Al Yasmina School Primary Newsletter

7th June 2012

Issue 35 - 2011/12

Dear Parents,

Royal Celebration

The Primary students arrived at school today in a sea of colours for their non-uniform day!! The

Primary School Council asked if all children could come to school dressed either in red white and

blue to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, or the colours of their own country to

celebrate royalty around the world. All children were invited to bring in a donation of AED 10 to

support the Make a Wish and Red Crescent Charities.

As you can see, a very colourful day was had by all!! We will let you know how much money was

raised in next week's newsletter.

Welcome to Mrs. Janette Hupalo

We would like to welcome Mrs. Janette Hupalo to Al Yasmina School. She has

been appointed as the PA of the Primary Principal, Mrs. Tait. Please contact

her in the same way as the previous PA, Mrs. Vivienne Dignum.

(primarypa@alyasmina.sch.ae).

From the Music Department

On Thursday 31st May, 27 students performed in a student recital. The performers ranged from Year 1

to Year 11 and instruments included Trumpets, Flute, Saxophone, Violin, Piano, Vocals and Guitar.

The standard of the performances was excellent and the recital was thoroughly enjoyed by an

audience of parents and friends.

The students who performed were: Noemie Queromain, Anna Rayner, Yasmin Gabi, Max Palmer,

Iman Husni, Yassin El Sharabassy, Isabella Palmer, Katrina Radin, Alex Rashed, Emmanuelle

Vuilleumier, Abdulla Al Armouti, Julia Baig, Amir Farah, Christine Simon.

Al Yasmina School Summer Music Concert Al Yasmina School will be presenting its summer

music concert on Monday 25th June, at 6pm.

The concert will feature performances from the

Senior Orchestra, Al Yasmina Singers, the Senior,

Junior and Intermediate Choirs, the Junior String

Orchestra, Senior and Junior Brass Ensembles,

the Senior and Junior Flute Choirs and solo

pianists.

This will be a very special celebration of another

year‟s hugely successful music-making at Al

Yasmina School – so please come along and

support our hard-working and talented

musicians!!

SAVE THE DATE!!

From the School Nurses

Road safety

During this week and next one of the school nurses has been talking to

the pupils about road safety, focusing on how to stay safe while in a

car, as a pedestrian and on a bicycle.

Staying safe in the car:

• Always wear a seat-belt and put this on as soon as you

get into the car – you are twice as likely to die in a car

crash if you are not wearing a seat-belt!

• Infants and children should sit in an age / size

appropriate child seat, or booster seat (used until child is

12 years of age or 135cm tall)

• Driver should NOT use their mobile phone while driving

• It is safer for all children to sit on the back seat. It is law in the UAE that children under 10 years

of age should NOT sit on the front seat.

Staying safe as a pedestrian:

• Walk on the pavements and not on the road

• Always cross the road at a safe place, preferably at a

designated crossing place

• When crossing the road – STOP, LOOK & LISTEN before crossing

• Do not cross the road while you are using a phone, playing

with a toy or wearing headphones, as you will be

distracted and may not hear potential dangers

• Wear bright colours at night and preferably a reflector or light

Staying safe on a bicycle:

• Always wear a properly fitted bike helmet – it could save your life!

• Make sure that your bike is in good working order and the brakes work!

• Ride your bike safely. Abu Dhabi roads are very dangerous with many speeding cars on the

road.

It is not a good idea for children to ride their bikes here on the roads. Better to take your child to a

play-area for them to ride their bikes and have fun.

Watch this video-clip “Story of Daniel” who survived being hit by a car while riding his bike, because

he was wearing a helmet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u09HRDNf6M

Please note that Dr. Stiles will be visiting the school clinic on Tuesday, 12 June at about 08.00am. If

you wish to speak with Dr. Stiles, regarding any medical concerns you may have about your child,

please make an appointment with the school nurses on 02-5014722. Message from Friends of Al Yasmina (FOY)

Primary End of Year Discos - CANCELLED

Due to the announcement that 17th June is now a school holiday, we have unfortunately had to

cancel this event as we have not been able to find an alternative date that does not coincide with

exams.

Next FOY Meeting - Monday 18th June

This meeting will be the last of this academic year. If you are interested in being involved with FOY in

the new academic year, or simply would like to find out what goes on behind the scenes, then

please come along - everyone is welcome. The meeting will be at 8am in Meeting Room 2.

Foundation Stage 1 (FS1)

FS1 have been roaring off to space this week. We played whizzing

rocket games, wrote our names on rockets, rolled dice and

moved around the space board to all the different planets. We

cut out shapes and made our own rockets with 2D shapes. Then

we found out interesting information from „Roaring Rockets‟ by

Tony Mitton and Ant Parker the story book of the week. FS1

discovered where the fuel tanks are on the rocket and why

astronauts need oxygen helmets in space.

FS1 children are just so excited about our work on rockets that they decided they want to be

astronauts and visit the planets when they grow up!

White Class had a Jubilee

special snack time on

Sunday and there was lots

of flag waving as well!

Photos of Thursday‟s

Fundraising Day will be in

next week‟s Newsletter.

Please remember sunhats

and water bottles as it is

now getting very hot

indeed and we need to

keep all the fluid levels high!

The fantastic Stars of the Week are

Joseph Sassine - Green Class, Youssef Mikhail – Blue Class , Elijah Youlten - Red Class ,

Mark Hart –Yellow Class, James Chacksfield-White Class.

Foundation Stage 2 (FS2)

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it‟s FS2 and their flying machines! This week, FS2 have been busy learning

about the different transport that will take you up, up and away! From aeroplanes and hot air

balloons, to rockets and parachutes. The sky has been the limit! Keep your eyes peeled for some of

our fantastic paper mache hot air balloons that you may see floating through the sky. The children

have been busy layering and sticking, pasting and painting to make their balloons.

As well as taking to the sky in our flying machines, we

have also found time to produce some „super

subtraction‟ sums. Take a look at the work from some of

the „Matha-Magicians‟ in Ruby class.

A big round of applause for last week‟s „Stars of the

Week‟. Well done!

Year 1

Another super busy week in Year 1! Our last topic „Toys‟ is great fun but its keeping us

working very hard.

In Literacy this week we have been making our own timetables and sending

postcards from the Scary Farm. Don‟t worry the monsters, crocodiles, spiders, snakes, sharks and lions

really are friendly. We planned some funny jobs for them. Just check out some pictures of our work.

Taking the shark to swimming lessons really made us giggle.

In Numeracy all five classes are working extremely hard as we try and prepare our

brains for Year Two work. It‟s a very exciting challenge!

In Science this week we got to make ramps and had a challenge to make a ramp

which would stop a car moving. The children did a fantastic job and stopped many of

the cars zooming away by creating excellent ramps.

In Art we created our own teddy bears, this made us super excited for our trip to the „Build a Bear‟

factory soon where we will get to make a real teddy. We are very excited!

The WHOLE school said a massive congratulations to

our ELS children who have been working very hard for

the past 16 weeks with the Year 1 classroom assistants.

They have now finished all their work and received

certificates this week in assembly from Mrs. Tait.

Congratulations!

Well done to our stars of the week who have really

impressed their teachers with wonderful work and fantastic

manners. In Sparrows class Dana Busaibe, in Larks class

Zoey Groen, in Doves class Fares Al Hashmi, Pippa Kelly in

Cuckoo‟s class and in Robins class Federico La Cava. Keep

up your super work.

Year 2

Last week we enjoyed a great trip to Children‟s City in Dubai. We explored all the different

exhibitions and learning stations to find out about; countries around the world, technology, wildlife

and the U.A.E. A great day was had by all… the photos tell all!

Date for your diary! On Tuesday 26th June you are warmly invited to attend your child‟s class country

performance at 8.20am. Each class will perform within their own classroom followed by a short,

whole year group get together in our shared area, where all the Year 2 children will sing to you. More

details to follow nearer the time.

Spoonbills Update:

Spoonbills are learning all about Hawaii as part of our Around the World topic but we are aware that

this is not a country in its own right. Spoonbills have already been doing lots of research about this

and know that Hawaii is in fact one of the States of the United States of America – even though it

may seem like a separate country due to its uniqueness. Don‟t be surprised if a Spoonbill greets you

with „Aloha‟ sometime soon!

Congratulations and jubilations to our Stars of the Week! Boodi Al Riyami, Zayed Al Khaili, Libby

O‟Sullivan, Kaitlyn Strika, Joshua Richardson

Year 3

In literacy this week, the children have been looking at features of different play scripts. We have

also had lots of fun writing and acting out our own plays.

We have been practising our addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts this week and

looking how we can use the inverse to solve problems.

In Science we were busy investigating about light and shadows. We used torches to test different

materials to see which were more transparent or opaque and how their shadows differed.

In Topic (All the World‟s a Stage) we looked at the design of different theatres and stages and

designed and labeled our own. Reminder: Please remember to discuss with your child how they

might make a stage, with moving parts, in school. They can start to gather things they might need for

their stage eg. a box, cotton reels, old material for curtains etc.

Well done to the Year 3 Stars of the Week –

Matthew, Shannaya, Hashem, Mihin and Emily

Year 4

What a busy week we have had in Year 4. The children have been

mastering the skill of persuasion, through designing and evaluating a

variety of different types of advertisements. Starting with magazine and

newspaper adverts, and moving onto radio and television ads it has

been a flurry of slogans and alliteration and jingles! I am sure we have

some budding employees for Saatchi and Saatchi!!

The children have been completing their news reports for the

Amazon rainforests with many using their drama skills to „mock‟

interview logging companies and tribesmen as a piece of gritty

journalism before moving onto the weather report and reporting

on the climatic conditions of the forest.

Congratulations goes to the following children who once again have shown that impeccable

behavior and manners, and a wonderful approach to work will indeed get you in the running to

become our star of the week. And again, well done to Sandgrouse, class who won the Teaching

Assistant award (yes, twice in a row!) for demonstrating all the 4 C‟s in and around the school. Come

on the rest of Year 4…. Let‟s not make it 3 in a row!

Thomas Jelliman, Ali Al Mula, Iman Mohd Husni, Eve

Miragliotta, Tom Clifton, and Miss Gaywood!

Year 5

Year 5 Olympic Bids

This week we are starting our Olympic bids in earnest. The children have been put

into groups and each group drew a country name out of a hat – it was all very

nerve wracking! WE have a wide range of countries being presented.

At the moment the children are busy researching their country and creating an

advert to represent their initial bid. They are allocating roles within the group, from

C.E.O to Designer, Accountant and Marketing.

Everyone is very excited about the challenge ahead. Please encourage your child

to research facts about their country at home as well.

We will be sending an invitation home next week, but please put Monday 18th June

into your diaries as we would like you to come in and view the final bids on that

morning, from 8am.

These are our Stars of The week – well done to you.

Year 6

Year 6 SATs are over but the Year 6 Production is in

motion! All the children have been actively working

hard in their allocated roles: creating props for the

stage using mixed media, editing the scenes already

recorded (Hollywood has nothing on us!) and

practicing the amazing dance routines under the

careful watch of Miss. Wood! Busy bees would be an

understatement! We are all looking forward to our Year

6 Production, keep up the fantastic effort children, it is

going to be brilliant!

Dates for your Diary

Monday 11th June - Presentation to Year 5 parents on proposed Year 6 camp

at 6pm

Thursday 14th June - Year 6 Leavers’ Party – 12pm – 2.15pm

Sunday 17th June - School closed – Public holiday

Sunday 17th June - CANCELLED - Primary End of Year Disco

Monday 18th June - FOY Meeting at 8am

Monday 18th June - Year 5 Olympic bid presentation at 8am

Thursday 21st June - FS1 Performance at 1pm

Monday 25th June - Thank you coffee morning for parents at 8am

Monday 25th June - Summer Music Concert at 6pm

Tuesday 26th June - Year 2 Year end Production

Thursday 28th June - Last day of Year – school closes at 12pm

Al Yasmina School

Tel: 02 5014888

email: primarypa@alyasmina.sch.ae