SES Newslettter-January

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www.sharjahenglishschool.org Sharjah English School Volume 2 : Issue No. 4 - January 2011 Spotlight on ICT Egyptians, Romans, Aztecs and Aliens invade Primary Pancakes and Science!

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SES Newsletter-January

Transcript of SES Newslettter-January

Page 1: SES Newslettter-January

www.sharjahenglishschool.org

Sharjah English SchoolVolume 2 : Issue No. 4 - January 2011

Spotlight on ICT

Egyptians, Romans, Aztecs and Aliens invade Primary

Pancakes and

Science!

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ContentsFrom The Principal’s Desk 3

Primary NewsPrimary NewsPrimary News 4

All As One 4

Year 3 Roman Day 5 - 7

Strange Happenings At SES 8 - 9

Year 4 - The Egyptians 10

Year 1 - Africa and China 11

Year 5 - The Aztecs 12

Secondary NewsSecondary NewsThe Emax Star Quiz Challenge 13

GCSE Arabic 14

Art Trip to Abu Dhabi 14 - 15

Year 10 PSHE - Work Experience and Career Planning 16

Years 8 and 9 Theatre Trip 16

Student Planners 16

Cooking In Science 17

Spotlight on ICT 18 - 21

Whole School NewsWhole School NewsPSG International Picnic 22

Maths Problem Of The Month 22

Dates For Your Diary 23

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From the Principal’s Desk...

Dear  Parents  and  Friends,

A  warm  welcome  to  our  5irst  newsletter  of  2011.

As   you  can  see  from  the   following  pages,   though   the  term   is  young  there   has  been  much  happening  already.  

The  GCSE  and  A   Level  students   are  currently  completing  the  last  of  their  modular  examinations;  they  do  not  have  long  until  the  next  round  of  exams,  as  the  school  year  seems  to  become  almost  an  endless  series   of   tests.   We  hope  that   they   have   all   done  themselves   justice;   they   certainly   continue   to   work  hard.

The  Primary  staff  recently  staged  a  day  of  strange  phenomena  and  mysterious  sightings.  Year  6  were  exposed  to  some  very  convincing  staff  accounts  of  possible  UFO  and  alien  encounters,  as  a  stimulus  to  their   writing   non-­‐5iction   reports.   Well   done   to   the  Year   6   teaching   team   and   the   rest   of   staff   who  contributed  to  this  innovative  and  successful  learning  exercise;  the  resulting  pupil  work  was  superb.

Many,   many   thanks   to   parents   who   have   offered   to   address   senior   students   on   careers;  we  have  a  number  of  talks  scheduled  for  the  coming  months  where  parents  will  make  presentations  and  pass  on  insights  on  the  attractions  of  their  own  professions.   These  talks  will  combine  with  work  in  PHSE  and  with  Year   10  Work   Experience   to   help  students   gain  an  informed   view   of  a   variety   of   jobs   and   the  necessary   quali5ications   to   pursue   them.   Any   other   parents   willing   to   get   involved   can   contact   me  directly.

Our  new  building  still  continues  to  take  shape,  with  site  staff  making  up  for  time  lost  to  public  holidays  in  term  one.  We  have  been   in  the  new   structure  regularly   as  we  plan  the  5ittings  and  furnishings  –  it  will  be  a  major  enhancement  to  what  can  be  offered  to  all  our  pupils,  Primary  as  well  as  Secondary.

Building  staff  who  work  for  all  the  contracting  companies  were  delighted  to  receive  the  care  packages  from  SES  students  in  the  days  before  Christmas;   in  all  over  100  such  gifts  were  handed  over.   I  would  like  to  commend  parents  and  students  on  their  generosity.  Parents  continue  to  bring  me  concerns  about  the  parking  areas  at  Primary  and  Secondary.  Congestion  is   inevitable  here  at  busy  times  and  we  need  people  to  be  patient  and  to  exercise  caution.  There  have  been   incidents   of   traf5ic   driving   against   the   one-­‐way   system,   parking   or   stopping   illegally   or  inconsiderately,   and   rudeness   to   security  staff   on  duty.  Can  we  again   request  parents   and  drivers   to  observe  traf5ic  rules  and  sacri5ice  a  few  extra  moments  during  pick-­‐up  to  ensure  that  safety  is   the  top  priority?  The  potential  for  a  serious  accident  should  give  us  all  pause  for  thought.

Thank  you.

John NolanPrincipal

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News from the Primary School

Our first newsletter of 2011! Already it is shaping up to be an eventful and fun-packed term/year!A new term always means new topics for the children to study and as usual there is a huge variety throughout Primary from Famous People in Year 2, China and Africa in Year 1 to Mud Brick Making in Year 4 and Aztec Masks in Year 5. Topics always give us a great opportunity for displays and, as you can see from the photographs, many have been put up around the school in an incredibly short time.Clubs are also well underway. Again the children had a vast array to choose from and appear to be thoroughly enjoying the activities on offer. Favourite annual events are seen on the calendar; KS2 discos, International Picnic, Sports Days and the Flea Market where the children have the opportunity to sell and accumulate treasures!!!In S.E.S. Primary, “The Year of the Rabbit” has definitely started with a leap and a bounce!

Miss  Jenefer  Race  -­‐  Primary  Headteacher

Primary Sports Day is just around the corner (17th Feb 2011) and the PE department would like to ask the students in primary school to contribute some art work for the programme of events. Draw a picture of sports day and hand it in to the PE department by the 3rd Feb. The best picture from Key Stage 1 and 2 will go on the front of the programme. So go on...get creative!

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News from the Primary School

Year Three Roman Day

Salvete!

Year Three took a trip back in time to hallowed antiquity for their Roman Day. The children and their teachers dressed up in Roman period costumes and had a great time! Everyone made a superb effort and there were some very innovative costumes worn including togas, tunics, shawls and armour. The winners of the costume competition were Queen Anneketrien and Emperor Danny.

The children ate a Roman feast and took turns being slaves and masters, the latter particularly enjoying being fed grapes by their slaves. We had a competition for the best slaves and coming top with excellent customer service skills were Jessica Lewis, Ethan, Suhaib, Saul, Jessica Parsons, Danny and Hannah Le Seeleur. Mr Gill will never forget being ordered around and running for more pasta every five seconds! Being a slave was definitely not fun in real life!

In Design & Technology the children designed and made their own Roman Shields. So we decided to put them to good use by practicing some military maneuvers. The children loved being legionaries and made a great ‘Testudo’ defensive wall (also known as the tortoise). We re-enacted the ‘Battle of Pharsalus’ were Caeser’s Imperial Army took on Pompey’s Army of the Republic. Please note that no shields were damaged in the making of this battle… ok then, maybe a few!

We played party games including musical Roman statues, musical chairs, pass the parcel and not to mention lots of dancing! We finished off the Roman Day with chariot racing! The children split into teams of three. Each team consisted of one driver and two horses. The children raced around the track and we saw some very competitive races! After four qualifying heats, two semi-finals and a Grand Final, the eventual winning team was Ellen, Nina and Paula. Well done to the girls!

All the children had a fantastic day and we are all really looking forward to our Viking Day later on in the year!

Mr Gill

FORWARD!

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News from the Primary School

EMPEROR PERRIN

LET BATTLE COMMENCE

TESTUDO! MAKE THE TORTOISE!

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET.. SENATOR GILL

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News from the Primary School

THIS IS THE LIFE. JUST WISH I HAD A CUSHION! THE SLAVES ARE WAITING FOR NEW

ORDERS FROM THEIR MASTERS

THE CROWD APPLAUDS

THE FASTEST CHARIOT IN THE NORTHERN EMIRATES WE LOVE THE REPUBLIC

THE ENTERTAINMENT ARRIVES

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News from the Primary School

Strange Happenings - Alien Invasion Staged At SESOn  Wednesday  11th  January  the  pupils  of  SES  came  in  to  discover  strange  goings  on  at  school.  There  were  odd  imprints  on  the  grass,  a  spooky  photo  and  the  clocks  had  all  reportedly  stopped  at  3  a.m.  The  Year  6s  used  this  as  an  opportunity  to  interview  the  teachers  at  school,  and  report  on  these  mysterious  events  in  their  literacy  lesson.  It  turned  out  to  be  a  hoax  by  Mr  Smithard;  however  some  excellent  newspaper  reports  were  produced.Keith  Smithard  and  Lynn  Nuttall  

Pupil  Statements

Yesterday  morning  a  very  abnormal  event  occurred  at  S.E.S.  A  strange,  unidenti5ied  5lying  object  was  seen  cruising  above  National  Paints  highway.  Teachers  from  nearby  Sharjah  English  School  spotted  an  odd  disc  5lying  in  the  air;  it  was  said  to  be  just  hovering  as  if  it  was  examining  the  ground  beneath  it.      Griff  Gough-­‐Walters  

A  warning  sign  greeted  pupils  in  the  morning,  telling  them  not  to  step  on  the  grass:  strange  markings  and  footprints  were  also  seen!  ‘I  think  that  the  Alien  is  spying  on  us,’  said  Mrs.  Winterburn.  One  of  the  other  teachers  said  they  had  seen  a  bright  light  outside  their  house.                Daniel  Goldie  Furlong  

Children  at  Sharjah  English  School  claim  that  Aliens  landed  at  their  school  at  3.00am  this  morning.  There  were  lots  of  complaints  from  teachers  about  all  the  clocks  stopping  at  exactly  3.00am,  as  well  as  a  big  footprint  next  to  another  strange  imprint  in  the  middle  of  the  playground.  Are  there  really  aliens,  or  just  a  well  played  prank?  Lukas  Bley  

Pupils  that  live  in  the  nearby  university  [American  University  of  Sharjah]  said  lights  were  5lashing  and  there  was  a  5ifteen  minute  blackout.              Sabeena  Sheth  

The  atmosphere  was  electric  and  every  student  at  S.E.S.  was  busy  trying  to  5igure  out  the  clues.  The  area  by  the  playground  was  taped  off  because  of  the  strange  scorch  marks  on  the  grass.  Oddly  enough,  the  green  footprints  were  also  located  there.  They  appeared  to  look  like  chicken  feet.  Strange.      Luke  Miles  

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Shinn  arrived  at  school  and  saw  a  disk  smoothly  gliding  through  the  air,  like  a  U.F.O,  so  he  took  a  picture  with  his  camera  phone.          Sarah  Young  

Miss  Race,  the  school  Principal,  was  alerted  at  3.00am  when  the  alarms  of  the  S.E.S.  building  went  off.  When  she  arrived,  she  noticed  nothing  wrong,  but  had  the  feeling  of  being  watched.              Mathew  Bates  

The  CCTV  cameras  spotted  a  short,  odd-­‐looking  creature  which  made  everyone  very  curious.  So,  the  question  is,  who  or  what  is  responsible  for  all  this  chaos  and  curiosity?Sakina  Mujtaba  Surury

One  of  the  teachers  said,  ‘I  forgot  my  phone  at  school  the  other  night  and  today  I  found  it  5lashing  with  the  time  set  at  3.00am.  It  has  never  done  this!’Rita  Helmy

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News from the Primary School

Strange disc object photographed by Mr. Shinn

Mysterious triangular imprint

Green footprints on the school path

Sami Youcef

Kopana Chipwayambakola

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News from the Primary School

Year 4 – The Egyptians As   part   of   their   Egyptian   topic,   the   Year   4   children   were   given   the   opportunity   to  experience  first  hand  how  the  ancient  Egyptians  made  their  own  mud  bricks.  The  activity  involved  getting  thoroughly  messy  and  was  enjoyed  by  all.  The  children  were  intrigued  to  learn   that   a   mixture   of   mud   and   straw  makes   a   strong  building  material   and   that   this  technique  is  still  used  nowadays  in  certain  African  countries.

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News from the Primary School

Year  1  –  Africa  and  China1SC  have  been   inves-ga-ng  a  strange   suitcase   that  was  delivered  to  their  classroom.     Inside   the  suitcase  we   found  African  clothes  and  masks,  African  art  and  ornaments,  some  photographs  and  a  le?er.    We  contacted  the  owner  and  she  has  been  emailing  us  lots  of  informa-on  about  Africa.    

It  is  a  lot  of  fun  learning  about  Kenya.    We  know  a  lot  about  the  clothes,  houses  and  schools.    In  art  we  are  exploring  African  pa?erns  and  are  going  to  make  an  African  printed  dress  for  Akeyo.    There  are  lots  of  books  about  Africa  in  our  classroom  and  we  are  even  wri-ng  our  own  informa-on  book  for  the  library!

This  term,  1SM  have  been  looking  at  different  communi-es  and  cultures  around  the  world.  We  are  lucky  to  have  children  of  12  na-onali-es  in  our  class  to  help  us  discover  the  wonders  and  tradi-ons  of  their  home  countries.    We  will  also  be  celebra-ng  cultural  and  na-onal  fes-vals  such  as  Chinese  New  Year  and  St.  Patrick’s  Day.  We  hope  to  see  you  in  your  na-onal  costumes  at   the   Interna-onal  Picnic.  

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News from the Primary School

Year 5 - The AztecsThe Aztecs ruled the region we now call Mexico about 500 years ago. They called their land Anahuac which means the land on the edge of the water. The Aztecs were powerful because they attacked and conquered neighbouring people. They worshiped many gods and goddesses. They made masks to represent their gods. In Topic we looked at books and decided which mask we were going to create. It took many steps to finish our masks which were made of clay. I liked the process we went through in this project and although it took lots of effort it was worth it!Michelle Mei Delves 5SW

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News from the Secondary School

THE EMAX STAR QUIZ CHALLENGEStar TV and Emax have teamed up to produce a new TV show, the “Emax Star Quiz Challenge – The UAE’s Most Prestigious School Quiz Challenge.” Schools from across the UAE were invited to send teams to the Elimination Round and Sharjah English School sent four teams of two to compete at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium (part of The Indian High School, Dubai) on 12th January. The students were: Zoran Gajic, Adriaan Cornelisse, Cezane Golley, Mikhail Kononovich, Tim Blackman, Matt Wood, Harini Kannangara and Samia Jahangiri – all in Year 10.

Over 300 teams entered from 55 schools. Only the top 27 teams were able to qualify. Our students performed very successfully, especially given the very demanding nature of the questions. Two of our teams scored highly enough to have gone through to the quarter finals, but unfortunately, only one team from each school was allowed to qualify. In the end, Zoran Gajic and Tim Blackman represented SES at the quarter finals at Star TV’s studio at Studio City, Dubai on Thursday 20th January.

The filming of the quarter f inal was a unique and exciting experience. It was an opportunity for Zoran and Tim to be fully immersed in the making of real TV show, c o m p l e t e w i t h a l l t h e ‘camera, lights, action’ one expects. The show is hosted by Rohit Roy who seemed impressed by the boys’ skills and knowledge.

In a nail-biting and very closely run contest, where our SES team were leading at the end of the second round, the quarter final ended in a draw which led to a tense ‘tie breaker’. Despite knowing the answer to the question: ‘Which is the oldest university in the United States?’, the SES team were not as fast on the buzzer as their competition, The Millennium School, Dubai. However, Tim and Zoran came home with a trophy each and having done themselves proud.

The Emax Star Quiz Challenge can be seen weekly for 13 weeks, beginning on Saturday 29th January on Star Plus (in English) at 8.30 pm. The Star TV website will soon have clips and interviews from the shows available online.

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News from the Secondary School

GCSE  Arabic  In  Sharjah  English  SchoolLast   year   Tom  Smith   and   I  enjoyed   the  challenge   of   doing   Arabic   GCSE   for   the   first   time.   It  proved  a  great  success  for  us.  Tom  achieved  an  A*  in  his  summer  exams.

The  Arabic  GCSE  course   is   designed   to  cover  the  needs   of   learners   taking  Arabic  as   a   second  language.   As  with   other   foreign   language  courses   it  covers   the  four  skills   of   reading,  writing,  listening  and  speaking.

Of   course   the   Arabic   language   is   not   only   useful   because   of   current   economic   and   political  issues  but  also  because  of  the  number  of  countries  that  speak   it.  Arabic  is  spoken  by  over  one  hundred   and   fifty   million   people   around   the   world   including   the   following   countries   and  territories:  Algeria,  Bahrain,   Chad,  Comoros  Djibouti,  Egypt,   Ethiopia,   the  Gaza  Strip,   Iran,  Iraq,  Jordan,   Kuwait,   Lebanon,   Libya,   Mauritania,   Morocco,   Oman,   Qatar,   Saudi   Arabia,   Somalia,  Sudan,  Syria,  Tunisia,  Turkey,  United  Arab  Emirates,  the  West  Bank,  Western  Sahara,  the  Yemen  Arab  Republic.

Relatively   few  Westerners   ever  venture   to   learn   Arabic.  With   the  growing   importance  of   the  Middle  East  in   international  affairs,   there   is   thus   an   extreme  shortage  of  workers   in   the  West  who  are  well  versed  in  Arabic  language  and  culture.  Those  who  study  Arabic  can  find  careers   in  a  variety  of  fields:  diplomacy,  journalism,  business  and  industry,  education,  finance  and  banking,  translation  and  interpretation  and  many  other  areas.

Maha  M  Faraj

Head  of  Secondary  Arabic  and  Islamic  Studies

Art  TripOn   Sunday   January   23rd   all  DT   graphic  students,  Year   10  GCSE  Art  students  and  Year   12   A   level   Art   students   came  together   for   an   Art   ExhibiFon   named  RSTW  in  Abu  Dhabi,  at  Al  Saadiyat  Island.  It   was   a   never   seen   before   collecFon  owned   by   Larry   Gagosian,   whose  collecFon   includes   art   pieces   and  painFngs   by   arFsts   ranging   from   Andy  Warhol,   Cy   Tombly,   Christopher   Wool,  Richard  Serra,   Robert   Raushceburg,   and  Ed  Rucsha.  

All   of   us   really   enjoyed   seeing   the   art  work;  many  of  us  have  been  working  through  the  arFsts’  work  in  lessons,   so  it  was  an  amazing  opportunity  too  see  the  originals  in  person.  We  were  also  able  to  explore  Abu  Dhabi's  history  and  future  plans  in  another  exhibiton.  As  many  of  you  must  know,  they  are  building  the  Louvre  and  Guggenheim  on  Al  Saadiyat  Island.  It  was  a  great  experience  for  all  of  us,  and  we  definitely  got  some  nice  sketches  for  our  sketch  books.  

Thank  you  to  the  teachers  who  organized  the  trip  for   us,   and  thank  you   to  Mr.   Egan,  Mrs.   Egan  and  Mr.  Hartridge,  who  took  the  Fme  to  make  this  trip  possible  and  who  travelled  to  Abu  Dhabi  with  us.  We  had  a  great  Fme!Gaby  Toledo

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News from the Secondary School

Art  Trip  Photos

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News from the Secondary School

Career planning will be a focus in Secondary in the coming two terms. The UAE does not offer the opportunities for part-time work or vacation jobs that might be available in the UK and elsewhere. A coherent approach to enhancing students’ knowledge of the workplace, and finding opportunities to provide them with meaningful work experience, therefore become particularly important.

All parents should have received a letter seeking placements for our Year 10 students to do work experience. As we now have a greater number of students involved, any offers from companies or organizations to take a student for a placement would be very helpful. Please contact Miss McNulty, Head of Business Studies ([email protected]) if you can assist. Work experience happens from 24th to 28th April.

There was also a letter sent home seeking parents willing to come in and make a presentation or speak to students about their job or profession. Anyone who can help in this regard can contact Mr. Nolan ([email protected]).

Year 10 PSHE - Work Experience and Career Planning

Years  8  and  9  Theatre  Trip  Shakespeare  4  Fun!

On Wednesday, 12 January, Years 8 and 9 students headed to Ductac Theatre, Mall of the Emirates, to attend a Shakespeare 4 Kidz production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This company, who visit the UAE regularly, specializes in the creation of accessible versions of Shakespeare’s work for younger audiences. Watching the play helped to plant the seeds of understanding, which will enable the students to make the transition to enjoying and understanding the beauty and meaning of the full original texts. The production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was wonderfully comedic and had the entire audience roaring with laughter. The beautiful woodland set successfully created a little bit of theatrical magic and the students were enthralled throughout.

Student PlannersA reminder to all parents in Years 7-9 to sign their child's homework planner on a weekly basis. The planner is an excellent way to check that homework is being recorded and completed as well as an opportunity for staff and parents to communicate with one another.

Thank you,

Mrs. Simpson

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News from the Secondary School

Cooking in Science!At SES Year 7 students are now following a new innovative course adopted to suit the requirements of the new British science curriculum introduced last year. With this, we aim to raise students’ achievement and develop their understanding of how science works in everyday life, as well as making it relevant and fun at the same time. This term they have been making pancakes to demonstrate energy transfer and chemical changes.

For parents seeking more information on the course there is extra information at: http://www.upd8.org.uk/upd8-wikid.php

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Spotlight on ICT

Last   term,   I.C.T  was   a   blast  we  had   so  much   fun  doing   E-­‐safety.   At   first   we   had   to   do   a   play   on   E-­‐safety   then   a  PowerPoint.  The  dangers   of   using  social  networking  sites,  text  messaging,  chat-­‐rooms  etc.  has  alerted  all  of  us   to  be  safe  on  the  internet  and  always  tell  your  parents  when  you  make  a   new  account  and   never   tell  strangers   any  of   your  personal   info.   The   fun  continued  when  we  had   to  make  a  poster  about  E-­‐safety.  We  are  in  term  2  now  and  we  have  full   knowledge  of   the   dangers   of   the  internet.   Right  now  we   are   learning   about   spreadsheets.   We   learned   to  calculate   sums   and   problems   using   formula,   with   cell  numbers   and   letters.   We   finished   doing   a   shopping   list,  calculating   it   using   formula.   We   had   fun   in   spreadsheets  too  and  we  are  ready  to  start  our  next  spreadsheet  project.Tony  Joseph

In  Year  7,  we  looked  at  E-­‐SAFETY.  We  learnt  about  text  bullying  and  how  people  are  affected  by  it.  We  acted  out  a  bullying  scene  and  what  to  do  if  you  are  getting  bullied.  After  that,  we  talked  about  safety   in   a  chat-­‐room  and  how  not  to   give  away  too  much  information.  We  also   learnt  that  a   person   you   are  talking   to   in   a   chat-­‐room  may   not  be   the   same  person   in   real   life.   We  made   slideshows   and   movies   about   being   safe   online.   We   are   currently   learning   about  spreadsheets.  We  have  already  picked  up  a  lot  of  skills  using  Microsoft  Excel.Amaani  Master

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In   ICT  we  have  been  making   a   pac-­‐man-­‐like  game  on  a   program  called   ‘Scratch’.   It   is   a   free  program  where  you  can  design  and  make  your  very  own  games.  Scratch  is   really  fun  because  you  can  design  your  own  little  character  called  a  ‘sprite’.  They  can  be  any  colour,  size  or  shape  you   want.   After   that,   you  make   a   background   for   them.   There   are   commands   on   the   side  which  you  can  order  to  make  the  sprite  do  many  different  things  such  as  walk,  talk  and  make  funny  actions.  We  have  been  looking  at  a  word  document  which  tells  us  how  to  make  the  pac-­‐man  game  step   by   step.   It   is   very  straightforward   and  helps   you  make   the  game   easily   and  quickly.  The  whole  class  has  made  a  game  and  it  has  been  a  very  exciting  project.Veronica  O’Connell

In   ICT  we   have   been   learning   how   to  make   our  own   games.   We   have   been  programming   our  own  version   of   Pac-­‐Man.   We   have   followed   a   word  document  on  how  to  make  this.   It   is   a  very   enjoyable   process.   Scratch   is   a  programming   language   that   makes   it  easy   to   create   your   own   interactive  stories,   animations,   games,  music,   and  art   -­‐-­‐   and   share   your   creations   on   the  web.  As   young   people   create   and   share  Scratch   projects,   they   learn   important  mathematical   and   computational  ideas,   while   also   learning   to   think  creatively,   reason   systematically,   and  work  collaboratively.Imran  Khan

In  ICT  we  have  been  creating  a   Scratch  game.   Scratch   is   free   software,   where  you  can  create  your  own  game,  just  like  we  have  been  creating  our  own  Pacman  game.  To  do  so,  we  have  been  following  a  Word  Document  which  tells  us  step  by  step  how  to  make  our  game.  It  starts  of  with   us   making   our   own   Pacman   like  ‘sprite’,  which  is  what  the  characters  are  called,   and   then   we   have   to   make   a  maze  for  the  sprite  to  move  around  in!Lily  Smythe

Spotlight on ICT

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This   term  in  Year  9  we  are  using  Google  SketchUp  to   create   futuristic   houses.   They   are   what   we  want   our   houses   to   look   like   in   100   years   time.  Google   SketchUp   is   an   easy   way   to   design   3D  images   on   the   computer;   this   can   help   you   to  design  buildings  and  other  3D  objects  like  cars  and  storage  devices.Lauren  Prentice    

In   Year   Nine,   our   current   project   is   using   Google  SketchUp.   So   far  we  have  designed  a   house  and   a  chair   and   are   trying   to   design   a   house   for   one  hundred   years   into   the  future.  Being  a   creative  and  clever   bunch,   Year   9s   have   produced   some   great  results.   Using   a   3-­‐D   modeling   system   is   extremely  educational,   allowing   you   to   design   a   product  without  fear  of  messing  up.Adam  Bates

Spotlight on ICT

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Spotlight on ICT

The  Year  10’s  taking  ICT  have  started  their  controlled  assessment.  It  calls  upon  basic   ICT  skills,   such  as  creating   logos  using   paint   or   a  different   drawing  application.  Databases  are   also   used,   so   the   students   must   know   how   to   create   and   navigate   through   a  database.  The  assessment  also  requires  organizational  skills,  because  the  basic   idea  is  to  create  an  event  for  Upcycling.Upcycling  is  creating  something  useful  out  of  waste,  i.e.  a  seedling  pot  out  of  an  egg  container.  The  assessment   focuses   on   your   planning   of   the   event.   Every   detail   will   be   covered,   i.e.   what   will   be  happening,  when  it  is,  what  will  be  served,  which  stallholders  are  coming  etc.  Ankara  Angell

The  past   few  weeks  of   ICT  have  been  filled  with  lots  of  hard  work   as  we’ve   been  tackling  our   GCSE  Controlled  Assessments.  A   task   that  will  take  40  hours  in  total,   the  upcycling-­‐themed  assignment  has  proved  to  be  very  interesting.  We  have  made  use   of  all   the  skills   that  we’ve  learnt   in  ICT  this  year,   as  well  as  learning  new  things  about  upcycling,  the  process  of  turning  items  that  are  no  longer  useful  into  something  of  more  value,  along  the  way.Keah  Challenor

In  Year  12  ICT  we  have  covered  two  main  units;  ‘Practical  problem  solving  in  the  digital  world’  and  ‘Living   in  the  digital  world’.  These  two  units  encompass  both  practical  and  theory  work.  Unit  1  theory  covered  topics  about  input,  output  and  storage  devices,  software  and  health.  The   theory  in  Unit  2  looks  more   in  depth  at  the  processes   and  people   involved  is  designing   and  using   ICT   systems,  data  and   information,  coding  and  encoding  data,  ICT  networks,  threats  to  ICT  systems  and  backup  and  recovery  methods.  The  practical  work  has   revolved   around   designing   and   creating   a   functioning   website,   with   working   links   and   sound,  interactive  spreadsheets  and  databases.  We  are  in  the  process  of  building  up  our  e-­‐portfolios  in  readiness  for  our  summer  examinations.Sam  and  Ashley  Hopkins

Every  year  ICT  includes  two  main  areas  of  study,  practical  and  theory;  Year  13  is  no  different.  Theory  in  year  13   shines   a   light   on   ICT   in   organisations   big   and   small,   looking   at   different   types   of   systems   used,  requirements,  different  users,   legal  issues  and  other   issues   related  to  that.  The  practical  project   at  Year   13  level  is  slightly  different  to  projects  of  previous  years,  as  its  focus   is  more  on  documentation  and  solutions,  instead  of  software  skills.  

For  my  project  I   am  implementing  a  new  ICT  lab  monitoring  software  that   allows  staff  to  view  and  control  students   computers   from  the  main  ICT  machine.   Part   of   this   involves  creating   training   documents   to  use  with  the  software.Stephen  Hennessey

Year   11  have  been  focusing   hard  on  completing  the  coursework  element  of   the  course.    This  accounts   for  60%  of  the  final  GCSE  and  comprises  of  2  pieces  of  coursework.    The  first  project  is  set  by  the  examination  board  and  involves  the  students  solving  the  set  problems  using  ICT.  The  second  project  is  on  a  topic  chosen  by  the  student  showing  their  ability  to  analyse,  design,  create,  test  and  evaluate  an  ICT  system.

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Whole School News and Information

Maths Problem Of The Month

Answer to last month’s problem

The answer will appear in the next issue of the newsletter.

The  number  of  rabbits  is  233,  the  13th  number  in  the  Fibonnaci  sequence.

The  Fibonnaci  sequence,  named  aQer  Leonardo  of  Pisa  is  as  follows:  1,  1,  2  ,  3  ,  5  ,8  ,  13  ,21  ,34…..

Each  term  in  the  sequence  is  the  sum  of  the  previous  to  terms.

January’s  ProblemThe  Teddy  Bears  in  the  local  toy  hospital  have  been  in  the  wars.70%  have  lost  an  eye,75%  an  ear,80%  an  arm,  and85%  a  leg.Find  the  minimum  percentage  of  teddies  that  have  lost  all  four.

PSG International PicnicThe  PSG  International  Picnic  will  be  held  on  Thursday  10th  February  from  1.00pm.

This  is  a  wonderful  event  where  you  can  come  and  support  your  country  and  sample  a  spectacular  array  of  international  treats  prepared  by  the  parents  of  Sharjah  English  School.

This   year   you  will   also   be  able   to   have   your   car   washed  by   the  students   from   the  6th   Form  who   are  raising  funds  for  their  Student  Prom.

If  you  are  willing   to  support   your  country  by  running  or  assisting  with    a  stall  on  the  day  please  let  us  know.  

Job  Opportunity:  PA  to  Primary  HeadThe  school  is  seeking  applications  for  the  position  of  PA  to  the  Primary  Head.  Applicants  require  secretarial  experience,  computer  literacy,  combined  with  excellent  English  and  communication  skills.  

Anyone  interested  in  applying  for  the  job  should  send  a  CV  and  letter  of  application  to  [email protected]  by  Thursday  3rd  February.

Mrs. Daniela Walker will be leaving SES at the end of February after four and a half years. Daniela and her husband will be returning to live in Switzerland.

Throughout her time with us Daniela has made a huge contribution to the Primary department and to the school as a whole. She has served as PA to Miss Race and as secretary to the board of governors, amongst many other administrative roles. In all of these capacities she has been thoroughly efficient and will be a great loss to the school. Thanks for everything, Daniela!

We are sure that all parents and members of the school community will wish Daniela and Michael well with their move.

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Dates For Your Diary

February  2011February  2011

Thursday  3rd Secondary  Sports  Day

Tuesday  8th   Year  12  &  Year  13  Parent  Teacher  Meeting

Wednesday  9th Disco  -­‐  Yr  3&4  /  Yr  5&6

Thursday  10th   International  Picnic

Monday  14th   Year  10  &  Year  11  Parent  Teacher  Meeting

Tuesday  15th Prophet’s  Birthday

Thursday  17th   Primary  Sports  Day

Friday  18th  -­‐  Sunday  20th Half  Term  Break

Wednesday  23rd Year  8  Parent  Teacher  Meeting

Saturday  26th Secondary  Ski  Trip  Departs

Monday  28th No  Primary  Clubs

March  2011March  2011

Tuesday  1st Primary  Parent/Teacher  Meeting  (No  clubs)

Wednesday  2nd Primary  Parent/Teacher  Meeting  (No  clubs)

Friday  4th Year  6  Ski  Trip  Leaving

Saturday  5th   Secondary  Ski  Trip  Returns

Tuesday  8th GCSE  Options  Eve    

Tuesday  8th Year  9  Parent/Teacher  Meeting

Saturday  12th Year  6  Ski  Trip  Returns

Monday  14th GCE  Options  Eve

Sunday  20th Swimming  Gala  -­‐  Year  1&2

Monday  21st Swimming  Gala  -­‐  Year  3&4

Tuesday  22nd Last  Day  of  Primary  Clubs

Thursday  24th PSG  Ball

Thursday  24th Battle  of  the  Bands  Competition

Sunday  27th Swimming  Gala  -­‐  Year  5&6  

Monday  28th Class  Photographs

Thursday  31st Last  Day  of  Term  2

Don’t  forget  to  check  the  school  

website  for  the  weekly  bulle?n  for  

updates  and  further  informa?on