2 nd February, 2017 Superintendent’s Message It’s good to be back after a busy recruiting trip in the US. As you may know the number of international schools worldwide is growing at an amazing rate. According to the International Schools Consultancy Group, the number of English-medium international schools around the world had reached 8,000 by the end of 2015 with now more than 500 in the UAE. Of course, not all of these are like ABA. Nonetheless, parental interest in an international school education for their children and the interest in international school careers for teachers are both increasing. I am happy to report that I was able to hire great teachers for next year while in Boston. It is always a pleasure to return to ABA yet when one has been away, one notices things. I continue to be concerned by the safety and security of our children. This has nothing to do with the teachers but the practices of some of our parents or drivers when dropping off or collecting children. After much experience, the system that we have in place is designed to minimise risk to children and aid traffic flow. My staff on duty in the parking report of some parents ignoring their directions or even arguing with them. This is unacceptable. Not only is it rude but it sets a poor example to our students. My staff and I try to be polite, understanding and consistent. I ask for your help and understanding when driving on campus. Thank you in advance. Simon Taylor Message from the High School Course Options In recent week Grade 8 and Grade 10 students, along with their parents have attended course options evenings here at ABA. Naturally this can result in many interesting conversations in the family home. Before reaching key decisions two pieces of advice are as follows: ensure you are well informed (future careers, interests, university courses etc.) and where possible, study subjects that you have a genuine interest and passion for. The options booklets shared with parents are good sources of AL NOOR-ABA NEWS Upcoming Dates Feb 6 PTA Open Meeting PTA Room 7.40-9.00am MESAC Hosting Meeting Secondary Lecture Hall 5.30-6.30pm Feb 7 Using ManageBac Parent Meeting Secondary Lecture Hall 7.30-9.00am 5.30-7.00pm Elementary Reports Online Feb 9-12 MESAC Cross Country All Day Feb 8-12 MESAC Tennis All Day Feb 13 Early Release All Students Elementary: 12.20pm Secondary: 12.25pm
Transcript
2nd February, 2017
Superintendent’s Message
It’s good to be back after a busy recruiting trip in the US. As you may know the number of international schools worldwide is growing at an amazing rate. According to the International Schools Consultancy Group, the number of English-medium international schools around the world had reached 8,000 by the end of 2015 with now more than 500 in the UAE. Of course, not all of these are like ABA. Nonetheless, parental interest in an international school education for their children and the interest in international school careers for teachers are both increasing. I am happy to report that I was able to hire great teachers for next year while in Boston. It is always a pleasure to return to ABA yet when one has been away, one notices things. I continue to be concerned by the safety and security of our children. This has nothing to do with the teachers but the practices of some of our parents or drivers when dropping off or collecting children. After much experience, the system that we have in place is designed to minimise risk to children and aid traffic flow. My staff on duty in the parking report of some parents ignoring their directions or even arguing with them. This is unacceptable. Not only is it rude but it sets a poor example to our students. My staff and I try to be polite, understanding and consistent. I ask for your help and understanding when driving on campus. Thank you in advance. Simon Taylor
Message from the High School Course Options In recent week Grade 8 and Grade 10 students, along with their parents have attended course options evenings here at ABA.
Naturally this can result in many interesting conversations in the family home. Before reaching key decisions two pieces of advice are as follows: ensure you are well informed (future careers,
interests, university courses etc.) and where possible, study subjects that you have a genuine interest and passion for. The options booklets shared with parents are good sources of
AL NOOR-ABA NEWS
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Upcoming Dates
Feb 6 PTA Open Meeting PTA Room 7.40-9.00am
MESAC Hosting Meeting Secondary Lecture Hall 5.30-6.30pm
Feb 7 Using ManageBac Parent Meeting Secondary Lecture Hall 7.30-9.00am 5.30-7.00pm Elementary Reports Online Feb 9-12 MESAC Cross Country All Day Feb 8-12 MESAC Tennis All Day Feb 13 Early Release All Students Elementary: 12.20pm Secondary: 12.25pm
information in addition to the Counselling team here at ABA. Punctuality The majority of High School students arrive to school on time. All High School students should be in their registration class by 7:30am. Any student arriving after 7:30am must sign in with the Registrar in the main Administration Office. Grade 11 Discovery Week
With only a few weeks to go until the Grade 11 Discovery Week final payments should have been received by today (Thursday).
Lanterna
Following the winter revision courses held here at ABA I am pleased to let you know that Lanterna offer a 10% discount to ABA students for all our courses if booked before February 26th. The discount code is ABA and can be used for Pre-IB and Mid-IB Summer courses as well as the Spring Exam Preparation courses. The Spring courses are held in Dubai. You can view details of all Lanterna courses from http://www.lanternaeducation.com/ . Although we are unable to vouch for the quality, another company
offering online tutoring for the IBDP is www.eliteib.co.uk . Higher Education
While there will still be ongoing applications to countries with later deadlines such as the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and New Zealand the main focus of university applications will turn to Grade 11. They have had some introductory advice about choosing ‘The Right Fit’ in terms of course, country and university (This is available under the Parent Portal) and so will be in a good position to ask the right questions as we host over 50 universities in the next two months or so.
Date Universities Time Location
Wednesday 8th February
CIS Canadian Tour Brescia University College, Carleton University, Concordia University, Dalhousie University, Huron University College at Western University, McGill University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Ryerson University, St Francis Xavier University, Trent Universit, University of Calgary, University of Guelph, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, York University
7.00 – 8.30pm Lecture Hall
Wednesday 15th February
IE University in Madrid 9.00 – 9.30am Counselling Office
Wednesday 22nd March
US and EU College Fair Universities will be announced nearer the time, but will be organized by and includes: University of Boulder, Colorado
TBA TBA
SAT Exams and Preparation Please find below a summary of the SAT and ACT Testing dates with deadlines. If your son or daughter is thinking of going to the US, then the majority of US universities and colleges require SATs or ACTs (About 700 out of over 4,000 universities make them optional). These are standardized tests that examine English and Mathematics. The ACT differs from the SAT in that it includes questions on Social Science and Biology as well as Mathematics and some students find that they do better on the ACT.
SAT Preparation begins for Grade 10s and Grade 11s on Tuesday 21st January in SG 19 running from 2.30 – 3.30. We will begin with English – looking at Critical Reading, Writing and Language.
Simon Walker- High School Principal
Message from the Middle School Personal Project Exhibition 2017
Students in grade 10 presented their products in the Annual Personal Project Exhibition held on January 25, 2017 in the MPH. The exhibitors shared their personally created products with a wide range of audiences, informing them about them about their learning journey. Under the theme: “How Globally minded are you?”, students engaged adults and prospective Grade 9 students in conversations that covered topics such as their Global Contexts as well as the reason for choosing specific project goals.
There were three exhibitions in one day. This was indeed a hectic day, but
judging from the students who presented their work, it was well worth it. With over 85 exhibits to visit and many topics and products to choose from, visitors needed well over 2 hours to do justice to each stand. In the end the time was not enough as the variety, creativity and originality that was on display captivated the audience and time flew by rapidly.
The comments from parents who attended were quite positive, with many citing the range of products and the problems that students attempted. Overall, the exhibition highlighted a key outcome of an MYP education : principled action. With topics on the environment, to renewable energies and earthquake resistant buildings to recycling, students exceeded all expectations for the day.
Overall it was a successful day, with visitors finding the pulsating atmosphere entertaining and educational. This was largely due to the immense support
that the students received from parents, supervisors, and their peers. Here are some quotes from our parents about the day:
“It was very interesting and rewarding to see the students confidently presenting a wide range of ideas.” “I was extremely impressed with the students' exhibition and amazed at the range of different topics
covered and the thought and research that had gone into them all.” “Very inspiring to hear and see young people engage in a topic they care about. I spoke with 12 students
which was not enough, wanted to speak to more but time (for me) was limited.” “Very exciting to witness such a display of wonderful talent and dedication following the hard work and
focus which clearly went into it.”
SAT Dates Deadline ACT Dates Deadline
March 11th February 10th April 8th March 3rd
May 6th April 7th
June 3rd May 9th June 10th May 5th
ABA Parents get onboard with MYP!
Over 50 Grade 6 ABA parents attended the Parents Onboard! Workshop held on January 30, 2017. The workshop was facilitated by Megel Barker, the MYP Coordinator, as part of a strategy to improve understanding of the MYP in the parent community. This is the third event in the Parents Onboard! sessions which began back in September last year. The first event was on the introduction to MYP for New Parents to ABA and the second hosted by Middle School Principal John Savage on the Mid-Semester Reflection Report. This workshop focused on understanding MYP assessment procedure as well as explaining the layout and features of the Semester 1 report. There were wide ranging discussions on formative and summative assessment prompted by key points after watching Sir Ken Robinson’s video.
The highlight of the workshop was the session that focused on calculating the best sustained level and then using the MYP Grade boundaries. This was an exciting session with great debate and enjoyment. At the end, parents felt that the session was useful and will have a positive impact on their understanding of the MYP. For those who missed the opportunity to attend the session you can arrange to meet me to discuss any concerns or relive the event by clicking on the link: Parent Blog
The final workshop for this year will be in May; the focus will be on ATL skills, Global Contexts, and Concepts. Why not take the MYP quiz? MYP Quiz
Megel Barker - MYP Coordinator
Message from the Elementary SchoolStanford University Professor Jo Boaler In last week’s newsletter, I wrote about Professor Jo Boaler and her influence in the world of education. As you recall, she has been recognized as the twelfth most influential person in education. Each Tuesday the elementary teachers and I participate in a faculty meeting. During our last meeting, we spoke of a wonderful opportunity for teachers and parents to join an online course with Professor Boaler. Grade 1 teacher Paula Bassett found the information on the www.youcubed.org website that I mentioned last week. I know that this professional development opportunity is valuable as Grade 5 teacher Pene Radd participated in the course last summer. I have taken the following information from the website: The course includes:
New brain and learning research Teaching strategies for increasing students’
math motivation and achievement
Interviews with thought leaders such as Carol Dweck & Sebastian Thrun.
Several classroom teaching videos to watch and consider with master teachers such as Cathy Humphreys
Teaching strategies for increasing students’ number sense and understanding and for making algebra exciting and meaningful
Teaching strategies for reaching all students and for motivating de-motivated students
Research based good practice for assessment and grading
$99 (38.11 OR) per participant for groups of 5-29 people
$80 (31 OR) per participant for groups of 30-229 people
$50 (19 OR) per participant for groups of 230 or more people
Information about how the brain learns found using new technologies has influenced how researchers and educators view the teaching and learning of mathematics making it very relevant in today’s world. I believe this is a great opportunity for both teachers and parents to enlighten themselves on what the most current research says about mathematics learning. I am excited to take part in this educational endeavor.
Michael Berry- Elementary Principal
Message from the Extra Curricular Program Success in the community It was a big weekend for our ABA community competing in my different events:
- Parents, students, and staff participated in the Muscat marathon, half marathon and the 10km run. Below is an
article in the Oman Daily Observer highlighting Prianka Maharaj.
MESAC Final preparations are being putting in place for all the MESAC teams. There is less than one week to go before our varsity athletes depart to their tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Delhi. ABA is hosting Varsity Tennis and Cross Country. Our visiting athletes arrive on February 8th and 9th. Currently our JV soccer and basketball teams have started their competition and the Senior Fine Arts ensemble left this morning to Doha. We wish all our teams a fulfilling and successful tournament as we know our students have spent many hours preparing before and after school. The MESAC experience is challenging and rewarding and will provide our teams with a unique opportunity to make lasting friendships that are cherished and nurtured. We are sure our ABA students will represent our school with pride and we hope they leave with positive memories. Below are the links where you can watch our MESAC teams compete/collaborate over the coming weekends. Senior Fine Arts SFA Gala will be streamed on Sunday, Feb. 5th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Doha time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y88OhCowpXQ JV Soccer www.asdubai.org/mesac. JV Basketball https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBMSHxzi03hB9_S8HFEm_3A
Help needed Marshals are needed for the MESAC XC event on Feb 10th at the Ghala Golf Course. The schedule for the event is below. We need marshals form 7:00am- 10:30am. If you can help in the morning, please send me an email. 7:00am Drop is at Ghala Golf course 7:15-8:15 Warm up and course walk
8:30 - 9:30 Race one (Boys) 9:30 - 10:30 Race two (Girls)
What is happening next week
Date Competition Time Location
Feb 5 JV Soccer and Basketball return from MESAC 2.30
Feb 6 U13 Girls MSSL soccer tournament TBC MIS
U14 Boys soccer vs TSS 3.15 - TSS
SFA return from their MESAC festival 2.30
Feb 7 U13 Boys MSSL soccer tournament 3.50 – 6.15 TAISM
Feb 8 U14 Boys MSSL soccer tournament TBC BSM
JV Girls MSSL soccer tournament 3.30-5.30 TSS
MESAC Tennis Athletes arrive
Feb 9 Day one competition for MESAC Tennis 8.00 - 5.00 ABA and Hyatti
MESAC Cross Country Athletes arrive
Feb 10-11 Day two and three competition for MESAC Tennis 8.00 - 6.00 ABA and Hyatti
Day one and two competition for MESAC Cross Country 7.00 - 11.30 Ghala Golf course and Qantab
Awards Evening Season two is coming to an end. It is time to celebrate the success of the teams. I would like to invite the teams and parents to the Season Two Sports Awards evening held in the PAC from 5:00pm - 6:30pm on Tuesday 14th February.
The awards night is for the following teams only: Grade 6 soccer boys and girls Grade 7 soccer boys and girls Grade 8 soccer boys and girls JV Soccer boys and girls JV Basketball boys and girls
MESAC Tennis MESAC Cross Country and MS Cross Country team Varsity Soccer boys and girls Varsity Basketball boys Paul Brace-Athletics Director
STUDENTS ACHIEVE ADVENTUROUS SUCCESS! International Award Silver Expedition
Over the weekend, Silver IA participants completed the ‘Adventurous Journey’ section of their award. Our 3-day expedition involved hiking approximately 40 km, starting in picturesque Wadi Bani Awf and culminating at the breath-taking Jebel Shams, the highest point in Oman.
Participants were treated to some incredible scenery and vistas along the route, particularly on the final day, where the route culminated at Jebel Shams. Both groups were responsible for carrying all of their camping equipment, (including all of their food for the 3 days!) cookers, tents and clothes; as well as setting up camp each evening and cooking all of their meals. Both groups worked in teams to navigate the route using a combination of GPS, maps, route cards and communication skills.
Special mention goes to the ‘Chica Chicas’, Elinice Adeyemi, Tamara Gallivan, Hannah Griffin Maya Little and Roche Rabie, who
demonstrated exemplary team work and offered motivational pep-talks, positive energy and encouragement to each other throughout the expedition. You all really embodied what the whole experience of IA is about – fantastic job, ladies!
“The Silver International Award was a great
opportunity to bond as a group and as friends.
Although we had a few hiccups in terms of arguments
and disputes, we learned how to work cooperatively
and efficiently. I found the expedition incredibly
challenging and tiring, but as we took the final steps to
the finish, I was overwhelmed with a great feeling of
achievement and accomplishment.” –
Timothy Rutherford and the ‘Wadi Dogs’
Special mention goes to the ‘Chica Chicas’, Elinice Adeyemi, Tamara Gallivan, Hannah Griffin Maya Little and Roche Rabie, who demonstrated exemplary team work and offered motivational pep-talks, positive energy and encouragement to each other throughout the expedition. You all really embodied what the whole experience of IA is about – fantastic job, ladies! Another special mention goes to Shehab Khan, of the ‘Wadi Dogs’ team, who demonstrated a great deal of determination, perseverance and commitment to both his team and the award itself.
Well done everyone! We are very proud of you all for successfully completing your Adventurous Journey!
Miss Jones, Miss Bshennaty and Mr. White
Message from the ABA Cafeteria Committee The new and improved buffet selection was trialed this week. Feedback from students and staff has been very positive. Next week’s menu is below, also posted on ABA’s website. We value your continuing feedback.
WEEK 2 MENU
5 February – 9 February Week 1
CAFETERIA MENU
Meat Entrée Veg. Entrée Main Soup Salad
Sun, Italian
Chicken and Vegetable Cheese Gratin Baked chicken and vegetables with cheese topping.
Assorted mini pizza - 3 choices. Vegetable, Chicken and Cheese Cheese pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, herbs)Chicken /Taj Mahal pizza -a little spicy (mashed chicken, green pepper, mushroom, cheese, tomato sauce, garlic) Vegetable pizza (capsicum, onion, mushroom, olives, cheese, tomato sauce)
Three choices of Pasta (penne, tagliatelli, and spaghetti)with three choices of sauce ( tomato, white sauce and mixed sauce) . The mixed sauce contains cheese, cream, tomato, garlic and herbs.
Homemade Pumpkin soup 500 bzs per cup with optional whole-meal bread roll.
Cheese and tomato salad with pesto cream
Mon, Indian Chicken Tikka Masala Grilled chicken, cooked in tandoori oven with Indian masala sauce
Vegetable Korma Mixed vegetables with coconut sauce
Mutton curry / white rice Fresh mutton with curry sauce (mixed spices)
Homemade Chicken soup 500 bzs per cup with optional whole-meal bread roll.
Potato rolls Mashed potato rolled with chopped vegetables fried in oil
Omani chicken saloon Chicken with vegetables and a few spices
Homemade Lamb & Vegetable soup 500 bzs per cup with optional whole-meal bread roll.
Arabic salad Lettuces, tomato, cucumber, olives, olive oil, lemon juice
Diana Malik
Message from the Environment Team U.S. Embassy Message
The U.S. Embassy Muscat Green Team is in the process of creating a Green Guide to provide a source to “live green” in Muscat and to support the eco-diplomacy initiatives of the Department of State. Their proposed chapters will include information on electric and water conservation, xeriscaping, reuse and recycling, and technology. As a part of this project and in anticipation of Earth Day 2017, they have invited ABA and TAISM students to participate in creating artwork for use within the guide and on the cover. Guidelines for the artwork, the due date and ABA’s coordinator are in the flyer below.
EARTH DAY 2017
U. S. Embassy Muscat / Call for Art Submissions
THEME: Conserving our Planet - U.S. Embassy Muscat is calling for artist’s submissions to be included in the U.S. Embassy Muscat
Green Guide.
- Winning submissions by grade level will be included in the publication. One piece will be chosen
as the cover of the guide.
REQUIREMENTS:
- All media encouraged (drawings, collage, prints, paintings, computer-generated graphics, sculpture, mosaic, etc.).
SUBMISSIONS:
- Must be original - Must incorporate some recycled or reused materials - Must be labeled with the artist’s initials and grade level
Wed. Chinese Hong Kong Chicken with Mushrooms Stir fried chicken with mushroom, capsicum, cauliflower
Vegetable and Noodle Rice Rice cooked with vermicelli, onion, chilly, garlic, ginger
Sauté Vegetables Chinese style Assorted vegetables with soya, ginger, garlic
Homemade Chinese Noodle soup Rice noodles with vegetables. 500 bzs per cup with optional whole-meal bread roll.
Green beans salad Fresh green beans, tomato, olive oil, lemon
Thu, Continental
Philadelphia Chicken Chicken cooked with green capsicum , onion, tomato, cream sauce
Oriental Rice Rice cooked with minced meat
Roasted Beef and Vegetables Oven baked beef with vegetables
Homemade Mixed Vegetable soup 500 bzs per cup with optional whole-meal bread roll.
- Judging will be divided into four categories by grade level of participants (K – 2, 3 – 5, 6 – 8, 9 – 12).
- Winning submissions will be announced on March 29th and will be photographed and reproduced
to be included in the U.S. Embassy Muscat Green Guide. - All original works will be returned to the artist.
DUE DATE: March 15, 2017
- Submit all final work to AB A’s coordinator : Mrs. Diana Malik
Eco Soc Junk to Funk Fashion Show Eco Soc’s annual Junk to Funk Fashion show was held on the 22nd of January. To see more pictures of the event and to read more about it please go to ABA's Eco blog which can be found here: http://ecosocaba16.weebly.com/blog
Message from the Health Office
Dear Parents, Please remember to check your child’s head regularly as we are still seeing some cases of Head lice across all grades. If you are unsure of how to do this or what to look for please call into us and we will help you. To help stop this problem all long hair should be tied up whilst at school. Thank you, Lena & Jo. School Nurses
Message from the Technology Department Dear Parents, ABA will be providing Secondary school parents with their own ManageBac account in February. In order to support parents with the use of this account the school will be providing workshops on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:30 - 8:30 am and 5:30 - 6:30 pm. These workshops will take place in the Secondary lecture hall, adjacent to the High School cafeteria. A registration form will be sent out later next week. Peter Wadsworth – Director of Technology
The following fund request will be presented and voted on at our next PTA meeting on February 6th, 2017. We apologize to anyone who is unable to attend the meeting, but only those present at the meeting will have a vote. If you would like to comment on the request, and cannot attend the meeting please email us at [email protected] and we will present your comment for you. Requested by: Paul Brace, Athletic Director
Playing Kit- with the increase in the amount of students we have in sport more kits are needed for ES, MS and HS. Specifically we need MPSL tops and shorts for the ES, Basketball for MS, top ups of kit from this current year, warm up track suits, coaching staff tops. Currently we only have one shirt for coaches which is not
enough for when you train and represent ABA more than 2-3 times in a week or when at MESAC for 4-5days. 4700 OMR This would cater for all divisions at ABA.
Supporting students/families in financial difficulty. Some of our students are unable to travel to MESAC events representing ABA as they have financial problems. 500 OMR for the year be allocated to to this fund and parents request directly to the PTA if this funding is needed. This would be for gr 8-12 families only.
3 quotes: The quality in the local market is not suitable for playing kit. The company that we use in the states is a professional well priced company.
Upcoming Events
International Cultural Festival
The International Cultural Festival is a much-loved annual tradition at ABA. It is an opportunity for our whole community to get together, share and learn about each others’ cultures, foods, games and entertainment from all around the world.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a truly diverse and multicultural community at ABA and this year is the UN Year of Sustainable Tourism - we hope you will get involved to help make this event very special.
We need your help. Can you share a little of your time to volunteer in one of the following ways?
Coordinate a Country Stall
Help run a Stall
Donate food or decorative items for a Stall
Help on the day of the Festival
Help organise a cultural dance, song or show for the
entertainment
Organise a game from your country
Anything that would help people understand what is unique and wonderful about where you come from would be great.
Facebook Page
Check us out at ABA Oman PTA! Like us and keep up with the PTA’s news.
PTA Dates for your Diary
PTA Open Meeting
Monday February 6th, 2017 at 7:40am in the PTA Room
Your PTA
Messages for the Community
GOOOOOOOO VIPERS!!
VIPERS JV Soccer, JV Basketball, & Senior Fine Arts are showcasing their VIPERS pride and exceptional athletic & artistic skills across the region this weekend. Wishing all our travelling VIPERS a safe, fun, and very successful competition. GO VIPERS!!! Varsity Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, & Cross Country will compete next weekend in New Dehli, Abu Dhabi, and here in beautiful Muscat. ‘Who we are, is why we win’ WE ARE VIPERS!!
LET’S SHOW OUR STRIPES!! Next weekend 09-11 February, ABA will host MESAC Tennis & Cross Country. To showcase our community spirit, VIPERS pride, & support our athletes we will be providing a hearty & tempting concession stand including our delicious Booster Club BBQ! If you can donate your time, your BBQ skills, or your baking skills, then we would LOVE to hear from you. An email was sent out earlier this week, seeking your support. Feel free to
drop us a line [email protected] if you have any questions or require more information.
NOTE: Thursday 09 Feb will be a regular school day. All ABA students will have access to the Booster Club concession stand during break times. BRING YOUR BAIZA’s!!
‘Show Your INK’ with our NEW official VIPERS temporary tattoos! Designed exclusively for our ABA community. Support for your favorite team at their next tournament or event by wearing your ‘VIPERS pride’ on your sleeve, your wrist, your cheek, or wherever you like to ‘Show Your Stripes’! ONLY available from VIPERS Booster Club!!!!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED…. UPCOMING EVENTS: MESAC Tennis / Cross Country 9th-11th February – Concession & Merchandise Stand PTA ICF – 9th March – Merchandise Stand ISTA Festival – 10th-11th March – Concession & Merchandise Stand
