The Voice (Summer 15) - Victory Heights Primary School

Price 0.00 AED | Main Office: Victory Heights Primary School - PO Box 454959 - Dubai - UAE | www.vhprimary.com
Year 2 | No. #1 | Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Sasha
Speaks.....
Fond
Farewells...
'Meet the
Teacher'
FEATURES
Page 02
NEWS
Page 03
FEATURES
Page 02
SPECIAL
SPECIAL
SPORTS
'Mary Poppins' wows parents
'Around the World'
Art Exhibition
Swimming Galas a
Huge Success
ll On Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th June, Victory Heights Primary School
ll Find out about the
ll The final sporting
performed by far its most amibitious musical production so far. Years 4, 5 and 6
combined to bring the stellar Disney hit musical, 'Mary Poppins' to life. It was an
awesome show, with some outstanding musical perforamances....
Pages 5-6
amazing exhibition of art
which included work from
FS1-Year 6
Page 07
house event of the year, the
swim gala took place this
term.
Page 08
The succesful Leopards house
PHOTO: STU WILLIAMSON
2
FEATURES
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
Sasha Speaks
PRINCIPAL
Miss Sasha's final words for the year...
Dear Parents,
It has been a very eventful final term
at Victory Heights Primary School. All
our dedicated staff have continued to
Nurture and Challenge the children
and ensure that they have had
opportunities to Excel in various areas
of school life.
.
The recent swim galas were incredibly
successful . Thank you to the PE
department for organising and showcasing the high level of skill and
technique of all the children. We also
enjoyed taking in the master pieces at
the Art Exhibition entitled, “ Around The
World”- those Turners were priceless !
Thank you Ms. Nicky and Ms. Rachel.
Mary Poppins defied all odds by
stunning us in the Key Stage 2 pod with
the best children’s singing that I have
heard in a long , long time. Ms .Susie
and Mr. Didcott, and the rest of the team
directed a beautiful production . We all
have Ms. Laura to thank for ensuring
that even at the end of an action packed
year we defied all logic and put on a
performance! You really are the best
Deputy Head in the universe.
The academic progress and attainment
of our children proves how hard they
have all been working , continuously.
Our middle leaders continue to
drive the core curriculum areas with
thorough knowledge , skill and
creativity. I have been particularly
impressed with how the children have
used Alan Peat sentences and Pie
Corbett Talk for Writing to memorise,
innovate and up level their own pieces.
It has been fantastic to see how the
children have enjoyed seeing their
own success and how determined
they are to do their very best. True
spirit ! As a school where everyone
knows your name , you will often
hear staff commenting on how well
a child has performed in an assembly
or contributed to an ECA. That is what
continues to make our school special
and at the heart of the community. .
I would like to thank all the parents who
have helped out this year, giving their
time to hearing readers , supporting
swim sessions and coming into school
to talk about their jobs. You really are
appreciated .
We are truly excited about the new
academic year. The two new buildings
will give us the opportunity to continue
to thrive and create memorable
moments for our children , moments
that they will keep with them always.
A huge thank you to all the staff for
giving above and beyond over the last
year. It has been challenging at times
and we have all grown stronger as a
team because of it .
Years end, friends leave, but memories
last forever.
Have a super summer holiday and a
much deserved time to relax.
Take Care
Principal, Sasha Crabb PHOTO: STUART WILLIAMSON
'Meet the Teacher' ICT Co-ordinator Mr. Rothwell
Your chance to find out a little more about the
teachers at VHPS
ll Have you got any recommendations for people who are
Before VHPS, I worked at a private school in the UK called
Kent College, Canterbury. I was Head of ICT there and
additionally helped introduce a house system to the school.
Kent College is a a secondary school, so moving to primary
was definitely a culture shock at first!
Get out there and enjoy it! We have some of the most perfect
weather conditions in the world so there is no excuse to be
cooped up indoors. Explore 'old-Dubai' near the Creek, the
outlying Emirates, such as Fujairah and Abu Dhbai, the amazing
sand dunes near 'Big Red' and of course you can't ignore the
miles upon miles of wonderful coastline that we have, try
stand-up paddleboarding for a fun, and energetic way to start
the weekend.
ll How have you found the move to Dubai?
PHOTO: SCOTT LORENZO
Undoubtedly for me it is rugby. I actually took up rugby late in
life, starting when I was 19 at university. But rugby has given
me so many opportunities in life and it has been integral to
my enjoyment of my time so far in Dubai. I play for the Xodus
Wasps Rugby Club here, and last season I also served on the
committee. One of the most amazing experiences that led
directly from that was visting the British Embassy to see the
Webb Ellis Trophy, (the Rugby World Cup), and enjoy a gala
dinner.
ll So you have taught at Victory Heights for 2 years now,
What was your previous teaching experience?
Mr Rothwell in his Xodus Wasps Rugby Kit
ll What are your passions outside teaching?
I've found Dubai to be an amazing experience. Coming from
South East England, the multi-culturalism of Dubai has been
something that has really transformed my world outlook.
I have made so many friends of different nationalities and
with different experiences, it has certainly helped me grow
as a person. It is now easy to travel and work overseas, and I
definitely think it is something that everyone should try at
one point in their life.
new to Dubai?
ll Any final tips to parents who may be new to Dubai?
You have to head to Ravis in Satwa for the most delicious
Pakistani cuisine. It's absolutely sensational, and the bill will
barely set you back 30 dirhams a head. Sit outside when the
weather is cooler and watch the hustle and bustle of Satwa life.
You can't beat it.
NEWS
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
Saying Farewell
We say goodbye to two of our founding
teaching staff this month as Mr. Hadwin leaves for
Bahrain and Miss. Helen returns to England
GOODBYES
New Teaching Staff - Joining us in September
Although we are sad to say goodbye, we are
also delighted to be able to welcome some
new members of staff to the school, as we
continue to expand.
lMs. Georgina Williams - joining us as
Assistant Head Teacher. Georgina currently
is Deputy Head at Jumeira Baccalaureate
School
lMs. Jennifer Miller - who currently works
at The Childrens Garden, and will be taking
up a role as Head of FS2
lMs. Tina Pugh - who will be joining us
as Head of Years 5 and 6, and is currently
working at Horizon English School
l Ms. Belinda Earl who is also joining us
from Horizon English School
l Ms. Megan Waugh - who is joining us in
FS2. Miss. Megan undertook her IPGCE with
us and is delighted to be rejoining the team
in September.
l Ms. Alice Horton, who will be joining
the PE department. Alice currently works at
Dubai British School.
l Ms. Louise Dunn, who currently works at
Nibras International School, Dubai.
Ms. Helen, Head of Year 2
PHOTO: STU WILLIAMSON
Mr. Hadwin, Year 1 Blue
3
lMs. Coral Huby, who will be taking up
her first international role. Coral joins us from
Delce Academy, Strood, Kent.
lMs. Bethany Middleton, another newbie
to Dubai, who will be joining us from Grange
Park Junior School, Middlesex.
lMs. Victoria Ingham, who will be joining
us from the UK with her three children.
lMs. Emma Ingman who will be joining
Foundation Stage One.
We also welcome a number of new staff finto
the Arabic and Islamic Department. A huge
Victory Heights welcome to...
lArooj Ahmed
lAbdelsalam Saqr
lMagda Abdulraheem
Finally, we welcome some new additions to
the administration and support team
.
lMary Grace Ersando - School Nurse
lFawas - IT Support
PHOTO: STU WILLIAMSON
After two years in Dubai, both Mr. Hadwin and Miss. Helen are leaving Dubai for
pastures new. Ben Rothwell remember how integral they both were in the formative
years of Victory Heights Primary School...
ll It is a sad but inescapable reality that international schools in expat cities such as Dubai will
experience a large turnover; from children, whose parents have to move on to another city, to
teachers, themselves bitten by the travel bug, or those who may wish to return to their home
countries. As international teachers we are used to all too frequent farewells to our children but
it is less often that we have to say goodbye to our colleagues. This summer, we say goodbye to
two extremely popular colleagues, amongst children and staff alike. Mr. Hadwin leaves us to take
up a post in Bahrain, where he will be working at the British School. Ms. Helen will be returning to
Suffolk in the United Kingdom, where she will be looking forward to welcoming a new nephew
or niece very shortly!.
We will be forever grateful for the professionalism and dedication that these two outstanding
educators have shown to Victory Heights Primary School.
They will be missed by the many children who have benefitted from not only their dedication
in the classroom, but from their commitment to extra curricular activities. Mr. Hadwin has been
instrumental in the schools football program, and his football squad will miss his enthusiasm
next year, which wasn't even dampened by the 6.45am start! Miss. Helen has played a huge part
in some of the wonderful school productions, with her dance background and artistic flair really
helping the children bring their imaginations to life.
As staff, we will miss their smiles, their jokes and their friendship. Mr. Hadwin and Miss. Helen, we
wish you all the best. Lots of love from all at Victory Heights Primary School.
Katie Milner - Teaching and Learning Assistant
We are also saying goodbye to...
Sarwat Amar - Teaching and Learning Assistant
ll A number of other staff will be leaving us this summer. We thank them for their commitment to school life and helping build VHPS into the
wonderful hub of learning in Dubai Sports City. Best of luck with your next steps in life....
Claire Nosworthy - Teaching and Learning Assistant
Josie Garingarao- Teaching and Learning Assistant
Cherie Austria - Teaching and Learning Assistant
Angelica Alegada - Teaching and Learning Assistant
Lalaine Galinta - Teaching and Learning Assistant
Cherry Sumaling - Teaching and Learning Assistant
Rachel DiVicenzo - Teaching and Learning Assistant
Saad Ahmed - Arabic & Islamic Teacher
Alison Maysey
Kathryn Dixon
Caroline Lee
Emma McMeeking - Learning Support
Miss. Ali is leaving us to head back to the United
Kingdom where she will be having her first
baby. We are all absolutely delighted for her,
and wish her and her husband Steve all the
best and we look forward to meeting the new
addition to the family.
Kathryn has made a huge impact to the lives of
our children who attend sessions in Learning
Enhancement. Her experience and calm
manner have made her an integral part of the
school not only for the children but the staff as
well. She leaves us for Jebel Ali Primary School.
Nurse Caroline will be sorely missed by children
and staff alike at Victory Heights. Whether
it is a tickly cough, a sore throat or perhaps
something a little more serious, Caroline has
always been there to provide us with sympathy
and care.
Denise Record - Learning Support
PHOTOGRAPHS: STU WILLIAMSON
4
SPECIAL
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
Marcus Guerin as a chimney sweep PHOTO: MEGAN WAUGH
Mary Poppins Delights
Audiences
Victory Heights Primary School years 4, 5 and 6 combined
to put on a performance of this timeless classic.
PRODUC TION
ll On Monday 15th June and Tuesday
16th June the Year 4, 5 and 6 children
performed Mary Poppins, the 1964
musical fantasy film by Walt Disney,
based on P. L. Travers' book series of the
same name.
nerves and excitement were tangible as
our expectant audience awaited their
unveiling.
The play, which showcased our animated
and talented pupils, starred Mia Hasberry
in the role of the magical nanny, Mary
Poppins, who transforms a dysfunctional
family in London by employing her
unique brand of compassion to improve
the family's dynamic.
As our star cast entered the stage, the
nerves quickly faded with their hours of
preparation taking over to show such
confidence and enjoyment as they
entertained the crowd! With only two
shows to deliver their performance,
our little stars responded incredibly
well, reciting their lines fluently, while
handling some famously tricky song
lyrics and choreography.
After weeks of tireless rehearsals
and painstaking set and costume
preparation, the show was upon
us! As our acting stars lined up
behind the scenes for their character
transformations and make-up, the
Term 3 is an extremely busy term, but
the children (and our teachers) not only
coped with the added time and effort
needed, but completely raised the roof
with their beautiful and inspired acting.
Not surprisingly, there were quite a few
tears of joy and pride in the audience.
For our Year 6 children who are leaving
VHPS, we hope that you listened
carefully to the lyrics in the final song…
‘Anything can happen, if you let it’ and
remember - 'broaden your horizon…
open different doors…you may find a
you there you never knew was yours.'
Special thanks to Miss Susie, Mr. Didcott,
Miss Ashley, Miss Nicky, Ms Laura,
Miss Anna, Miss Claire, Miss Hollie, Mr.
Rothwell, and Mr. Dowlman for their
incredible effort and passion in making
the play such a resounding success.
And to the parents who volunteered in
preparing the Broadway-class costumes
and make-up, we are truly thankful for
your contribution in bringing the lovable
characters to life!
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
SPECIAL
Visit us on online today
www.vhprimary.com/
Fabulous
performance by
everyone I couldn't
get over the talent
in one school. Well
done to all involved
and big thank you
for all the hard work
xx
Excellent
production! Well
done to everyone
involved. Loved
every minute of it!
Rebekkah Garroch
Kisha Beek
5
Amazing
show! The children
were fantastic and
brought a tear to
my eye!
Katie Kneale
6
FEATURES
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
PENELOPE&
CLARISSA
AGONY AUNTS
Photo caption style p FOTO: CREDIT
OUR RESIDENT AGONY AUNTS ANSWER YOUR TRANSITION QUESTIONS
Dear Penelope and
Clarissa....
"I am worried that I will forget all of the
fantastic things I have learnt in English,
Maths, Science and the other subjects .
Can you help me?"
During the holiday you can keep your skills sharp by
carrying on the learning outside of the classroom! It won’t
even feel like you’re learning. Summer is a great time to
read when you want and what you want; a magazine,
a book or even just a menu or leaflet if you are out
exploring! If you’re going to the cinema or a show, why
don’t you look-up who the main character or star is and
find out all about them. You can show-off to your family
about how good your reading has become! They’re sure to
be very impressed.
If you go away for the holiday you can write postcards to
your friends to tell them all about what you’re up to, or
you can write a diary so that you can look back at it and
remember all the fun that you had! I wrote a diary when I
was little and I still love to look back and read it!
Your Maths is easy to keep going, if you are lucky you
might get a bit of spending money! With this you can
pracitse adding up when you are out at the shops and
see what you can afford to buy and if you want to know
how much you’ll have left to spend you can use your
subtraction skills! Don’t forget you can also practice
reading the time wherever you are - why don’t you see
if you can get a wristwatch over the holidays or look for
a clock when you are out and use it to read the time, it
certainly helps you to know when you might need
to be somewhere or so that you don’t miss a flight or
train!
Try to relax this holiday and remember to have fun,
you’ve worked so hard all year and deserve to have a
rest. We will see you in September re-energised and
ready for learning again!
Lots of Love, Penelope x
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WHAT
THEY
SAY
After visiting lots of schools, Penelope and
Clarissa have seen a lot of children who have
lost their friends due to moving away...
Dear Mary,
Thank you for your letter. Dubai is a very busy place and people are
always coming and going. It is sad that your friend is moving away
but you are very lucky to have found such a special friend; and special
friends last forever, no matter where they are in the world.
Try to enjoy the time you have with your friend now and make sure that you have lots of fun together in
her last few days in Dubai.
Have you talked to each other about how you are going to stay in touch? I realise it’s not the same as
being able to see each other in person, but phones and computers give us lots of ways to keep up with
the people we care about. The world feels like such a big place but there are so many different ways to
stay in-touch that the world can actually seem very small. Skype is great, it feels like you’re in the same
room as each other!
Meeting new people can also be a great experience because it can give you the chance to learn new
things and make more friends. There are so many lovely people at VHPS and there will be lots of new
faces in September too!
Remember to talk to your teacher and your parents about how you’re feeling and they will be able to
help you in class and in the playground.
Take care,
Clarissa x
If you have any questions about your transition to
a new class, remember to speak to your teacher!
SPECIAL
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
7
Danielle, Year 4 Red
Yanna, Y5/6 Yellow
Alice, Year 4 Yellow
'Around the World' Art Exhibition
ART
The childen show off their amazing art-work that they have been working on this term.
Nicola Al-Marzouqi
ll Victory Heights Primary School
were very excited to inaugurate the
second annual Art Exhibition on
May 26th 2015. The theme chosen
for this year was: Around the World.
From Year 1 to 6, students prepared
several pieces over a period of weeks
in order to participate in this show.
Each class and year group were
allocated a country or a continent
from which to draw inspiration.
Many researched famous artists from
these countries and created some
fantastic pieces of art work based on
their work. The sheer variety of artists
represented spanned the globe from
Picasso to Turner to Hokusai to Van
Gogh, amongst many others. The
students truly surpassed themselves
by selecting the media which they
wanted to use and correctly using
this media to create some quality
finished art work to be proud of. Even
the Foundation students joined in
with their own exhibits to show off.
Over the three days of the exhibition,
many students enjoyed showing
their families and friends their work.
Some have even been asking about
the theme for next year! Please view
examples of their amazing work on
Showcase, linked from the VHPS
website.
See more of our childrens work exclusively at...
http://showcase.vhprimary.com
8
HOUSE & SPORTS
The Voice
Year 2, Issue 1
Victory Heights Primary School
CRICKET
The boys cricket team came
up against some established
schools, but gave it their best
effort in every game. In some
matches Year 3s played in
the Year 5 team so it was a
great experience. Our best
performance came against
Wellington Al Khail where
VHPS narrowly lost by 6 runs.
Taimur and Waleed were the
stand out performers batting
and bowling brilliantly in
every fixture.
ROUNDERS
Photo caption style
p FOTO: CREDIT
Swimming Gala Fun
The Oryx, Falcons, Arabian Foxes and Leopards competed in the House
Swimming Gala. But who came out on top....
SWIMMING
Steve Simmonds
ll What a superb week of swimming! Children
from FS1 all the way to Year 6 took part in their
Class/House gala during the week of the 7th June.
It was a real showcase of the swimming talent we
have on offer here at Victory Heights with some
extremely quick and close races. Every day the
atmosphere was electric with the parents cheering
and supporting. Each participant did their best
and was a credit to the school. Oryx were victorious
in Key Stage 2, the Leopards won the Year 1 and
2 galas, Yellow class came out on top in FS2 and
Blue and Green class shared the spoils in FS1. The
competition throughout the week was amazing
and always in a sporting manner. It was great to see
children high five and congratulate each other after
the races. On behalf of the PE department I would
like to thank all teachers for their support during
the week, but a special mention must go the mums
who helped in both FS galas. We really appreciate
them giving up their time and making sure the
galas ran smoothly and safely.
The girls, some of whom had
never played rounders before,
ended the season with a
victory against Wellington Al
Khail. This shows how much
they have learnt and how far
they have improved. It was a
terrific performance as there
are a lot of rules and tactics
involved in rounders and the
team grew in confidence and
skill every fixture. Again, we
had Years 3s playing in the
Year 5 team which will stand
them in good stead for the
future.
Molly, Lillia, Amber and Ruby
from Year 3 were fantastic and
enthusiastic all season. Mia
and Alex in Year 5/6 proved to
be great hitters of the ball and
scored quite a few rounders.
'VHPS is Pitch Perfect'
HOUSE CUP
order.....
The houses get their singing voices in
Steve Simmonds
ll What a fantastic afternoon of music, dance
STAFF VS PARENTS SOCCER & NETBALL
PARENTS RUN OUT WINNERS....
Ben Rothwell
ll Two staff teams took on the parents in
both football and netball this term. This was an
excellent opportunity for the staff and parents
to come together in a friendly, out of school
setting. Unfortunately for the staff, the parents
won both matches, sneaking past the men in
the soccer in the final minute. In the Netball,
the ladies were brave contestants, but were up
against a very strong parents team!
STAFF SOCCER TEAM PHOTO: SAM WELCH
and singing! On Wednesday 17th June Victory
Heights hosted its first every ‘Pitch Perfect’
event with each House being split into KS1 and
KS2 teams. The House captains picked out a
song from a hat for each key stage and then,
along with the staff, had an hour to practice
and rehearse their performance.
The songs were
:
Firework – Kate Perry (Leopards KS1)
What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction (Oryx KS1)
Years and Years – King (Oryx KS2)
Good Feeling – Flo Rida (Falcons KS1)
Happy – Pharell Williams (Arabian Foxes KS1)
Flashlight – Jessie J (Arabian Foxes KS2)
Diamonds in the Sky – Rhianna (Leopards KS2)
I Gotta Feelin’ – Black Eyed Peas (Falcons KS2)
When it came to the performance Penelope
and Clarissa were the judges and were
as entertaining as ever. The quality of
performances was outstanding with solos,
group dances etc and the even the staff were
dancing away and getting involved! We
were also treated to Mr Rogers and his guitar
prowess.
As always it was a really tricky decision
but the Falcons won the KS1 competition
and Leopards KS2. Before the results were
announced the children were ‘treated’ to an
impromptu Thriller dance by 10-15 members
of staff – there had been no rehearsal…..
We hope for this to become an annual event as
the talent on show was fantastic. Well done to
all the children for taking part and the staff for
all their hard work and choreography. Thank
you also to Ms Ruth and Ms Katie who came up
with the idea.
The Leopards ended up winning the final
House cup this year after winning the Year 1
and 2 swimming galas and being victorious
in the KS2 Pitch Perfect competition.
Congratulations.