Newton British Academy, Al Dafna

“An International Community of learners striving forExcellence and celebrating success”

NEWSLETTER – April 17-18

Dear Parents and Friends of NBA Al Dafna,

May I take this opportunity to thank you for the very warm welcome I have received from parents, teachers and pupils alike. Each morning I stand at the front gate of the school and this has given me the opportunity to meet many of our parents and care givers. This has given me insight into how very international the NBA Al Dafna campus is as I see parents and children from all over the world arriving at school. This international aspect of our parent and pupil body speaks directly to the Vision of our school, which is to be,

AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AND CELEBRATING SUCCESS.

In my 3 weeks at NBA Al Dafna, I have seen so much to celebrate. The teachers are a hard-working and happy group of people who really care about the pupils. The pupils are delightful, caring for each other and eager to learn. The parents have been warm, friendly and welcoming. To me, this is what a good school is all about.

May I respectfully ask you to consider 2 things so we can make the school even better:

1. Lateness and Absenteeism: These really impact negatively on a child’s learning. Please would you make every effort to ensure that your children come to school every day and that they come on time. I would like us to work towards a goal of at least 90% attendance for every pupil and on every day. 2. Join the PTA: We are re-establishing the NBA Al Dafna PTA. This is a body that allows parents to engage directly with management and teachers and to have a real impact in the life of the school. For us to be truly successful, we need to be in complete partnership – Parents, Pupils and Teachers working together to achieve the vision and mission of the school. If we all work together on these 2 issues I believe that we will create an effective partnership that will have a positive impact on the learning of our children.

Spelling Bee

Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 took part in the Inter-Newton Spelling Bee this month. Some competitive rounds took place in school before selecting our final team to take to NBA Barwa to compete in the finals. For the English spelling bee we had the following pupils go through to the finals: Naima (Y3Y), Amira (Y3R), Viktor (Y5R) and Altamis (Y6R). For the Arabic spelling bee the following students went through to thefinals: Aiman (Y4R), Lama (Y5R) and Ihab (Y6R). On Thursday 19th April the final rounds of the spelling bee were hosted at Newton International Academy, Barwa. It was a fantastic days that was thoroughly enjoy by all involved. I want to say a huge well done to all the pupils involved in the various rounds and we look forward to seeing what you can achieve next year!

Arabic Department

April is the month of many things. On April 11th our amazing students from year 4 and 5 participated in the “Media Culture” Workshop presented by Al Jazeera network, at Newton International School Lagoon.

On April 19th our students from year 4,5 and 6 participated in the Newton Group’s first spelling bee in Arabic. Well done to Ayman Al-Douri (Year4 Red) Lama Al Masoud (Year5 Red) and Ihab Zouk. (Year6 Red). Thanks to NIA Barwa city for hosting it.

EYFS

Book Week proved to be a hugely successful event which was popular amongst our students and staff alike! The EYFS focused their learning on the book entitled “The Day the Crayons Quit!” and had great fun reading letters each morning from the complaining crayons. The highlight was the dress up day on Wednesday, where the children came in fabulous costumes of their favourite book characters and all the staff came dressed as the crayons that quit!

KS1 and KS2

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 had a fantastic week focusing on the much loved book series of “Where’s Wally?”. All around the school over the week, groups of students were hunting Wally down, as he was hiding all over the place. Then, on Wednesday, a bunch of Wally’s turned up and started teaching the classes! Thankfully, it turned out to be our teachers in disguise. Next event week is Art Week!

On Thursday 19th April, Year 1 Red performed an assembly on the traditional tale, ‘The Enomrous Turnip’. The children worked hard to learn their lines and practise their actions. They all performed beautifully and they were so proud of themselves. The assembly’s theme focused on working together as a team. We were all reminded that if we work together, we can achieve more.

Year 1 Blue performed their class assembly promoting self-confidence, ambition and celebrating differences. They showcased their outstanding talents with an array of dances, songs, acting and fantastic humour. The children loved performing to their peers and loved ones and their vibrant personalities lit up the stage. A big thank-you to all of the Year 1 Blue parents for their involvement.

Upcoming Events

2 May-5:00 p.m. PTA Meeting6 May EYFS Circus trip6- 10 May Art Week 7 May KS1 Concert 8 May KS2 Concert 9 May EYFS Concert 10 May PJ and Pop corn day13 May Anti-bullying Week16-17 May Ramadan Starts (School working hours 8:00-1:00 p.m. Pupils times 8:30- 12:30 p.m)

29 May Term Exams

Conclusion

May I thank you once again for your friendly welcome. Please remember that your children will always be our priority – as they are the centre of your lives at home, they are the centre of our lives at school. Please do not hesitate to make an appointment to come into school should you have any matter that you wish to discuss with myself, the School Counsellor or any of the teachers.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick Salvage

Principal

“Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people”

Year 2 Blue entertained us all with a well organised and prepared assembly showcasing the important message of saying 'please' and 'thank you'. The children re-enacted the story of Mr Rude from the Mr Men book series and taught us all a valuable lesson that being respectful and using good manner does not cost much!