Issue 13 Page 1

Date: 15th March 2017

Issue: 15

Whole School News

Tolerance

Some children in year two worked today looking at this week’s value – Tolerance. We have been discussing what

it is; how we all have differences but are also the same in some ways. We need to respect and appreciate

everyone despite differences as we are all the same on the inside.

We brainstormed what we thought Tolerance meant and we came up with a collection of key words: respect,

empathy, sympathy, caring, understanding, manners, acceptance and friendship.

We asked the questions: How is your friend different? How are you the same?

How is your friend different?

How are you the same?

By appreciating our differences and understanding that we are the same we respect each other.

- Kirsten Rockingham, Year 2 Class Teacher/Lower Phase Pastoral Leader

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Tolerance

In order to cooperate well it is important that students

are open minded, that they appreciate differences and

that they are responsive to the needs of others.

It all starts with showing tolerance. Break times and

free play are wonderful opportunities for our students

to practice their skills to share and cooperate. They

learn to tolerate that others are using the field as well,

and that there are rules they need to adhere to. They

also learn to tolerate that everybody has different

skills; some can run fast, some are good goalkeeper,

others are good gymnasts.

We learn with and from each other!

- Olga Kes, Head of Dutch Stream

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Challenges Week

Fares Giesen opened our first Challenges Week assembly on

Tuesday 7th with a faultless rendition of Richard Clayderman's

"Balade pour Adlina".

We were then treated to a delightful and humorous interlude with

Year 7 student Zeiad Ragab, with an impromptu interview about El

Sorat Farm. Confidence and wit oozed as he gave us his personal

insights. An amazing array of stories and experiences of Cairo-

based Challenges week followed, from the stunning models and

ideas created in the

Sharabassy studios and

Dragon's den, to the array of Work experience opportunities and

creative films of Cairo Tours, El Sorat Farm, amazing renovation of

Sister Mary's Girls' home as well as The Four Seasons Culinary

experience. Thanks to all our participating students, staff and

budding film producers!

Artists of the week!

It's always difficult to choose which of our amazing artwork to showcaase, but this week's honours go to Year 8,

who are involved with "Issues-based Art", as they use recycled materials to protest about our wasteful

consumer society and lack of environmental understanding on Planet Earth. Understanding of Stewardship of

our natural resources is an essential educational component, and Art can be a catalyst for change as students

take ownership of their projects and gain in self awareness and

the ability to express their feelings and ideas with 3d models.

Cardboard turtles, clay elephants and creative designs of

plastic bottles have adorned the Artroom this week as Head of

Art Miss Rachel McMullan has encouraged artisic

communication and risk taking in its widest sense.

Hopefully many of our students will use Art as part of their

future careers, as creativity is sure to be an ever-creasing

life skill. Art career information is available from Miss

McMullan as well as presented in the Art corridor.

Year 8 artists "creatively changing the world". All art

students are reminded about the following COBIS Art

competition: closing date April 5th.

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International Cuisine organised by the Parents' Group

Our families have also been very creative again, and this week, it was the turn of Jordanian cuisine to take

centre stage. There is no greater love than the love of food as they say, and it was a pleasure to share even a few

minutes in such pleasant and creative company.

Learning for Life Student-led Lessons:

Year 10 students have been learning about 'Health and Well-being' during their Learning for Life lessons. The

unit began with a sharp focus on promoting and recognizing difficulties in mental health and well-being, but

then moved on to look at physical health as well.

As part of this learning process, the emphasis was placed firmly on the students to create, plan and deliver their

own 15 minute mini-lesson on a chosen aspect of physical / mental illness. These included HIV, Malaria,

Dementia, Ebola and Hepatitis. The objective was to raise 'globally minded' awareness of such illnesses and

diseases within our international community. Some of the information will be useful to students travelling to

destinations around the world, whereas other lessons were a great eye-opener in breaking down assumptions,

or building knowledge regarding these aspects of physical well-being.

The students were required to create a PowerPoint to aid the delivery of key information and also include a

practical lesson activity and a worksheet. They did so with great vigor and enthusiasm, really showcasing their

teaching skills and putting into action the school motto of "Bringing out the best in everyone". In particular, in

Mr. Rossall's lessons, Roman Lavrikov, Caterina Karidis and Tony Philip (featured in the photo) whose lesson on

Malaria really engaged the students, while in Mr. Hurrell's lessons, Nora Husseiny Brat, Dina Hatem and Hana

Khalil, with their own prior knowledge survey, presentation and quiz of assimilation, produced an excellent

summary of Diabetes. A huge well done to all of the Year 10s for taking part!!

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Spelling Bee and Poetry

Last week saw the culmination of two English Department competitions - the annual NCBIS Spelling Bee and the

NCBIS Poetry Competition 2017.

Well done to the dozens and dozens of students who took part in the NCBIS Spelling Bee, and to all of the class

finalists who competed on stage in front of the whole of Key Stage 3. Our winners did us proud whilst

representing the school at the Cairo Schools Spelling Bee on Tuesday 7th March. Especially well done to Harleen

Dhillon, Danraj Dhillon and Kinsey Ali who competed at a very high level in what were difficult circumstances at

the CAC-hosted citywide final, with a competition that had to be restarted! They again showed the best of

NCBIS.

Judging all of the poems entered into the NCBIS Poetry Competition was no mean feat, but five winners

emerged from the many fantastic poems written by our students. The theme students wrote for was: ‘My

Country: How I see it’, and it was wonderful to see such creativity and poetic talent on show. Poems were judged

in two categories: 11-14 yrs old and 15-19 yrs old. Congratulations to Lana Ben Halim (9JO) and Hoda El Sayed

(13...) our respective winners. Well done also to Kenzy Aziz (9JO), Freya Rockingham (9JO) and Rachel Williams

(12…) who were all Highly Commended; all five poems have been entered into the COBIS World Student Poetry

Competition 2017, and we wish them all the very best of luck!

Mr Watson

Head of English

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“WHERE EVERYONE SMILES IN THE SAME LANGUAGE”

Gordonstoun’s Summer School programme has been operating for over 40 years; delivering a unique

international experience which promotes learning through adventure and challenge to students from over 35

nationalities.

GORDONSTOUN INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL

Claire MacGillivray, The Director, will be visiting NCBIS on Thursday 9th

March at 1.30pm to meet with parents and students who are interested in

learning more.

Course I: Friday 7 July— Monday 31 July 2017

Course II: Friday 14th July—Monday 7th August 2017

www.giss.org.uk

Summer Camps and Work Experience

Year 11 and 13 students will obviously

have exams at the front of their minds

at the moment, but what about those

remaining weeks post exams, before

the summer holidays? This would be an

excellent time for work experience,

preparing for 6th form, university, or

for that first real work opportunity and

placement. Many opportunities exist

and Maersk Drilling has been

particularly helpful in creating 3 day

opportunities for budding engineers.

Further information from Mr. Hurrell.

For younger students, summer camps

offer a wonderful opportunity for

Leadership and resilience skills in new

surroundings, and so it was a pleasure

to welcome back to NCBIS, Mrs Claire

MacGillivray, from Gordonstoun

(Scotland) summer school. While we

are hesitant to recommend one camp

over another, NCBIS' links with

Gordonstoun stretch many years and

their programme is unique, including 6

days' sailing in the Western Isles and on

west coast adventure programmes.

Again, Mr. Hurrell has more details if

you missed the presentation.