes me back to my own school learning when I was taughtaboutDarwin’s theory of evolution. Can you see the link between these rhinos andDarwin’s theory?

Being interested in words, I have also learnt that he is an ungulate, like camels and horses. Do youknow what that means?

What an incredible opportunity this is: to share responsibility for bringing up a rhino. We are allgoing to learn so much. What a privilege for us all at Kings’.

The Student Council

During Week without Walls we were given the exciting task offormulating ideas for an installation that would commemoratethe opening of Kings’ Al Barsha. Any proposal had to conform toa strict set of criteria in order to have any chance of approval. Thefour criteria were: Sustainable growth; Aestheticallyresponsible; Cost effective; and well presented

Research was an important part of the brief and we visitedvarious places for inspiration. During our visit to Miracle Gardenwe explored the concept of sustainable growth. At Organic Caféwe investigated responsible food and use of recycle materialsand at Madinat we observed the aesthetic design that also hadcultural and historical links. Upon returning to school we werearranged into vertical groups, which was a unique opportunity toworkwith peers fromother year groups. Brimmingwith ideas,weused Google Sketchup to design and communicate our ideas. Allideas were presented in the Black Box Theatre. The best threeproposals have progressed to the next stage in which ideas willbe presented to a panel of judges made up of the StudentLeadership. Good luck to everyone and we are all excited to seehow we will make our everlasting mark on our school!

Hold the press

ForStudents: ByStudents

Rhinos

Meet the team

SportsDay

What's on thismonth

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Contents

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HOLDTHEPRESS

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Julia Johnson is a drama teacher turned children’s author, storyteller and performer who first came toDubai in 1975.

She has appeared on stage, TV and radio in the UK and in Dubai, has toured Theatre-in-Educationproductions to schools and has recorded over 100 audio books.

“Let’s Visit the United Arab Emirates” was commissioned and published by Macmillan in 1987. She hassubsequently written over a dozen stories for children including “The Pearl Diver” and “The Camel ThatGot Away”.

Julia’s stories frequently focus on the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. She is keen to preserveand continue the oral tradition of storytelling, and to encourage an awareness of the rich and colourfulheritage of the Gulf through her writing by weaving together fact with fiction in stories and rhymes whichare easily accessible to young people.

Julia has toured schools, colleges and universities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, Oman,Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia with talks and workshops.

We are privileged to welcome many gueststoday at Kings’, all of whom are generouslybringing their talents, skills and time to rhinoconservation. One such guest is the celebratedauthor of The Pearl Diver and other wonderfulchildren’s books, Julia Johnson. What makesthis even more exciting for us is that some ofour younger learners have loved working withThe Pearl Diver this year and are thrilled at thethought of meeting the author.

Keen to make a difference in this desperateRhino situation, Julia will be using her gifts toinspire Kings’ students, working with them andfostering their sense of social andenvironmental responsibility.

Given that Julia has embraced the issue ofturtle conservation in her writing and devotedanother wonderful book to the experience of acamel, would it be cheeky to speculate? We atKings' wonder whether Julia's commitment tosaving rhinos might manifest itself in a book.Dare we ask?

Julia will give a reading as part of our outsideceremony and the handing over of our‘adoption’ certificate. She will be joined in thepresentation by Chris Martin and PatsyStagman as our pledge is formalised amongstthe Kings' community. We are truly grateful toJulia for her generosity today.

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FORSTUDENTS : BYSTUDENTS

What isForStudents:ByStudentsandhowdoes itwork?

Let’s be honest, shall we? It’spretty hard being a teenager.Not only do you have to deal withthe physical changes your bodyis going through, raginghormones and a heavy case loadof home learning, but you stillhave to tackle family, social andemotional issues!

‘For Students: By Students’ isyour platform to air your

concerns and worries. It isimportant for each of you toknow that you are not alonein your situation. Tellingsomeone how you feel, whetherit's a friend, teacher or doctor,will bring an immediate sense ofrelief.

A panel has been carefullyselected who will ask thequestions that are important to

YOU and reflect YOU asindividuals.

Web Spotlight

The following websites alsocontains information on some ofthe topics covered in this article.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/

http://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/teens.html

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HEALTH&FITNESS

FRIENDS&SCHOOL

PERSONALHYGIENE

YOUREMOTIONS

Q:Will I becomeanoutcast if Ihave an interest in somethingdifferent frommy friends?

Q:My friends keep leavingmeout, what should I do?

Q: I'm starting to getdandruff.What can I do?

Q:Howcan I support a friendthat has lost a familymember?

A: No way! You should do things that make you happy rather than simply focussingon pleasing other people. Having a range of interests makes you awesome and

undoubtedly unique!

A: Having a range of interests is more likely to draw people to you by wideningyour social circles and making it more likely that you meet interesting people likeyourself. Moreover, your passion for something might even encourage others to

take an interest. As the saying goes “Don’t follow the trend, set it!”

A: In a non-confrontational way talk to your friends and tell them how you feel. I'msure they are not doing it on purpose and once aware, hopefully they will start

involving you more.

A: Try and organise a social event, such as going to the cinema, inviting those thatyou get on well with. Finding opportunities to spend time with other people is a

great way to strengthen friendship ties.

A: Find opportunities to meet new people, such as taking up a new hobby in a field,such as sports or performing arts. Most friendships are formed around shared andcommon interests and joining a club will surround you with like-minded people!

A: Dandruff is simply the shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp which cancause a small amount of flaking. It is perfectly normal and everyone has sufferedfrom it at one point or another. I would recommend Head and Shoulders or an anti-dandruff shampoo recommended by a pharmacist. If you want to get any moreinformation about dandruff visit www.totalbeauty.com They also have information

on hair, beauty, health and skincare.

A: You can comfort your friend in their grief and sadness by simply being there.Some may want to talk about their feelings and if this is the case, be a good

listener. Others may not want to be talk and may welcome being distracted fromtheir feelings. If this is the case, share a joke and do an activity that they enjoy,

such as playing a sport or watching a movie.

ADVICEFORPARENTSQ:Howcan I getmychild toopen up and talk tome?

A: Teenagers can sometimes appear distant and guarded towards parents as theyoften appear out of touch. Spending quality time is essential. A way to betterunderstand and relate to your child would be to take an interest in their pursuits

and where possible, try and get involved.

A: Be open with your child and explain your feelings as this may encourage them todo the same. If they do open up, try and not appear judgemental. Simply listeningto them will demonstrate your desire to understand them. Having a conversation ina neutral environment might also assist, such as going to a coffee shop rather thantrying to strike up an important conversation in an all too familiar surroundings, like

the kitchen.

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KINGS' &RHINOREVOLUTION

With so much challenge, strifeand pain in the world it issometimes difficult to decidewhere we place our energieswhen trying to do good or giveback.

It was easy for us as a school tochoose rhino conservation as oneof our key initiatives. Thesituation, so tragic, soincomprehensible and so vulgar,is crying out for the world’sattention. Sometimes,unfortunately, the world doesn’tlisten. At Kings’ School Al Barsha,we won’t look away.

So here is The Rhino Issue!Brought to you on Rhino Day, aday where we all pull together,students, staff and parents, to doour part in saving a magnificentspecies. We are, afterall, a community and this is anopportunity to recognise the

meaning of that.

It is shocking that a few years ofgreed and misguided entitlementhasmeant that 60million years ofevolution is at stake. And whatfor? Petty vanities, socialaspiration and nonsensicalmedical myths.

With the threat of rhino extinctionso strong and the likelihood thatrhinoswill disappear from thewildwithin five years, our efforts mustbe more than token gestures;they must be significant. Thefostering of our rhino calf willempower our students with aprofound sense of responsibilityand a feeling of affecting real,crucial change in the world.

We are joined today by ourpartners Rhino Revolution (ChrisMartin comes all the way fromKruger National Park, SouthAfrica) and Patsy Stagman and

her team from RhinoConservation Dubai and in thisissue we can learn much fromtheir varied and importantexperience. We know that you asstudents will give them a Kings’welcome and we hope too thatyou enjoy a rich and vibrant day oflearning, making a difference andcelebrating our pledge.

This marks the beginning of athree year promise from Kings’ AlBarsha to change theworld for thebetter. There is much to do andour resilience and determinationto prepare our calf over the courseof those years and then to send itinto the wild to breed, beginstoday!

Thank you to all of the manypeople who have and will becontributing timeandeffort to thisgreat cause!

John Pugh

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Patsy Stagman is a British long time resident of Dubaiand mother of two children born and raised in theUAE. She has been involved in African conservationwork for 30 years, lived in Zimbabwe for 9 years andhas a home on the edge of Kruger National Park. Sheworked as the District Commissioner for Dubai GirlGuiding and has been involved in leading fund raisingfor schools in Vietnam and children's orphanages inSri Lanka. As the poaching crisis has worsened shelaunched Rhino Revolution Dubai and the globalFacebook page of Rhino Conservation Dubai. Herthree passions of education beyond theclassroom,travel and wildlife conservation are allcombined in the Kings' Al Barsha project.

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Patsy, big question but insummary, why rhinos?

Rhinos have been the first of thebig land mammals to faceextinction purely through men'sgreed. This for me was where Ipersonally had to draw a line. Sixtymillion years of evolution andpeaceful existence was going toend during my brief watch due toignorance, corruption and a fewtyrants exploiting the poor and thedefenceless. I may not be able todo much but I cannot do nothing.My greatest dread was that thiswould all happen without themajority of the planet even beingaware of what was slippingpermanently away from theirglobal inheritance. I cannot changewhat is happening - but nowanyone who has passed by me cannever say that they they did notknow.

For you, does this feel likeworkeven though it is a vocation?

When I am interacting withchildren or I amactively involved inwork with rhinos in Africa I amprivileged to be spending my timeon what I care passionately about.The urgency of the situation, andthe wonderful response fromDubai, has resulted in it becomingincreasingly difficult to keep thiswork to any kind ofregular hours. My family aresupportive and sympathetic andknow that periodically it becomesa little overwhelming. I hope thatin the future my children will notresent too much “rhino activity” in

their lives and they will beencouraged to champion their owncauses.

Do you dream about Rhinos asyou spend your life caringabout them?

On a couple of occasions I havefound myself in a bad dream aftera tragic scenario which I have beenengrossed in, but no I don’t thinkso!! I do day dream about a simpleresolution to these issues beingfound.

What is the saddest thing youhave seen or heard aboutaround this issue?

Although I have become a littleimmune to the horrors of rhinopoaching there is nothing like thecries of a young calf desperatelyrefusing to accept it’s mother isdead, trying to defend herbutchered remains whilst ofteninjured and terrified.These totalinnocents deserve another chancebut an orphanage must offer bothsecurity and freedom from furtherexploitation.

Three words to describeKings’?

Pioneering - professional -compassionate

When you were told we weredevoting a whole day'slearning to Rhino Revolution,what did you think?

That here was a school which was

not rigidly conformist and realisedthat education is a very broadconcept. I also felt a hugeresponsibility to justify their faithand to fully utilise the day.We do not often have joyfuldays in rhino conservation butthis was a real opportunity to feelpositive.

If you had to name the Kings'baby Rhino yourself, whatname would you choose andwhy?

I would pick a unisex name. It isactually a term coined by Mandela- “Ubuntu” and I would ask all ofyour secondary students to look upwhat it means and why I think it isrelevant to this calf. It is an Nguniword which includes the dialects ofZulu and Xhosa. Alternatively youcould call it Nkosi if it is a malewhichmeans King andNkosana if itis a Queen!

Is there hope?

There has to be hope. What we aredoing here at Kings School, halfway between the rhinos and theusers of rhino horn, gives me greathope. The children and teachershere give me hope. Now I justHOPE that others will follow thiscourse that we are making today -meaningful education is always thelong term solution.

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Chris, three words to describe anaverage day in your life?

Blessed - varied - LONG

What is the best name for a rhino youhave ever heard?

This is a difficult one for me to answer. Asa Ranger it is not always a good thing tocultivate the kind of personal bond with aspecific animal that comes with giving it aname. In my view, they always remainwild animals, even when they are in mycare. Get too attached and it's verydifficult when they are released and evenmore so if they unfortunately die, despiteyour best efforts. That said, I know theimportance for some people to have theemotional bond that comes with giving ita name. Remembering the animal's"African roots" is important not leastbecause you want the local indigenouspeople to share the same emotional bondwith your new arrival.

What drives you to work so hard forRhinos?

I am a father to two young kids who arepassionate about wildlife andconservation. I don't want them to growup in a world where their own children willonly learn about one of the world's mosticonic mammal species from a book andfrom photographs. That will be tragic inmy view, and I will, as a professionalranger and conservationist, have failedthem.

Were you surprised that a DubaiSchool wanted so much to getinvolved with this?

Surprised is not the word I would haveused. Delighted beyond belief is a betterway of describing my feelings when Iheard. My work away from Africa hasshown me how committed many children

and educators are to the preservation ofour planet. There is a passion to learnabout the extent of the crisis and ageneral will to want to "make adifference". I've tried for a long time tode-mystify the many conservation mythsthat have sprung up regarding rhinoconservation and to paint a simple butgraphic picture of an organisation that ismaking a real difference to the survival ofrhino. Look, I'm not saying we are perfectin every way, but we have an approachthat we are sharing with the world thathas resulted in NO casualties in thehotbed of rhino poaching across Africa.The school can help me with that and cantake the message so much further than Ican through their involvement with theirorphan. You have no real idea as yet of thedifference your support will make. Thankyou is just too hollow a phrase for whatyou have done.

What will you do when you havesaved the rhinos?

Put simply, I will dedicate my life toensuring that the lessons learned arenever forgotten. This is the second time inmy own lifetime that we have been in aposition whereby the rhino sits on thebrink of extinction. That I findunfathomable. The rhino has become the"poster boy" for conservation generally inmy view. We are losing species aroundthe globe every day and even in my ownback yard we have the looming extinctionof elephants and pangolin just to nametwo species of well known mammals. Ilove life with a passion and live my lifetrying to do good, through my work as aranger and wildlife photographer, for thebenefit of conservation generally. I'm apractical conservationist more than acampaigner, so writing and illustratingthe plight of threatened species is just apart ofmy job. Being in the field every day

is what I love doing and even when theconservation decisions are difficult ones,I hope that if nothing elsemy experienceswith the rhino in my care will shape thefuture welfare of the game reserves withwhom I am associated.

Whatwould you say to someonewhothinks there is no point in trying tosave our rhinos?

Believeme, it has happened onmore thanone occasion. I don't expect people tonecessarily share the same degree ofpassion for what I do. That would simplybe unrealistic. But as a human species weare supposed to be able to managecomplexity in a way that other species areunable to comprehend. Conservation isjust as important as human rights,economic stability, international relationsand quite frankly anything else youmightwish to list. One thing is NOT moreimportant than the other. However, whatis happening to rhinos and many otherendangered species is a reflection ofhuman greed and in many ways thedispassion and selfishness we haveadopted in the course of just a singlehuman generation. Sadly, many peoplehave become so focussed on their ownproblems in this complicated world inwhich we now live in, they have forgottentheir responsibilities as a "citizen of theworld". Standing by and suggesting thatit's "my job" to save the rhino is akin tosaying the Middle East peace process isthe responsibility of one person.

ChrisMartin, CEOofRhinoRevolution, is a professionalwildlife photographerwith a unboundedpassion for conservation. Heseeks to “pay it forward” to the next generation by using his talent as a vehicle to promote conservation and in particular toensure the rhino species ismore than just a photograph to the next generation of theworld’s population.

MEET OUR TEAM -

Anil KumarAnil you are always so smiley and welcoming, where are youfrom?I am from India, Kerala.

Ah they call Kerala ‘God’s own country’ why?Because of the climate and the beautiful landscape.

Any wild animals?Yes, elephants.

Have you seen many?Oh yes (Anil shows me photos on his phone of a beautiful decoratedelephant in the Temple Festival).

I am guessing that you love cricket?Yes I do but also love football and the Indian sport Kabadi!

Do you have children?Yes a boy and a girl. My daughter is studying businessmanagement.

Oh goodness, surely not, you look very young!My son is in Year 10.

You must miss them very much, how do you keep incontact?Facebook, telephone and internet.

Where else have you worked overseas Anil?I worked 4 years in Muscat, Oman.

Did you like Muscat?Yes, it is a beautiful city - very old and authentic. The palaceand fort are very beautiful.

What are your other interests?I love reading; I miss the library in Kerala.

Of all the security guards, who is the loudest, who talksthe most?Arif, ha ha.

How often do you go home?Every two years.

What do you most hope for, for your son?I want him to be an engineer! He is very clever.

When you go back what will you take back for your wife?Something gold.

Thank you for being the first ‘meet our team’interviewee.

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At Kings' School Al Barsha, our colleagues are very special to us. And so, we aimto introduce you to some of those people whose work behind the scenes andmake our school tick so efficiently.

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SPORTSDAYROUNDUP

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KSAB held their first Sports Day on the 12 February andwelcomed all students to participate in this moment in Kings'School Al Barsha history.

We started the day with our field events; high jump, longjump, triple jump, shot putt, javelin and discus. All studentshad prepared for these events in their PE lessons sowere trulyexcited to show off their athletic skills. There was also theadded opportunity to become the first record holder as it wasour very first set of events.

As we approached the afternoon and the start of the track

events therewas an air of anticipation to find our fastest trackstars. The weather really started to play a part in how thestudents performed, but all students managed their timereally well in the heat of the day and conserved their energyfor their race. All students showed a great competitive naturewhilst taking part but coupled with this gave every teammember the support they needed to complete their race… atrue reflection of great sportsmanship from Kings' School AlBarsha students.

YEAR

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WINNERS

TUDOR

STUART

TUDOR

OVERALLWINNERTUDOR

The PE Department would like to publicly thank the following people for their efforts and support during our sports week;students, parents, staff and site staff (Shakeel and team). Without you our day would not have been the success it was...Many thanks.

Please see below our very first record holders from Sports Day 2015. A moment in the Kings' School Al Barsha historybooks!!

EVENT YEAR 7 BOYS YEAR 7 GIRLS YEAR 8 BOYS YEAR 8 GIRLS YEAR 9 BOYS YEAR 9 GIRLSJohn Rees India Rees Jones Kieran Comfort

Oliver Donovan Sarah Matthews Emil AndersonMaheen Alikhan

LONG JUMP

John Rees Manon Sanchez Kieran Comfort Lema Alonaizy Zack Al Akhdar Jessica Rae

TRIPLE JUMP

John ReesAnnabelle

JohnsonMikail Khawaja Zara Nelson Ben Bruce Jessica Rae

DISCUS Cyrus Dabbagh Kyra Kewralamani Jad Kiwan Mia Millman Zack Al Akhdar Jessica RaeNora Subair

Dalal Al Saati

SHOT PUTT Cyrus Dabbagh Fatima Ali Kieran Comfort Mia Millman Ewan Andrews Jessica Rae

100M John ReesAnnabelle

JohnsonKieran Comfort Lema Alonaizy Zack Al Akhdar Kate Tyrer

200M John ReesAnnabelle

JohnsonKieran Comfort Zara Nelson Zack Al Akhdar Jessica Rae

400M Layle Al Yousef Alicia Osborne Kieran Comfort Zara Nelson Amr Sheikh Jessica Rae800M Thomas Rose Catarina Wolfs Rio Fitzgerald Lema Alonaizy Zack Al Akhdar

HIGH JUMP Zara Nelson Marc Dummar Maia Smith

JAVELIN Ahmed Mahmoud Zara Khan Mikail Khawaja Villy Manolopoulus Zack Al Akhdar

A junior perspective onSportsDay:

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WHAT'SON : APRIL 2015

OneDirectionTheSevensStadium

Gameshowwinnerssing karaoke.

FilmandComicConWorldTradeCentre

Release your inner geek,at the largest festival ofits kind in the region.

TriathlonFestivalAtlantis, ThePalm

Feel out of breathwatching fit peoplemake it look easy.

Term3begins

Welcomeback,students.

Annie -TheMusical,MadinatTheatre

Orphan child sings at allwhomshemeets.

PiknicElectronikSportsVillage

Activities, food,music.#lovinglifeDXB2015lol

WholeSchoolPhotos

Fix up, look sharp.

WholeSchoolPhotos St.George'sDay

Dragons, yo.