In and Around Ajman Academy
All the latest news from May 2nd till May 24th
Primary Principal Message
Dear Parents,
It hardly seems possible that it is already the beginning of May and that the days are passing so quickly.
Last week in the Primary School we were delighted to celebrate and share many events as an IB PYP school that are recognized worldwide. The whole primary school focused on international mindedness and dressed in the colour or costumes of their home country which brought in our PYP learner profile attributes of ‘Appreciation’ ‘Respect’ and ‘Tolerance.’
This week we welcome a team from the International Baccalaureate Organisation for our 5 year evaluation visit. Cathie Mullen and Saham Sayed will be in the Primary School between 1st and 3rd of May.
From the 6th to the 10th of May we look forward to a visit from the Ministry of Education - Northern Emirates Inspection team.
All in all, by the end of this academic year, the Primary School team will have achieved four different accreditation or evaluation visits, which are of huge benefit while we plan for future developments in teaching and learning. We know ourselves particularly well following the self evaluation process for CIS, BSME, IBPYP and MOE therefore we are in a great position to move from strength to strength over this year and beyond.
Kerry Smith
Primary School Principal
Secondary Principal Message
Dear Parents,
It seems like the blessed month of Ramadan is coming round more quickly every year. The school year has been filled with many activities and experiences for the students, staff and parents. Some of these will be mentioned, although not all can be stated, as your children have been busy.
We have only had three weeks since the Spring Break and already there have been many events: The swimming competitions culminating in the Middle East Unity Cup (MUC) with our swim coaches and participants have worked tirelessly for, managing to achieve medals and records broken; Some of our Senior students attended the ceremony for the Maths Olympiad arranged by Ajman University; Robotics saw our young team work hard, even preparing and attending during weekends to achieve be one of the top two schools in the UAE to achieve certificates and trophy, with a plan to represent the UAE in the US in the summer which will be the first time in the competition’s history. The UAE wide initiative relating to Kick Cancer was also experienced by our students, with the Grade 6-10 Boy’s participating in activities held by an outside company. The in-school events for Girls’ and Boys’ was to wear blue on 16th April and to kicking the ball attempts. Earth Day was celebrated by all and organised by Mr Basil and helped to emphasise the need to stop using plastic bottles and the many ways in which we can all help to protect our environment. Anti-Bullying week saw the post competition and a focus on how to get rid of bullying, an initiative by the MoE. Nurse Abeer arranged for the MoH to speak to the Grade 9 and 10 Boys’ on health, which was worthwhile.
There are lots of tests going on for students taking place now with GL tests for all Grade groups and PISA testing for those students born in 2002. Letters were sent about details two weeks ago, with a reminder sent out yesterday. Study Leave starts from today (3rd May) for our Grade 11’s and 12’s. We wish them the very best of luck with their IGCSE’s and ‘A’ Levels. They will still be able to come in and consult with teachers during their usual timetabled lessons. GL tests are currently continuing and will do during the first week of Ramadan, as they are Ministry required tests the dates are set by the GL company and not the school. The penultimate week before the end of term (17th -21st of June 2018) internal school tests will be taking place. The ISA tests will also take place for Grade 6’s (along with 4 and 5) will be held during he 6-17th of May.
Sadly, we are saying ‘goodbye and good luck’ to our Grade 12 students this week. They have gathered many memories whilst being here and the staff have see them grow up into mature young people. Our very best wishes will be with them on their journey of life. Timetabled lessons will still be available for drop-in sessions to provide the support needed until the actual examination dates. There is a lavish Graduation Ceremony being prepared by Ms. Yasmeen on the 23rd of June, after the exams are over. This is a stressful time for students and their parents. If any any moral support is required at this time, the school will be ahoy to oblige.
With the farewells come the warm welcome to the Grade 5’s who have been joining Secondary School Morning Flag Assemblies. Their eager faces and friendly comments have been a real bonus for us and their involvement in the bi-weekly Assembly riddle. Inviting them to Lunch two days last weeks was a wonderful way of experiencing Secondary and meeting some of the staff too. Thanks goes to the Grade 5 teachers and Mr Darren for helping to organise this.
As you may have heard, the school is expected to be inspected by the MoE next week. It is a time of reflection for the school to help us be in a stronger place next year. Your commitment and support has been appreciated.
The Islamic and Arabic Department have been working carefully with the students and recently invited the Arabic author Ali Ezzidine for a Reading and Writing workshop with the Grade 6 Girls. Grade 6 also participated in the Arabic Reading Competition and successfully got the second round, which is commendable. We also have the Quran Competition to look forward to as the highlight of the Islamic Department. It was superb to see so many entrants for this and it will be held on the 22nd of May.
There will be a school Book Fair being organised by Mr Bob, the Librarian. After this we have trips organised for students in the last week of this term to make the end of term to look forward to.
Wishing you the peace and blessing of the month of Ramadan and Shabaan for you and your family. With only a few weeks left until the end of term, it is hoped that you all have a calm finish to the year.
Sam Hamdani
Acting Secondary School Principal
Highlights
Anti-bullying Week
Last week, the UAE initiated the "Anti-bullying Campaign" which AJAC proudly contributed to. Our theme was "SWT: Stand, Walk, Talk"
Stand: Stand up for themselves verbally. Being assertive.
Walk: Walk away from the situation. Find a friend.
Talk: Report the incident to a trusted adult or via the ‘safe boxes’.
Students were also asked to participate in making videos for anti-bullying week whereby a winner will be announced next week!
We would like to thank our Child Protection Officers around the school for making our students feel safe!
1000 Word Challenge
The I,000 Word Challenge Winners are …
Saif Balia 6B2
Ali Yaman Alhasan 6B2
Khaled Elayan 6B2
The English Department congratulates the boys for successfully completing this very tough challenge and for the professional presentation of their personal dictionaries of newly learned words.
As children progress through secondary school, parents become more focused on what they will do when they leave school: will they go to university? Will they take a role in the family business? Will they work for the government?
Many of our hopes for our children are focused on them doing well at school so that they will have choices for the future.
The three grade 6 students who won the 1,000 Word Challenge are already demonstrating that they have the skills and study habits to succeed.
So why did they complete the competition and how did they get the work done?
When I spoke to the boys about what motivated them to work so hard, they identified three reasons: (1) the prize; (2) the competition of being the first to find so many words; (3) the knowledge that students understanding a wide range of vocabulary get better grades.
Whilst two of the boys went over the work they had completed that day and recorded twenty new words, as well as the ones from the Read Theory assignments, one preferred to blitz through making his list every few days.
In the end, it does not matter which strategy your child takes to improve his or her vocabulary, as long as they do something. Your children will be taking the majority of their school leaving certificate examinations in English; I know you will encourage them to take steps to improve their vocabulary skills.
Elise Marlow
Head of English
Sports Activities
From table tennis, to volleyball to basket to swimming - AJAC is also surpassing the highest highs!
Pre-KG Open Day
Admissions are still open! Fill in the online form and you will be contacted for an assessment! Don't miss out on this opportunity to have your child be a part of the Ajman Academy family.
S4K International Theatre - The Little Mermaid
We are pleased to announce that S4K International Theatre company visited Ajman Academy and presented its production of the story of “The Little Mermaid” on Sunday, 6th May 2018. Students from PreKG to Grade 5 had the opportunity to attend the show in our school auditorium.
“The Little Mermaid” is a musical show that is suitable for 4 to 11 year olds, adapted from the famous Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen and made famous by the classic Disney movie.The story was magically brought to life and it told the tale of Marina, a beautiful young mermaid, who longed to leave her ocean home to live in the dry world above.
“The Little Mermaid” is a delightful, musical comedy show with plenty of audience participation, sea-shanties and interactive fun with live music from professional actor musicians. The performance was in English and was sensitively adapted for UAE audiences.
Punctuality and attendance
Respect and responsibility are two of our Core Values at Ajman Academy.
Good punctuality is a highly important measure of the respect that students and parents have for the school and the routine of the day. Punctuality is a foundation for academic achievement and it underpins all aspects of starting the day successfully.
We are noticing an increase in children arriving late to school which puts pressure on the child, and our receptionists early in the morning. We ask that all parents support us to ensure your child arrives at school no later than 7.45 AM to take part in the lineup and National Anthem together at 7:50 AM.
Punctuality also establishes our core value of having a responsible attitude towards the opportunities available in school. Ajman Academy is committed to providing a full and effective educational opportunity for all pupils. It is the policy of the school to celebrate success. Punctuality is a critical factor to a productive and successful start to the school day for everyone.
We would ask parents to support us in maintaining good punctuality and attendance by:-
Ensuring that your children get up in plenty of time to be ready and prepared for school.
Ensuring your child has organised their bag and equipment the night before so that this does not delay departure in the morning.
Depart in enough time to take account of the traffic and potential lateness caused by delays in parking and drop off
Place a high priority on attendance
Keep students who are unwell or have fever at home to avoid spreading illness to other students
Endeavour to keep health appointments out of school hours where possible
Endeavour to keep holidays out of term time
Inform the class teacher of any issues that may prevent a child attending school
Discussing any issues of lateness to ensure this does not become a habit.
Parent Support Group
Our parent partnerships are important. We have an active parent network and involvement in our parent support group assists with development of closer relationships with teachers and increases parent opportunities to share ideas.
There are some exciting projects being planned for this year - do see Miss Yasmeen Ali if you are interested in becoming involved or email directly: y.ali@ajmanacademy.com.