From the Editor’s Desk... Esprit De Corps NOVEMBER, 2016 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1 Investiture Ceremony Storytelling Competition History Exhibition Graduation 2016 Dear loyal readers of the Esprit de Corps, Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmutullahi Wa Barakatuhu! I welcome you all back from the longest vaca- tion we’ve had over the past years, and while I’m sure you are eager to know more about what we – the students of Al-Waha – have done so far, do wait a little longer before you move on and allow me to say a few words. Having gone from being a reporter to sub-editor to now being a chief editor, I must say it is quite nerve-wrecking. Earlier, all I had to do was write an article and send it forward or proofread an article and send it on to the editors, but now that I am in a position where I have to take responsi- bility and make decisions to ensure everything is in order, it is quite challenging and like nothing I have done before. Regardless, I have wholly embraced this endeavour which I will definitely cherish in the future. With that in mind, let me first begin by telling you of how the term began for us –the students. Walking through the familiar blue gates of the school, we had looked around the campus, taking in all the changes made to the school’s infrastructure over the extended vacation. In class, we yawned and rubbed our eyes, trying hard to concentrate, but the habits of the long vacation were carved deep into us. It took us a while, but like every year we managed to pick ourselves up with the help of our understanding teachers and shift back into gear for a new chal- lenging year. As everyone entered a new grade, we wel- comed a new addition to the senior section; our new batch of 4 th graders. It was adorable to hear their sweet, high pitched voices replying to our morning assembly greeting. As the initial weeks flew by, teachers began teaching according to each subject’s study plan, while the students – now wide awake – listened carefully, made notes, and began to do the list of homework and tests. This year, however, Al-Waha has intro- duced another aspect of technology into its education program. Instead of homework dia- ries, we will now be signing in to the school website and accessing our homework assign- ments online. In fact, parents can easily track their child’s progress and be in-the-know about assignments and their due dates – Yikes! The beginning of this academic year has cer- tainly seen quite a few new developments: the division of the senior school into two sections: the middle school and high school; the room previously known as the ‘Common Room’ has now been titled as a ‘Resource Room’ where we are encouraged to partake in focused study sessions and watch the news to keep updated and aware of world affairs. Within a blink of an eye, it was that time of the term again. The time where all the co-curricular activities begin. The hard-work, preparation and nerves which are invested in the planning and participation of the activities is a once-in-a life- time experience for us students and the excite- ment and anticipation fill our hearts as the dates for each event comes closer. What activities, you ask? Well, you’ll find out as you move on to the next page and then to the other... From appointing new leaders in every class to the many thrilling events like the E.M Activity, History Exhibition, Digital Creation: Chart & Poster making, and Report writing com- petitions, to the impressive handwriting competi- tion of all the languages taught in our school, to the one event that provoked fear, joy, shock, and tears in every student: the Art of Storytell- ing! By now you must be quivering with excitement to click on to the next page, so wait no longer. Go ahead and enjoy, dear readers, the experi- ence and the behind-the-scenes of every excit- ing event included in this first issue of Esprit de Corps! Happy Reading! -Sana Taha (12G), Chief Editor Page 1
Transcript
From the Editor’s Desk...
Esprit De Corps N O V E M B E R , 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 1
Investiture
Ceremony
Storytelling
Competition
History
Exhibition
Graduation 2016
Dear loyal readers of the Esprit de Corps,
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmutullahi Wa Barakatuhu!
I welcome you all back from the longest vaca-tion we’ve had over the past years, and while I’m sure you are eager to know more about what we – the students of Al-Waha – have done so far, do wait a little longer before you move on and allow me to say a few words.
Having gone from being a reporter to sub-editor to now being a chief editor, I must say it is quite nerve-wrecking. Earlier, all I had to do was write an article and send it forward or proofread an article and send it on to the editors, but now that I am in a position where I have to take responsi-bility and make decisions to ensure everything is in order, it is quite challenging and like nothing I have done before. Regardless, I have wholly embraced this endeavour which I will definitely cherish in the future. With that in mind, let me first begin by telling you of how the term began for us –the students.
Walking through the familiar blue gates of the school, we had looked around the campus, taking in all the changes made to the school’s infrastructure over the extended vacation. In class, we yawned and rubbed our eyes, trying hard to concentrate, but the habits of the long vacation were carved deep into us. It took us a while, but like every year we managed to pick ourselves up with the help of our understanding teachers and shift back into gear for a new chal-lenging year.
As everyone entered a new grade, we wel-comed a new addition to the senior section; our new batch of 4th graders. It was adorable to hear their sweet, high pitched voices replying to our morning assembly greeting. As the initial weeks flew by, teachers began teaching according to each subject’s study plan, while the students – now wide awake – listened carefully, made notes, and began to do the list of homework and tests. This year, however, Al-Waha has intro-duced another aspect of technology into its education program. Instead of homework dia-
ries, we will now be signing in to the school website and accessing our homework assign-ments online. In fact, parents can easily track their child’s progress and be in-the-know about assignments and their due dates – Yikes!
The beginning of this academic year has cer-tainly seen quite a few new developments: the division of the senior school into two sections: the middle school and high school; the room previously known as the ‘Common Room’ has now been titled as a ‘Resource Room’ where we are encouraged to partake in focused study sessions and watch the news to keep updated and aware of world affairs.
Within a blink of an eye, it was that time of the term again. The time where all the co-curricular activities begin. The hard-work, preparation and nerves which are invested in the planning and participation of the activities is a once-in-a life-time experience for us students and the excite-ment and anticipation fill our hearts as the dates for each event comes closer.
What activities, you ask? Well, you’ll find out as you move on to the next page and then to the other... From appointing new leaders in every class to the many thrilling events like the E.M Activity, History Exhibition, Digital Creation: Chart & Poster making, and Report writing com-petitions, to the impressive handwriting competi-tion of all the languages taught in our school, to the one event that provoked fear, joy, shock, and tears in every student: the Art of Storytell-ing!
By now you must be quivering with excitement to click on to the next page, so wait no longer. Go ahead and enjoy, dear readers, the experi-ence and the behind-the-scenes of every excit-ing event included in this first issue of Esprit de Corps!
Happy Reading!
-Sana Taha (12G), Chief Editor
Page 1
The stress of the long syllabus. The challenging questions from Cambridge. The late night studying and piles of notebooks filled with notes are all the common side-effects of the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). The long hours of past-paper practice and drops of tears shed in prayer for a good result are things our seniors from Grade 10, 11 and 12, know all too well. After giving their respective exams (IGCSE, AS and A Level) during the May/June session ,our hard-working seniors went on to enjoy their summer vacation, forgetting all about the stress until the destined day arrived on August 11th, 2016 – the day of the results.
Tears of happiness and screams of joy escaped every students’ mouth as they celebrated their results. However, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you their strenuous yet worthwhile expe-rience. The students’ consistent uphill struggle and the teachers’ altruistic, incessant effort finally, all paid off!
Maintaining the tradition of academic excellence, performance in individual subject streams has been outstanding and an impressive array of A* and A grades have marked student achievements in Lan-guages, Sciences, Mathematics, Humanities and ICT. The entire group of students upheld the school’s name and kept the banner flying not high, but higher this year; and the entire school is proud of their achievements. The graphs on the sides represent the outcome of their results…
-Rania Ahmed , 9G1
A Moment of Pride - The CIE results
VISION STATEMENT OF
THE SCHOOL
The vision of Al Waha International School is to
foster a holistic develop-ment of its students in a progressive environment so that they desire and enjoy the pursuit of knowledge and a life consistent with Islamic
teachings.
Page 2
3
As the long list of thrilling events began, so did the prepara ons for the two most awaited events: The Saudi Na onal Day and the
Eid Party celebra ons.
Our awaited day included a two‐hour special assembly for the Saudi Na onal Day, in which we were provided with comprehensive
informa on about The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its eminence, and the Vision 2030. The presenta on was followed by a quiz that
sent everyone’s arms raised high ‐ all in an cipa on for earning the chocolate treat! A short skit and a tradi onal dance, with the
country’s flags flying in the air, took place. Mrs. Eman, our Principal, gave a heart‐warming speech, highligh ng the efforts of the
Kingdom to fight against terrorism. We then recited the Na onal Anthem, concluding the exhilara ng event, and everyone exited
the green and white draped auditorium with enthusiasm for the next des na on: the Eid Party.
The students were dressed in a fes val of colours; some influenced by the Saudi tradi on, while others in their Eid clothes, all in ac‐
cordance with the Islamic dress code. We filled our tummies with the great varia on of desserts and other foods, and following our
teachers guidance ensured there wasn’t any excessive waste of food. It was surely a part of the celebra on to exempt ourselves
from the daily rou ne of school and indulge in the series of games and ceaseless fun.
A new source of entertainment was also introduced by the seniors of our school: the musical chairs. It was a compe on between
the sec ons of each grade that required running at full speed and of course, saving your seat!
Not only the students, but the teachers too, took part in this ac vity and had nearly the same amount of adrenaline and compe ‐
on pumping in their blood, as they ran around in circles along the chairs; the spectators were none other than their loving stu‐
dents. A er tons of heart‐warming smiles and gra tude towards the brilliance of the day, our fa gue was nothing compared to our
happiness.
“Not only did we get to celebrate Eid with our friends and teachers, but we were even able to celebrate the Saudi Na onal Day to‐
gether – the day couldn’t have been any be er!”, exclaimed Shahd Ayman of 8G2.
~Asmaa Mohammed, 8G2
A Day Filled with Twice the Fun – The Saudi National
Day & Eid Party
Page 3
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword- Handwriting Competition
English Handwriting competition
The morning of 10th October dawned bright and warm, and a sudden burst of ac vity broke out as sheets of paper were smoothed out, pens were uncapped,
and blue lines were has ly scribbled across a mul tude of different hands to check the quality of the ink. “Does anyone have a black gel pen?” a voice called
across the classroom. The students se led into their seats, expressions focused, the air rife with the tension of misspelling a word or messing up a le er. The
collec ve atmosphere of determina on was, in fact, for only one reason – the annual English Handwri ng compe on was well on its way!
Not only does this compe on help us improve our handwri ng, but it also shows us the importance of striving for perfec on and contributes to reading fluen‐
cy. Furthermore, neat handwri ng is a valuable asset to advance our grades – a er all, what would you rather read: an assignment wri en by a student with
diminu ve, clu ered font, or one wri en by a student in slanted, fancy cursive? As Mokokama Mokhonoana famously said, “A bad handwri ng is as annoying to
a reader as an irrita ng voice is to a listener.” Although every student’s handwri ng, chao c or orderly, has its own peculiar charm, there can only be a few vic‐
tors at the end of the day. The winners are listed on the next page.
– Injila Jawaid, 9G2
Second Language handwriting competition
"...thebeautyandnobility,theaugustmissionanddestiny,ofhumanhandwriting."‐GeorgeBernardShaw,PygmalionJustlikehowourphysicalappearance,attireandbodylanguageenunciatesquitealotaboutus,similarly,t’softenheardthatone’shandwritingspeaksabouthis/herpersonality.So,tohaveabeautifulhandwritingisliketoshowyourinnerbeautytoareaderwhoseunawareofyourpersona.Duetothisreason,itisanintegralpartofanindividual’sskill.AlWahagivesutmostsigni icancetothis,whichiswhytheSecondLanguagehandwritingcompetitionisheldeveryyearforallfoursecondlanguagesofferedinourschool.Theeventwasheldbetweenthe9thto13thOctoberduringthestudents’secondlanguageclasses.Studentsofthegirl’ssectionateachgradelevelwerecompetingwiththeboys’sectionoftheequivalentgradelevelandbytakingthisfactintoconsider‐ation,thecerti icatethesevictorswereawardedholdsmoreweight.Theirarduouseffortshavede initelygivenexcellentresults. -Nourain Inam Khan, 8G-1
Page 4
5
Arabic Handwri ng Compe on (Non‐Arab)
Grade 4 5 6 7 8 9
First Halah Anwar,
4G3 Soha Bilal,
5G3 Husna Shoaib,
6G3
Nur Suarafana,
7G2
Zainab Rizwan, 8G2
Leena Rayees Ahmed, 9G2
Second Amal Aziz,
4G3 ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
Arabic Handwri ng compe on (Arab)
Grade 4 5 6 7 8 9
First Place
Razan al-Shareef, 4G2
Tala Fathi, 5G3
Salsabeel Ahmed, 6G3
Danah Mohammed,
7G2 Mukarrama Zahid, 7G2
‐ Malak Rani,
9G2
Second Place
‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Janah
Mohammed, 8G2
‐
French Handwri ng compe on
Grade 6 7 8 9
First Place Amna Rehan, 6G1
Hamayel Mashkoor, 7G1 Alexis Gabriel, 8G2
Raniyah Zaman, 9G1
Second Place ‐
Abdul Rahman Zubair, 7B1
‐ Jabir Mohammad, 9B1
Hindi Handwri ng compe on
Grade 4 5 6 7 8
First Place Hidayat Ali Mir, 4B1
Javeria Mohammad Javed, 5G1
Yusra Raihan, 6G1
Zainab Sid‐dique, 7G2
Sofia Khan, 8G1
Second Place
Shaima Junaid, 4G1
Ahil Arif Bijle, 5B1 Qaid Noor Malik, 6B1
Zaid Khadri, 7B1 Nourain Inam, 8G1
Urdu Handwri ng compe on
Grade 4 5 6 7 8 9
First Place
Sawsan Jeelani, 4G3
Aleeza Naeem, 5G2
Muneeba Farhat, 6G3
Manahil Siddiqui, 7G2
Laiba Ijaz, 8G1
Mashael Fa ma, 9G1
Second Place
Azan Khan, 4B2
Fa ma Asim, 5G2
Mamoon Majeed, 6B2
Rehmah Irshad, 7G3
Najaf Ahmed, 8B2
Xenel Islam, 9G1
Grade 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11&12
First
Place
Aleza,
4G2
Aleeza
Naeem,
5G2
Varsha
Raju, 6G1
Ashley
Nicole,
7G1
Nourain
Inam,
8G1
Injila
Jawaid,
9G2
Maarab
Zaheer,
10G1
Jewariya
Rizwan,
12G
Second
Place
Ayesha
A ab,
4G3
Hajar
Aslam,
5G1
Sanya
Tabasum,
6G1
Mukarrma
Zahid, 7G3
Asmaa
Moham‐
mad,8G2
Maha
Abdul
Rauf, 9G2
Saima
Khan,
10G1
Leen Al‐
Munla,
11G
Third
Place
Shaima
Junaid,
4G1
Mehreen
Ali, 5G3
Khadija
Rauf, 6G2
Mai
ahmed,
7G3
Rayya
Zafarul‐
lah, 8G2
Leena
Rayees
Ahmed,
9G2
Amtul
Noor,
10G1
Mariam
Faizer,
11G
Results
English handwri ng compe on
Page 5
Al Waha's Investiture Ceremony The meaning of the word "inves ture" is to be presented with a rank of honor, which in the case of Al‐Waha's Inves ‐
ture Ceremony, is when two girls from each class are selected and given the posi ons of Class Monitor and Assistant Monitor. To be thought of as capable enough for leading an en re class in whatever facet required, is a great honor and brings
about a sense of achievement. It indicates that the people chosen as monitor or assistant monitor have demonstrated responsi‐bility, sincerity, capability and leadership, which are the a ributes of a successful monitor. These quali es, once present in a per‐son, will help them in numerous ways in their life and their development which is essen al; hence why Al‐Waha is keen on hold‐ing this ceremony annually and puts in notable efforts in selec ng the most worthy of these posi ons.
The 18th of October, 2016, marked the Inves ture Ceremony of Al‐Waha Interna onal School. Every year, Al‐Waha holds a ceremony in which the class monitors and assistant monitors are badged. The ceremony started off with the president of the Student Council, Hera Abdul‐Wahid, giving a thought‐provoking speech revolving around leadership, its power and the re‐sponsibili es that come along with it. This was followed by the class teachers of each class badging their monitors and the assis‐tants, a er which they took the Al‐Waha Pledge of Leadership. By taking the pledge, they vowed to fulfill their du es and re‐sponsibili es at all mes, and vowed to be sincere and honest in all their endeavors.
The Al‐Waha Pledge of Leadership: “I hereby pledge to make a sincere effort to discharge my du es as a monitor and fulfill responsibili es as a student. I shall try my best to understand and respect the rights of my fellow students and remain disci‐plined, respec ul and truthful at all mes.”
‐Zara Fa mah Ahmed , 8G1
Grade Monitor Assistant Monitor 4G1 Jumana Yousuf Anood Mustafa
4G2 Hania Syed Nawal Jahanzaib
4G3 Sawsan Jeelani Zaina Rayees
5G1 Hajar Aslam Aafia Naushad
5G2 Syeda Amal Fatima Asim
5G3 Shofiyyah Bte Lujaen Mohammed
6G1 Sanya Tabassum Abeer Asif
6G2 Shada Ibrahim Areej Mammdouh
6G3 Rida Shamim Fathima Aushat
7G1 Sefana Abdella Hafsa Talha
7G2 Aiza Asim Roha Asif
7G3 Rehman Irshad Maha Khan
8G1 Wajeeha Farhan Irfana Bilal
8G2 Asmaa Mohammed Rafya Zafarullah
9G1 Nimra Rashid Asma Arshad
9G2 Thameenah Yasmin Leena Rayees
10G1 Sejal Samuel Zuha Mujahid
10G2 Alina Irfan Shavana Yousef
11G Maham Naveed Natalia Islam
12G Almas Rizvi Zoha Mujeeb
Page 6
Digital Creation Chart Making Competition
The IT chart making competition was a co-curricular activity for grades 4 and 5 which was held from 16th October till 20th October during the students’ ICT period. The students were taken to the ICT lab and were assigned different topics. They were then given an hour to research on their respective topics and design their charts in Microsoft Word. They had to decorate their charts by inserting pictures, borders, changing the font style, adding colors etc. After making the charts, they then printed their work one by one. The best pieces were selected from each section and were judged by the ICT coordinator, Mr. Nizam from the boys section, and a well deserved winner was selected from each grade.
Grade 4: FIRST POSITION - Zaina Rayees Ahmed (4G3) Grade 5: FIRST POSITION - Sarah Asad Ali (5G1) SECOND POSITION - Aneeqa Khan (4G1) SECOND POSITION - Maha Sohail (5G2) THIRD POSITION - Anood Mustafa (4G1) THIRD POSITION - Soha Bilal (5G3)
‐Javairiya Nadeem , 7G2
Poster Making Competition The ICT lab in Al-Waha is generally portrayed as being extremely serene and silent. However, from 23rd October, 2016, the once-peaceful lab had morphed into a raging battlefield of technological wits, as the ICT Poster-Making Competition for grades 6 and 7 was on the go!
Students were taken to the I.T Lab and were given topics randomly, some of the topics included computer viruses, modern robots, cyber bullying and computers and our society.
For the next hour and a half, the gears of competitive brains whizzed and whirred- brainstorming for several possible ideas to enhance their posters' content and appeal. Among the multitudes of printouts, despite all of them possessing their own unique flairs, a handful satisfied the judges' criteria and emerged as the victorious winners!
Grade 6: FIRST POSITION - Aleena Faiz (6G3) Grade 7: FIRST POSITION - Norma Hassan (7G1) SECOND POSITION - Sanya Tabassum (6G1) SECOND POSITION - Dana Mohammed (7G3) THIRD POSITION - Zainab Mahmood (6G2) THIRD POSITION - Nur Syarafan (7G2) – Anusha Rizvi 9G2
Report Writing Competition
The report writing competition was a new and challenging competition introduced this year for the senior grades, which had been announced on the 30th October, 2016. The ICT teachers, Mrs Jessy Joy and Ms Fatima Maqbool sent some "Important Hints & Tips of Writing Reports" to the partic-ipating grades of 8, 9 and 11. During the course of the week, the students prepared rigorously by taking references from their teachers' notes, from the Internet, getting assistance from their families and consulting their elder siblings for advice. During their ICT class, the students were properly instructed on the nature of the competition. After all the groups were assigned, the ICT teacher would come around to each group, holding out a box of chits, and would request them to pick one at random that revealed the topic of the report for each student. The reports had to contain relative information, written by the students themselves and had to be arranged in a manner that was both simple, organized and appealing to the eye. Inserting clip-art, pasting images, setting colorful borders, using attractively-styled fonts, maintaining consistency in data and applying bullet points was highly encouraged by the teachers. After working hard on their reports for two periods, the girls printed their work. Below, we reveal who the winners with the best reports are: Grade 8: FIRST POSITION - Nada Yousef & Khulood Nizam (8G2) SECOND POSITION - Salma Amir, Zainab Rizwan, Zaynab Azeem (8G2) THIRD POSITION - Qanitha Amir & Nourain Khan (8G1) Grade 9: FIRST POSITION - Anusha Rizvi & Asriany Afni (9G2) SECOND POSITION - Sundus Saleem & Salwa Shaukat (9G1) THIRD POSITION - Rania Ahmed & Nisma Khan (9G1) Grade 11: FIRST POSITION - Mubarra Yousuf SECOND POSITION - Raffia Waqas THIRD POSITION - Zernain Ahmed -Anusha Rizvi, 9G2
Page 7
Good Job!
8
Page 8
ChiefGuest&KeynoteSpeak-er:
Gra
du
ati
on
Ce
rem
on
y 2
016
Page 9
DrAbdullahAbbasNadwiScholasticAchievementAward:
YaraAhmed(Gr10)&UzmaLiyakatKhan(Gr12)
MrsSeemaAnis’swelcomeaddress&advicetothegraduates
10
Graduation 2016 – Our Senior Wahaites’ Championship Moment
"Fisherman's call: Save marine life, save life on earth!"
These words speak for themselves about the type of environment we are living in. The atypical creatures in our oceans are turning into endangered species and this went unno ced un l the E.M students, of grades 9 and 10, were courteous enough to shed light on this unperceived topic.
There was a challenging compe on held by the E.M students, which was a fair crack of the whip, for every
ar st from grades 4 to 9. Grade 4's had to print their imagina on of oceans on a bookmark. Grade 5's and
6's had to put their crea vity to the test and brainstorm to create posters on ocean pollu on or the causes
of ocean pollu on. Grade 7’s had to design a breath taking chart on deep sea diving. The complexity of the
challenge increased as the grades went up, and so, the 8th graders had to skillfully type their knowledge on
flyers while the 9th graders had to collect pictures to paste them on cardboards to form informa ve and in‐
triguing collages. All these alluring tasks were to be done using recycled sources. These unique pieces of
arts were judged by Mrs. Seema Anis, our head mistress, who announced the lucky winners.
On the a ernoon of the 26th of October, the auditorium was immensely full of an cipa on looking forward
to the E.M event ‐ Fisherman's call. The wait was over when a presenta on introducing E.M was presented
on screen. This was followed by more presenta ons and videos on marine pollu on, solu ons on how we
can save it and, most importantly, encouragement for sustainable shopping! A er all, encouragement from
any source is like a drop of rain upon a parched desert!
Finally, the winners were announced from each grade and were gi ed their respec ve cer ficates. This
event not only had spread awareness on marine life, but also helped us rediscover how special our seas and
oceans are to us and how we owe our precious lives to them.
We are also extremely grateful to our E.M teacher, Mrs. Tabassum, along with the students, without whom,
this event would not have been possible!
‐ Nimra Rashid 9G1
WILDERNESS BENEATH THE WAVES—EM Activity
Page 11
12
1 2
Caption describing
picture or graphic.
Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
Page 12
Sto
ry-t
ell
ing
com
pet
itio
n..
. 1 2
Caption describing
picture or graphic.
Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
Page 12
Sto
ry-t
ell
ing
com
pet
itio
n..
.
13
Page 13 Page 13
The Art of Story-telling Story-telling is an imaginative act of telling a story using verbal versatility, communicative fluidity, allusions, allegories, im-provisations, body language and skillful voice-manipulation. Moreover, it’s a culture that Al-Waha follows religiously; and this year was no exception!
The preparations of this enchanting, stirring event initiated about two weeks ago. In the preliminary round, an audition was conducted in each section through which the respective teachers chose the would-be narrators. Ensuing this, each section was divided into three teams all with their respective stories. This round revealed the final team members and narrators from each grade level, who would eventually contest against each other in the final round! The selected teams were given a week to finalize their stories and prepare for their performances, with the help of their respective teachers.
November 1, 2016, was the day of the final showdown. The auspicious event began with recitation of the Holy Quran; and from there the rocket of anticipation was launched. The comperes for the evening did an awe-inspiring job of maneuvering and cap-tivating the crowd throughout the event with their charm and hilarious puns. In addition to that, the elegant and stylish back-drop really brought the whole event together by giving words to the lifeless boards; with each of them narrating their own stories. A new attribute was introduced to this event which was the narration of moral based stories. This assured that the spectators will take a lesson from every tale they heard.
Anticipation and enthusiasm ran through the participant’s veins as they stood outside the auditorium waiting for their names to be announced. It was mind boggling to witness the stories climb the ladder of maturity as the grades ascended. We began with falling into the pit of the magical, fantasy world, subsequent to which we untied the knots of brilliantly planned murders and went through the rollercoaster of emotions. The stories left the unarmed crowd stabbed with awe and wonderment and left them pondering; and the judges in a thoughtful dilemma.
Nevertheless, every good thing comes to an end, but this time the end was not saddening thanks to our teachers, who managed to prepare the results just in time - our superheroes!
Maha Hassan, Jawahir Kamal, Jewariya Rizwan, Hera Abdul Wahid, Raveeha Irfan
‐
Page 18
CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS
Cleanliness is a word we come across daily. We're always instructed by our parents and teachers to maintain cleanliness everywhere. To some people, this word may carry little significance, but in real-ity, those people do not realize the great value and meaning behind this word. Islam encourages us to dedicate our time and efforts in maintaining cleanliness. The Messenger of Allah ( )صلى هللا عليه و سلم was reported to have said, “Cleanliness is half of faith’’ (Muslim).
The cleanliness of the body is essential for good health, for it is known that dirt and disease always go together. The methods of keeping ourselves clean include: showering regularly, washing our hands on a daily bases, taking good care of our skin, preventing body odour and brushing your teeth thrice a day. Trimming the fingernails and toenails regularly is another compulsory attempt at maintain-ing cleanliness, hence why every student in Al Waha is checked after the morning assembly to see whether or not they have trimmed their fingernails and dressed up tidily.
However, cleanliness is not limited to only the outer appearance, but it also involves the inner-self. The cleanliness of the heart and the body is an important aspect of Islam, and so is the cleanliness of our surroundings. This is why Al Waha is always keen on having us take care of our class rooms, since our school is our second home. To make sure that students don't leave their classes in an unti-dy condition at the end of the day, regular checks are carried out; but that's not all! There is a re-ward for the most well kept class, which is announced in the morning assembly; and the class that has been granted the award of “The Cleanest Class” from Middle School is 5G3, and 11G from the Senior School. Congratulations!
-Maha Khan (7G3)
Page 19
5G3
11G
Warm greetings! The school year has just begun and at the moment we might not have a lot of pressure to study, but in a few months, we sure will. I thought about what to write and finally settled on sharing some of my experiences and learned lessons over the past years. Studying can be challenging, and the struggle during examinations is real. Allow me to share what I keep repeating to myself: “Start learning from the beginning instead of panicking at the end”. Besides that, I think it’s best to remind ourselves that this school life we have been blessed with is a-once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we won’t be able to go back to it. So let’s put in our full effort, make the best of it, grab every opportunity and make memories. This is our prime age – you and I are young and still growing, we can mold and polish our brains the way we like by improvising strategies because the more we use it in the right way, the better it gets! Mistakes are a part of life-everybody makes them. When I make a mistake or go wrong, though it doesn’t feel very pleasant, I tell myself two things. First- I learnt something new, and what is valuable cannot be gotten easily. Second, never repeat it again and next time try harder. This is my final year in the school; therefore, I am constantly looking around for new opportunities and plan-ning for my future studies, which has led me to another realization - to pursue a path in life that you are passionate about, even if it is not easy - as long as it does not clash with our beliefs. There’s beauty in stepping out of the com-fort zone and fulfilling your passion head on! I wish the best for each one of you. Feel free to come up to me anytime - I will surely support you to the best of my ability provided school’s interest is the objective. Hera Abdul Wahid (12G) Student Council President
