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DUBAI COLLEGEA tradition of quality in educationeBulletinDUBAI COLLEGEU.A.E.News Sport House Events Issue No. 26 24th October 2012Headmasters ForewordIt has certainly been an extremelybusy yet highly productive startto the new school year. Classeshave settled back to work, ourEnrichment Day has taken placeand the Co-Curricular programmeis well underway. The MusicDepartment has hosted theSchubert ensemble, our newDrama Department has beenbusily rehearsing their first verychallenging production, our hugenumber of sports teams have beenin action against local, regional andtop quality international opposition,the F1 in Schools Team has beenpreparing for the Abu DhabiWorld Finals, the UAE selectionprocess for the World DebatingChampionships has taken place,the student inspired and organisedYouth Tedx event is about to happenDoha CollegeSportsExchangeThe Dubai College travelling partyrecently returned victorious fromthe 29th annual Doha CollegeSports Exchange, having enjoyeda weekend of excellent sportingcompetition. The party consistedof 50 pupils who participated ina total of 26 events. All activitieswere fiercely contested but werealso played with a tremendousamount of fair play andsportsmanship.We would like to thank thefamilies of the Doha College pupilsfor their generosity in billetingall members of the Dubai Collegeparty. Additionally we would liketo convey our sincere thanks to theas is the Spanish educational visit toSpain ….and the list continues.In the midst of all this it isimportant not to forget our coretraditional events. The famous Y7Barbeque (hopefully not literally)occurs on 8th November. Wewill be welcoming students fromBedales School to Dubai College inDecember (an exchange which hasbeen taking place for at least 20years) and the 29th Doha Exchangehas just very successfully takenplace in Qatar. It is our privilegeto host the extraordinary 30thAnniversary event next year.Tradition is very important tous – but so is educational change.You will see from this bulletin thatwe are about to launch a mobileDoha College staff for organizingsuch a fantastic weekend for ourpupils to participate in.We look forward to welcomingDoha College in 2013 for the30th anniversary of the SportsExchange.device pilot scheme for a numberof subjects in Y12 and improve ourwhole school communication bylaunching ‘The Communicator’which will be available to allmembers of the DC community.New style Sixth Form ProgressReports will be distributed beforethe relevant Parent ConsultationEvenings during the next HalfTerm. Next term, for the firsttime, the College will be hostingthe prestigious ‘Young Musiciansof the Gulf Competition’ (weekcommencing 3rd February).After such a hectic start to the term Iam sure that the students are readyfor a well earned holiday.May I wish everyone a refreshingbreak and Eid Mubarak!

Dubai College Host DulwichCollege Boys Water poloDubai College hosted DulwichCollege Under 16 and 18 waterpolo teams on Sunday fortheir first taste of internationalcompetition. The Dulwich Under16 team have just qualified asthe top team to go through to theSouth of England schools finaland were formidable opponentsfor the Dubai College Under 16s.In the final two quarters DulwichCollege took control with the endresult being Dulwich College 9 v6 Dubai College. The U18 gamewas a much tougher encounter,fiercely contested with strongperformances from both teamswith Dulwich College winning by10 goals to 6. A great experiencefor all involved with friendshipsforged and ties made with DulwichCollege. A big thank you must goto the families that hosted theDulwich boys and Mr Balazs Kis, aformer Hungarian national WaterPolo player and Dulwich Collegecoach and Mr Gerard Murphy,a South African national playerfor refereeing and their coachingexpertise.Notice ofstudentwithdrawalPlease note that a full term’s noticein writing is required for studentwithdrawal otherwise a term’s feeswill be charged in lieu of notice.Change ofcontact detailsPlease ensure that the school officeis advised of any change in contactdetails.Rugby 7s victories against UWCSEA, SingaporeOn Tuesday 16th October, DCentertained United World College,Singapore for Rugby 7s fixtures atUnder 16 & 18 age categories.In a closely contested match DC’sUnder 16 team were victorious by 17points to 12, whilst DC’s Under 18swon by 37 points to zero.The Under 16s will have a returnfixture against UWCSEA inSingapore during their forthcomingFebruary tour.

Issam Al GhussainEarlier this year, DU and Man UtdSoccer Schools held a football eventto find 10 talented players whowould spend a week's all expensespaid training at Manchester UnitedSoccer School in the UK in July.Almost 1,000 hopefuls took partin the competition, which washeld over two weekends in Mayand June, and consisted of skills,challenges, mini-team matches,a nutrition class and a Man Utdquiz! Players were selected on thebasis of their personal attributesas well as their football skills andteamwork. We are delighted toreport that Issam Al Ghussain(9RD) was one of the 10 playerschosen to train at the Man UtdSoccer School in July. During thetraining week, Issam joined youngplayers from all over the world for5 days of skills development withprofessional Manchester Unitedcoaches and enjoyed a visit tothe Old Trafford Stadium. Issamcommented that the standard offootball and training was veryhigh and he is looking forward toputting his skills to good use on theDC football team again this year!A-Level MusicStudents at theMet!Students from Dubai College’sA-Level Music classes attended theopening night of the MetropolitanOpera Live Broadcasts, at theIMAX cinema in Meydan. Theseason of HD broadcasts livefrom the Lincoln Centre in NewYork, began with Donizetti’scomedic masterpiece, L’elisird’amore, which tells the tale ofa romantic peasant who tries towin the heart of a noblewomanby purchasing an elixir of love. Anumber of misunderstandingsand a cancelled wedding leadthe couple to eventually discovertheir true love for each other. Theopera is perhaps most famousfor the spellbinding aria, Unafurtive lagrima, which has beenperformed by some of the world’smost accomplished tenors,including the late great Pavarotti.We look forward to the next METbroadcast which will take placeearly in November.Maternity LeaveWe wish Miss Burton-Burton (History Department) well as she departs onher maternity leave. Mr Shaikh will be joining the History Department afterHalf-Term. Mr Shaikh has taught previously at Sir Henry Floyd GrammarSchool, Buckinghamshire and holds a First Class honours B.A. from theUniversity of London; an M.A. in History from Queen Mary College and aPGCE from Oxford University. Miss Drake (Head of History) will also bedeparting on maternity leave at the end of November. Mrs Thompson willtherefore be joining the department. She graduated in History and gainedher PGCE from The University of Natal and has taught previously in SouthAfrica and Emirates International School, Dubai (iGCSE and I.B.) where shewas Head of Y11.Mobile Device PilotAfter Half Term we will be launching a pilot Mobile Device learning initiative.Y12 students studying Drama, P.E. and Spanish (with English being added ata later date) will be provided with either an iPad or Samsung tablet which theywill keep until the end of the academic year. We will be testing the devicesfor their resilience and the usefulness of various add-ons such as keyboardsand headphones. Their ‘value-added potential’ will be assessed across the fullspectrum of learning scenarios. The pilot will be thoroughly reviewed duringthe early part of the Summer Term before implementing the second phaseof the initiative. Further details will be provided after the Half Term break tothose involved.The CommunicatorTo improve communication across the school we will be launching ‘TheCommunicator’ application after Half-Term. It is a system used by manyschools around the world and we will be using it to notify all members ofthe DC community of upcoming events and news. ‘The Communicator’can run on your mobile device and/or home computer. Further detailsof how to download ‘The Communicator’ will be forwarded immediatelyafter Half-Term.

The SixthFormProductionPunk Rock by Simon StephensDC Theatre - The Sixth FormProduction by permission ofSamuel French Ltd.16th, 17th & 18th DecemberThe Auditorium, 7:30pmThe new DC Drama Departmentlaunch their first production withSimon Stephen’s challengingand powerful portrayal of thepressures that teenagers face intodays society. This witty, astuteand devastating piece is broughtto life by talented and committedDC thespians, who have begunto delve deeply into these diverseand intriguing characters.With powerful themes vividlyportrayed, this production is notfor the faint hearted. You maylaugh, you may even cry a little.Come on a rollercoaster of passionand heartbreak and see what theseyoung actors can really do. Detailsof how you can purchase ticketswill be released soon.“Everything human beings do finishes up bad in the end. Everythinggood human beings ever make is built on something monstrous. Nothinglasts. We certainly won’t...”Simon Stephens evokes the twilight world of the teenager with vividnessin Punk Rock. Telegraph rating: * * * *For now though, put the dates in your diary and track our progress ontwitter and facebook.Twitter: @dc_theatreFacebook: DC Theatrehttp://www.dubaicollege.org/pages/activities/theatre.phpDC Theatre coming soon: Hansel & Gretel, The TempestOxbridge Applications Preparation DayRenowned for their rigorous,challenging and at times outlandishstyle of interview the Universities ofOxford and Cambridge (whateveryour personal opinion) still holda perennial appeal for bright andambitious Sixth Form studentsfrom around the world, and whynot? From the two institutionshave sprung almost 130 Nobel PrizeWinners, over 90 Archbishops andnearly 40 British Prime Ministers,not to mention countless foreignprime ministers, monarchs, captainsof industry, authors, actors, poetsand playwrights. And so it seemed inkeeping with the kinds of problemsposed to aspiring undergraduatesthat Dubai College should be facedwith the logistical challenge ofconvening five Oxbridge graduates,from three countries in one placeto provide interview training for26 Sixth Form students from sixschools across the UAE and Qatar.Yet without so much of a hint oflost luggage or a delayed flight, onSaturday 13th October both studentsand tutors descended on DubaiCollege for the first ever inter-schoolOxbridge interview preparation dayin the region. Hosted by DC, run bythe UK-based company OxbridgeApplications and attended bystudents from the British School AlKhubairat, Dubai English SpeakingCollege, Jumeirah College, the LyceeBonaparte in Qatar and GEMSWellington, as well as Dubai Collegeitself, the event was a resoundingsuccess. Hopeful applicants took partin interview workshops, discussingpast questions and productive waysto approach them as well as mocktutorials run by students who hadactually experienced the lessonsfirst hand. The day culminated in aseries of mock interviews designedas far as possible to replicate thereal thing so that students would beexposed to pressures similar to thosethey will feel on the day. Feedbackfrom students, parents and teacherswas overwhelmingly positive andas a result we are hoping to repeatthe event herafter. It has also setthe wheels in motion for othercollaborative days between the SixthForms throughout the UAE in a bidto share best practice and ensurethat we are offering the same serviceto students out here as they couldexpect to have back in the UK.

Schubert EnsembleMonday 8th October saw theacclaimed Schubert Ensemble visitDubai College Music Department,giving a recital to over 230students. The ensemble, wholast visited the College in March2011, were in Dubai performingat DUCTAC for the Dubai ConcertCommittee.Students from Dubai Collegewere treated to a recital whichincluded works by Butler, VaughnWilliams as well as a fascinatinganalyses of the Trout Quintet bytheir namesake Schubert. YasineEl-Ashmawi (Year 13) was alsoon hand to act as page-turner forthe pianist, a role which he alsoperformed at their Gala Concert inDUCTAC in the evening.In existence for over 29 years,The Schubert Ensemble is one ofthe world’s leading exponents ofmusic for piano and strings. Aswell as performing music fromthe classical canon, the musicianshave gained a reputation forpremiering new works whichhave over 80 commissions totheir name. The ensemble’s workincludes holding a Residency atthe Birmingham Conservatoire, aswell as performances throughoutEurope, the Americas and Asia.Most recently they have recordedDvorak’s Piano Quintet and PianoQuartet for the Chandos label,which was released in May 2012.We extend our gratitude to theDubai Concert Committee aswell as our sincere thanks to theSchubert Ensemble, and lookforward to their next visit to theU.A.E. and Dubai College.More information on the group isavailable at www.schubertensemble.comDubai College is delighted to be thehost school for this year’s YoungMusicians of the Gulf Competition.This prestigious celebration ofmusical talent was founded by St.Christopher’s School, Bahrain, andhas quickly become the leadingmusic competition in the region.Adjudicated by three professionalmusicians brought in from theUnited Kingdom, Young Musiciansof the Gulf allows students tocompete in a range of solo andchamber ensemble categories.This four-day event culminatesin a Grand Final where the top6 performers will compete in aconcert setting.Being such a high-profile eventwe will be seeking sponsorship,both in kind and as cash. Wehave put together some suggestedsponsorship levels and are lookingat the types of services whichare required to mount such anevent. If you or your companywould like to get involved, wewould be delighted to discuss yourideas or share our thoughts onsponsorship levels. Please emailabrsm@dubaicollege.org for moreinformation.

Swimminground upWe have seen a number ofcompetitions in the pool during thefirst half term of this school yearand once again the swim squad hasproduced a number of great results.In the DASSA swim league we haverecorded first place in the first tworounds of the competition so far,with a number of very impressiveperformances from our newstudents in Year 7.On Saturday 20th October severalswimmers participated in theNancy Crosser Memorial Gala atASD and came away with a haul ofmedals in a number of events andage groups. ( see photograph)Once again the Hamdan swimmingcentre has played host to a roundof the FINA World Cup swimmingseries and many Dubai Collegestudents had the opportunity tocompete in events alongside theOlympic heroes such as Chad LeClos! Congratulations to EmmaHoward, Zahra Kapasi, MatthiasFalzon-Young, Matthew Dunne andMaisy Duncan who all benefittedfrom this experience.Poppy Appeal2012Dubai College has this week sentPoppy Appeal collecting boxesand poppies out across Dubai toover 100 locations. Please contactthe office if you know somewherewe’ve missed that would like toparticipate – perhaps your school,club or office. We also have astock of some smart poppy pins forjacket lapels as well as wristbands,both available at the Dubai Collegereception. The Poppy Appeal willend on Remembrance Sundaywhich this year is 11 November.

Our Alumni Association really isgoing from strength to strength andmy thanks to everyone involved butespecially the two main drivers:Mike Deelman (International) andPeter de Benedictis (UAE).They are holding their AGM onTuesday 6th November at theObservatory, Marriott Hotel, DubaiMarina and details can be obtainedfrom the website www.dcalumni.org We hope as many Alumni(21 plus!) can attend as well asmembers of staff. They havedeveloped an exciting calendarof events to support our presentcohort of students includingour annual Alumni Y11 CareersConvention, mentoring for ourSixth Form students with referenceto university applications and,hopefully,Y12 Work Shadowing inthe final term.Our now traditionally end of termCollege V Alumni Sports fixtureswill be taking place on Wednesday19th December at 4.00pm and wehope for a large supportive crowdfor the games (supporting theCollege obviously).

Enrichment DayThe College held its firstEnrichment Day on Tuesday, 2ndOctober. Feedback from bothstudents and staff was generallyvery positive indeed. Yes, wecertainly have to tweak a few aspectsbut overall the students enjoyed,and crucially learnt a great dealfrom, the experience. A whole rangeof issues were covered under thegeneral heading of ‘Awareness’. Theday began with a very entertainingbut thought provoking talk tothe whole College from Mr. NasifKayed, General Manager, SheikhMohammed Centre for CulturalUnderstanding.Year Groups then followed ageappropriate programmes rangingfromLower School:Stranger DangerWell, that’s what I think! (You andyour opinions)Whose side are you on? (Friendshipand Bullying)One small step for Man (Starting aNew School)Rights, what rights? (Children’sRights)Cyber SafetyWe only have one planet!Marketplace Madness.Colour of MoneyDon’t be a Hater! Stereotyping/discrimination/Racism.Nic O’TeenWho am I? (Teenage Issues)To Middle School:Human RightsMoney MattersStereotyping – how and why do westereotype?Recognising and Avoiding StressThe Perils of FacebookSmart PartyAnd Sixth Form:MinefieldNeuro-linguistic ProgrammingCoaching and MentoringMindfulnessStudents and staff are alreadyworking together on selecting themost appropriate topics for the nextEnrichment Day in January (oneEnrichment Day per term).Off to the World Debating ChampionshipsAarya Mishra and Owen Over from our SixthForm have proved themselves to be two of thebest debaters in the country and have been chosento represent the United Arab Emirates in thisJanuary’s World Debating Championships inTurkey. This is an incredible achievement - thecompetition to secure a place on the squad of fivewas extremely tough and their being chosen istestament to their fierce intelligence, eloquence anddedication.A special mention must also go to Samer Ashur whomade it to the final 8 and to Danielle Soares whoalso debated outstandingly in the earlier trials.All through this process our students have beenexcellent ambassadors for the College and there isno doubt they will prove themselves to be excellentambassadors for the UAE in January.

Second-handUniform forSaleIf you wish to purchase secondhanduniform it will be availablefor sale at all ConsultationEvenings, major events oralternatively you may contact FDCrepresentative Julie Heyster tel:050 6999325