FROM THE

HART
CONTENTS
5 Extraordinary at Hartland
7 Future Leaders

10 New but Extraordinary!

13 Extraordinary Preformances!

14 Extraordinary Students

16
Extraordinary Art
Extraordinary Young People
18 Around the World
20 Extraordinary Characters
22 Extraordinary Change
24 Extraordinary Effort
25 Extraordinary discussions

27 Extraordinary beginnings at
Hartland
29
Extraordrinary Athletes
MATHEMATICAL Abeer: Hello, It is so nice of you to sit down and
share some ideas with us.
MASTERMIND - AN Alex: Thank you for having me.
INTERVIEW WITH
Abeer: I would like to ask you a few questions
ALEX GEORGE about your extraordinary achievement.
Firstly, what would you like to accomplish in the
BY ABEER GASIM
future?
WE HAVE MANY EXTRAORDINARY
STUDENTS AT HARTLAND INTERNATIONAL. Alex: In the future I would like my job to include
ONE SUCH STUDENT IS ALEX GEORGE WHO some form of mathematics or coding or even
HAS BRILLIANTLY ACHIEVED A 9 IN HIS science as they are also my favorite subjects.
GCSE MATHS EXAM. YOU MAY BE THINKING
THAT IS A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT. Abeer: Do you have any secret tactics to revising
HOWEVER, IT GETS EVEN BETTER, ALEX IS for tests?
ONLY IN YEAR 7! NOW THAT IS
EXTRAORDINARY! WE SAT DOWN WITH HIM Alex: Not a specific tactic, the knowledge just
TO SEE JUST HOW HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED
stays with me. I would say constant revising
THIS AMAZING FEAT.
during the weeks upcoming for tests really help
as you are not overwhelmed with information a
few days before the test.

"CODING TO ME FEELS LIKE YOU

CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT AS
THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS."
Abeer: Interesting, you have told us that you like science and coding. What is it in
particular that you like about these subjects?

Alex: For science, I really enjoy the practical lessons and experimenting. Coding to me
feels like you can do whatever you want as the possibilities are endless.

Abeer: What great choices, at what age did you realise that you had a talent for maths
and numbers?

Alex: The first year I started doing higher-level maths was Year 4. I believe I started
doing Year 5 maths then.

Abeer: That is very impressive! Where do you think your maths journey will take you
next?

Alex: Well, I would like to keep excelling. Currently, I am studying A-Level maths so
this will require lots of revision.

Abeer: Have you found A level more difficult than GCSE maths?

Alex: I have indeed found it to be more challenging. I mostly struggle in mechanics,

which is probably because I haven’t gone that deep into physics.

Abeer: Well I wish you the best of luck!

Alex: Thank you!

Abeer: Are you planning on entering any competitions?

Alex: Yes actually. The UKMT junior is coming up and I am planning to participate in it.

Abeer: And how are you preparing for it?

Alex: I am preparing for it by going through many past papers.

Abeer: Lastly have there been there any moments when you doubted yourself?

Alex: Usually if I question myself, it’s because I have made many silly mistakes, like
calculation errors or as simple as forgetting a symbol such as subtraction in my
working out.

Abeer: Awesome, thank you for taking the time and doing this interview with me as it
has been very informative. I would like to wish you a huge congratulations on this
achievement.

Alex: Thank you for having me.

Editor’s note – Alex did compete in the UKMT and because of his impressive results,
he has now been invited to the Olympiad which only a few students are invited. We
wish him the best of luck in this prestigious competition.
 EXTRAORDINARY
FUTURE LEADERS
BY AISHA IBRAHIM YEAR 7

CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE

The world we live in today is rich
with culture, economics and
politics. Many will be familiar
with the term, ‘children are the
future.’ Well children can go a
long way at such an early age,
having the ability to look at the
world from a fresh perspective.
Although we may seem small, we
are just as knowing as adults
thanks to the wonderful
enrichment of the Model United
Nations. MUN enlightens
students’ insight on the world
and informs them about the
many problems we face today.
Students come to MUN with vivid
ideas and plenty of research to
improve and enhance our
equality today.

Children are our future, they hold

within them the ideas that will
move us towards a better
tomorrow.
 Our Recent Focus
Students at Hartland International are currently focusing on writing clauses,
which are the structure that you use when making a solution in a
conference. They are writing clauses based on different topics each week
and debating on them from their own perspectives using suitable MUN
language. They have attended two conferences virtually this year and will
hopefully look forward to doing at least one every year.

The most recent conference lasted 2 days over a Saturday and Sunday. There
were three chairpersons, and each group received a research topic to focus
on. Working towards a conference involves lots of preparation including
productive research, writing resolutions on the topic, and discussing with
your peers, then making key reminders. Taking notes during the conference
is a vital factor in experiencing a conference.

Keeping in mind, it is quite difficult to keep up with the many world events
occurring each day. By participating in MUN, your knowledge of the world
increases tremendously, and you have the pleasure to represent a country
and interact with other delegates. As a delegate, you will be compelled to
research your allotted countries in their complexity, analysing and
understanding their policies and considering which aspects of life would
influence the behaviour and perspective of the country. As you study the
depth of the issue being discussed in a conference– the background, history,
impacts, and previous resolutions passed on – you will promptly gain
practical and thorough knowledge of world affairs.

"MUN ENLIGHTENS STUDENTS’ INSIGHT ON

THE WORLD AND INFORMS THEM ABOUT

THE MANY PROBLEMS WE FACE TODAY."

Key Skills
Students participate in MUN to enable them to widen their range of
leadership skills and enhance their knowledge on the world. It gives
students the experience of real-life scenarios and gives them the chance to
strengthen their abilities that may be needed in the future. It builds
character and enables students to speak confidently to groups of people,
especially with unfamiliar faces. It also gives students the opportunity to
boldly form and voice their own ideas and perceptions that may influence
decisions in the world.

At its core, MUN is based on problem-solving skills, as it places students at

the center of resolving global issues. This ability is the foundation of MUN
and will truly benefit our planet for the better. Thus, problem-solving is a key
skill that you will need to hone from the very beginning of the MUN. It is
important to multitask in MUN, for example preparation and focus for a
conference whilst also doing usual daily, time consuming things like chores,
revision, or homework. Another, more complicated example is coming to a
serious decision on something, learning how to identify the major factors of
an issue, whilst also deciding on the solution, and moreover, bringing it all
together to produce a final resolution that satisfies all concerned countries.

How Will This Help in Every-Day Life?

You can leverage your MUN experience to get into university, college and
find jobs. It provides great opportunities in life, like to embrace the feel of a
conference which will be good examples when applying for jobs. It helps to
fully understand the world we live in and the range of diversity that exists. It
influences us to make a difference and apply all our knowledge and
understanding to impact our future and the future of planet Earth. We can
all have open minds and structure our world to become more sustained and
just in the future.

After all, we are the future.

 NEW BUT
EXTRAODINARY! By Ema Sobek

AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR NEW STUDENTS

Let’s go back- what is it really like being a new student? What challenges do you
face? Being new to a school is very hard, but these students have gone from
being what we call ‘new’ to extraordinary!

I have interviewed Riya Surve from 8T, Andrea Cugnetto from 9H and Jenin Al
Shalaby from 10H. I must say that I’m amazed by how quickly these students
have adapted to a new environment, especially in this situation.

What was your old school like?

Riya: It was a good school, but my friends weren’t very nice. Almost each week
there would be some kind of fight between us. I’ve stayed there for 9 years
before I came to Hartland. It wasn’t bad, but Hartland is definitely better.

Andrea: It was very small and I think we were about 50 students altogether. We
only had two floors and we wouldn’t move by ourselves from class to class- our
teacher usually would. Also, we didn’t use computers often- mostly books.
Jenin : It was good, but it wasn’t the kind of learning environment I was
looking for. The size was a bit smaller and we’d only have one class per year
group. Here we have a much prettier library because, in my old school, the library
was a bit run-down.

What do you miss the most about your old school?

Riya: To be honest, nothing. Some of the teachers probably. I’ve made a lot of
memories there, which I still keep close to my heart.

Andrea : I have a lot of friends back at my school. Every time I go back to Italy I try
to visit them. We would always play together and have fun, but now we can’t.

Jenin : I think Hartland has made it hard for me to miss anything; maybe the only
thing that I really miss would be Thursdays because we would end a bit earlier
than we do here.

What is the biggest difference between your old school and Hartland?

Riya : Here you do GCSE’s, which at my old school, we didn’t have. Also, Hartland
is a lot more modernized and developed.

Andrea : The number of students- this school is very big with three floors, a
swimming pool and so many more amazing things. It’s very different from my old
school.

Jenin : Here in Hartland you are more of a critical thinker than in any other
school, which I really appreciate. My old school was an all-girls school, which
would probably be the main difference.

What did you find the most challenging when you came to Hartland?

Riya: Making friends- that was just very hard! I got anxious and would end up
doing or saying something stupid. Now, I have quite a lot of friends and have
become more comfortable around them.

Andrea: For me the English, because I couldn’t speak any when I first came to
Dubai, but now I think it’s getting better.

Jenin : At the beginning, it was hard for me to keep up with the workload, since I
was taking many more subjects. To help, I made myself a routine and now, I’m
getting used to it.
What do you like the most about Hartland?

Riya: I like all my friends and teachers; I always have someone to talk to, which
is amazing.

Andrea: I think it’s cool to have some time to talk to your friends at lunchtimes and we
also have a lot of time between classes, which I find great.

Jenin: The students and people here are very lovely. You can see that each teacher are
passionate about the subjects they teach, which I think is incredible.

What is your favourite subject, and has there been any event that you have really
enjoyed?

Riya: I have really enjoyed sports day- even though it was tiring and challenging, I still
won some medals, which made me feel a lot better.

Andrea : I love DT; it’s my favourite subject. I wasn’t here for sports day, but I think that
it was also really good.

Jenin: This isn’t really a subject, but I love MUN. I’ve also enjoyed the day
before Christmas break, because we could all watch a movie and it was just great fun.

Describe Hartland using one word.

Riya: Mind-blowing!

Andrea: Just nice!

Jenin: Exceptional!

Wow! Riya went from struggling to make friends to having many of them, Andrea went
from English being his biggest challenge to being his biggest strength and
Jenin really pushed herself to keep up with the new subjects. Well done! You are all truly
extraordinary!
By Aisha Ibrahim
PERFORMING ARTS AT HARTLAND

EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCES

You might be asking yourself, For example, in LAMDA you’re not just
what makes LAMDA, and the learning and performing one
students experience so monologue, you learn two then prepare
extraordinary? Well, students and memorise a model answer for the
are highly encouraged to take questions asked for each monologue.
LAMDA exams to fully So, the students here are able to use
understand the pressure and time management effectively and even
hard work it takes to get learn to use feedback and take
yourself prominent in this world criticism which can helps our students a
which my peers portray well. lot when it comes to working day to
Also, it helps you gain the major day.
skills it takes to survive So, to conclude our students are not
everyday life, from working in only worthy, they’re extraordinary!
an office to being president.
Extraordinary
Students Around the
World
By Rei Taima

There are many extraordinary students around the world.

Some who are playful, some who are smart. Some who have

difficulties but still we are all talented and gifted. Some who

have slept in a tent for more than 365 days! And that is Max

Woosey.

At the age of 11, he started to sleep in a tent for to raise

money for the North Devon Hospice. He got his determination

from his neighbour Rick Abbott, who died from cancer at the

age of 74, on February 2020. Before Rick died, he gave Max a

tent. On March 28th, Max started to camp outside, nothing

unusual about that, except he did this for 365 days every

single day.
Nothing stopped him from sleeping in the tent. Not even the weather,

an ant’s nest under his tent or Covid-19. His idea became an event

called: Max’s Big Camp Out.

Large numbers of children were inspired by this challenge and many

other young people began to camp out. BBC News reported, ‘About

1,000 children have taken part in a "big camp-out" inspired by an 11-

year-old boy who has slept in a tent for a year.’ With determination,

Max was able to give so much money to charity and convince other

children to do this. Max raised money for the North Devon Hospice,

and he raised more than 500 British pounds.

This is Max Woosey. He is a boy with commitment, perseverance, and

consideration. He is inspirational, like all of us, including you. We

should all be inspired by Max and his story and do something

amazing. He is extraordinary!
 EXTROADINARY

ART AT HARTLAND
By Sophia Nafid

'EVERY ARTIST

WAS FIRST AN

AMATEUR'

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The above quote may

provide inspiration to many
of us. For the next few
weeks, we can all
experience future artists'
work here at Hartland. The
school is hosting an art
exhibition to display all the
student’s artwork from
younger years up to Year 11.
Every year group has worked
hard on their art projects,
and this clearly shows as
portrayed through the
creativity and talent
displayed.
Over the past few days, Mrs. Payn
has been setting up the exhibition
on the ground floor by the public
seating area near the café, and you
can now go check out all the
student’s amazing art pieces.
Whether it’s sculptures, painting or
photographs, the exhibition’s got
them all. There is a smaller art
exhibition on the second floor,
where a few other pieces have
been put on display including this
year’s GCSE students.

Overall, this is an amazing

opportunity to check out what
different year groups have been up
to in art, over the past school year
and give them the credit they
deserve for their impressive and
intriguing art pieces. Make sure to
go check it out, before it’s too late
and you might even see your piece
displayed among many others.
Emma González - Changing
the World’s Perspective
One Step at a Time
By Sophia Nafid

Emma González, a high school student in Parkland, Florida. On Valentine’s Day

2018, a mass shooter killed 17 people at her school. She is best known for her
distinct style as she sews many of her own clothes and made the decision to shave
her head. She loves creative writing and astronomy, but does not like maths as she
made clear in an interview for the Washington Post. Emma was with dozens of
other students in the auditorium when they heard the fire alarm go off that day.
They made their way to the hallway, where they were quickly told to turn around
and take cover, pushing them back into the auditorium. She spent the next two
hours taking cover in the auditorium until the police entered the auditorium to let
them out.
This happened to be the worst high school shooting in American history.
The night of the shooting, after scouring local news, she saw a list of the victims
and realized she knew several of them. “There’s a pit of sadness in my stomach,” she
said, in the same interview for the Washington Post. Instead of being defeated by
this tragic event, many of the teens who fortunately survived the shooting, Emma
being one of them, began a national campaign to try to end gun violence. Emma, at
the time just 18, then emerged as one of the leaders of this new movement and
co-founded the gun-control advocacy group ‘Never Again MSD’.

In March 2018, she delivered a speech at the March for Our Loves in Washington,
D.C. She read out the names of her lost classmates and then stood silent for four
minutes - the length of time it took the gunman to carry out his attack. Following
the shooting and the campaigning from Emma and her fellow students, Florida
lawmakers passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act
in March 2018, which raises the age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21 and requires a
three-day waiting period for most weapons.

Emma is still fighting for a stop to gun violence all together, and hopes for the
future to be a better reflection of the unfortunate past. She stood up for what she
believed in and spoke up about something she is passionate about inspiring many
along the way. She is extraordinary!
EXTRAORDINARY
CHARACTERS By Melina Garaud

Success, fear of failure, and finding satisfaction

in our lives.
These are topics we may find ourselves pondering over - but what does it mean to find
contentment in our lives? Is it to be rich, well known, to attain our dreams and
aspirations, or does it relate to something else entirely?

Set in Boston and Cambridge, "Good Will Hunting" is the story of 20-year-old Will
Hunting (Matt Damon), a rebellious yet highly intelligent young man who works as a
janitor at MIT. Will's intelligence is unknown until Professor Lambeau (Stellan
Skaarsgard) writes a math formula on a hallway chalkboard that none of his students
can solve. Will, seeing it whilst on a shift, solves it overnight, piquing Lambeau’s
attention.

As part of his rehabilitation, Will is sent to see Sean McGuire (Robin Williams), a
therapist, each week. Whilst Lambeau wants Will to focus on developing his genius
and mathematical abilities, Sean helps Will to confront his past and build the
relationships in his life, aiding him to heal, let himself accept who he is, and face his
deeply rooted fears and doubts.
 The screenplay of Good Will Hunting was
also written by both Damon and Affleck, for
which they won an Academy Award for -
making them the youngest people to win the
award - with an additional one won by
Williams for best supporting actor. Like the
character he plays, Matt Damon is a bit of a
genius himself, having started the screenplay
for the film whilst he attended Harvard
University.
Whilst he’s pushed to use the best of his abilities, Will’s brilliance is only a fraction of
who he is. Will Hunting’s defining feature as a protagonist isn’t his talent, as we may
first believe when shown his unbelievable intelligence in the first part of the film. He is
a raw, incredibly realistic character that has his own insecurities and uncertainties in
life.

Will does find success at the end of the movie, but not in the way one may think. His
true achievement in the film is his ability to grow comfortable with himself and to heal,
making a decision he had previously feared.

The beauty of Good Will Hunting is how authentic and personal the themes within the
film are - whilst it centers around a pure genius, it also features topics its audience can
connect with, such as dreams, fears, love, friendship, loss, etc.

A lot of the film is humorous and laugh-inducing, yet it also has its tear-jerking, more
emotional scenes, which are extremely memorable as a result of both the dialogue and
the acting. Having watched the film for the first time with a friend, it’s a story we both
still talk about and reflect upon once in a while. The ending is bittersweet,
heartwarming, and is absolutely perfect for the story.

The film, as a whole, beautifully encapsulates both the hardships and joys of life. It’s
one of those movies you simply must watch and experience, and you’ll find yourself
both inspired and moved throughout. ‘Good Will Hunting’ is worth every minute.
by Jenin Al Shalabi

EXTRAORDINARY
CHANGE
The Young Change-maker Spearheading the
Journey towards a better America

"WHAT MAKES GORMAN’S POEM SO

DYNAMIC IS HER BALANCE BETWEEN
BRUTAL HONESTY AND DIPLOMATIC
UNITY."

Eloquent. Impactful. Vivid. These are the adjectives that

come to mind when I think of 23-year-old Amanda Gorman.

But one adjective buries them all - Powerful.

Gorman’s performance of The Hill We Climb at President

Biden’s inauguration was a provoking one that helped set
the tone for a new era of a unified America. Gorman is the
youngest inaugural poet in history - however, this is in no
way a setback.

Gorman was given the challenging task of writing a poem

that would inspire a collective responsibility amongst
Americans, at a time where the United States was vastly
divided on almost every front. And while most would shy
away from such a challenge, Gorman approached it head-
on.

What makes Gorman’s poem so dynamic is her balance

between brutal honesty and diplomatic unity. Gorman made
a point of not obfuscating the horrific events that had been
happening in the weeks leading to President Biden’s
inauguration. At the same time, her poem included just the
right dose of optimism - causing her to inspire unity and
national empathy. Gorman states that we must not ‘erase
the harsh truths of America’, but instead reconcile with
them.

In terms of her background and upbringing, Gorman describes herself as a: “Skinny Black girl descended from slaves
and raised by a single mother.” From a very young age, Gorman found herself filling journals with copious amounts of
writing. Despite her somewhat prodigal talent for writing and performing, Gorman has struggled with an Auditory
Processing Disorder for the majority of her life, making her hypersensitive to sound. She also had a speech
impediment throughout her childhood.
A vital part of Gorman’s astounding success at such a young age was
being able to reframe her vocal and auditory disorders into something
positive, something that would fuel her future success. Gorman worked
hard to overcome these disorders - and it was during this process that
she fell in love with reading and writing.

Gorman went on to be named the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles at

age 16, and later became the National Poet Laureate. Gorman also
published her first book, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015
- a novel which she had been working on for two years, starting it at the
age of 15.

Although Gorman had been a prominent poet long before President

Biden’s inauguration, it is only recently that she has been able to reach a
wider audience. In September of 2021, Gorman is set to release her debut
poetry collection The Hill we Climb, which includes her notorious
inauguration poem. Her debut picture book Change Sings, will also be
released at the same time.

Although the picture book is aimed at younger readers, it still tackles the
crucial issues that are at the heart of all of Gorman’s literary works -
feminism, race, marginalisation and the African diaspora.

I think that no matter who you are, how old you are, or where you come
from - there is something you can take away from Gorman’s expeditious
rise to success. As students, we learn from Gorman to not let our age or
cultural background define our abilities. We learn to not limit ourselves,
to allow ourselves to grow into a generation of thinkers that will impact
the world just as thoroughly as Gorman has.

We learn that you are never too young to ignite change.

I think that Amanda Gorman’s rise to success within itself epitomizes

the societal foundation that the United States was built upon. To quote
President Obama’s 2008 election victory speech - “America is a place
where all things are possible.” America has always been built upon the
idea that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can be a
part of something great.

It is a place where even a strange, ‘skinny Black girl’ from an

underprivileged background can rise up and become the voice of a
nation.

Gorman’s story simply goes to show that when we carve our own path
instead of following predetermined societal structures, it is only then
that we become powerful beyond measure.

"GORMAN’S RISE TO SUCCESS

WITHIN ITSELF EPITOMIZES THE
SOCIETAL FOUNDATION THAT
THE UNITED STATES WAS BUILT
UPON".
 Extraordinary Effort,
Extraordinary
Accomplishment
HIS students secure Sustainability Award in F1 in Schools
World Finals 2020-21.

By Gautham
Nambair

Team Zenith was extremely proud to represent

UAE and Hartland International School at the
Aramco F1 in Schools World Finals 2020(21) that
concluded in the United Kingdom on the 8th of
June 2021. Over 1.3 million students across 26,000
schools globally participate in the F1 in Schools
2020-21 competition.
We are thrilled that our Zenith Team secured the
Sustainability Award, while also being shortlisted
as the top 3 teams in two other awards i.e.,
Sponsorship & Marketing Award & Digital Media
Award. The innovative initiative in creating
sustainable tee -shirts, masks of recyclable
material and our tree planting drive in the
Hartland community helped the team win the
Sustainability award. They were one of the
youngest teams to make it through to the finals.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the four-day

World Finals event was, for the first time, held
virtually through Zoom sessions from the United
Kingdom. F1 in Schools raises awareness of
Formula 1 as well as Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by creating
exciting learning environments for students
(aged 9- 19 years) across the globe.
During the past year, the team have worked
tirelessly in meeting the different challenges of
the National and World Finals competition. Their
Team members: Gautam Nambiar, Karthika Ajay,
success would not have been possible without
Elizaveta Soboleva, Daren Tan and Wayne D’Souza
the support and encouragement of Mrs. Fiona
Mentor: Mr. James Peacock
Cottam, Mr. James Peacock and last but not the
Instagram: @zenith.uae least their families.
 EXTRAORDINARY
DISCUSSIONS
What Can Students Teach Us About Race?

BY JENIN AL SHALABI

There seems to be this looming belief, that young people are too young to talk about racism and

discrimination.

Last Wednesday, Hartland students of all ages, ethnicities and genders came together to challenge

this obsolete myth. Hartland students passionate about social justice came together and took part

in Mrs Cottam’s Diversity, Inclusion and Equity initiative. Mrs Cottam’s honest and informative

assembly on the topics of race and discrimination inspired dozens of students to actively make

Hartland a more culturally aware place.

The meeting started with students discussing the kinds of discrimination they themselves have faced

– a task that required courage and vulnerability. The fact that students from all over the world came

together to acknowledge their privilege and educate themselves is a testament to the amount of

positive change and social reform the next generation is capable of.

It was wonderful to see Hartland students, even those who had not directly faced discrimination, be

empathetic to one another’s views and experiences. Students showed an astute willingness to learn

about each other’s cultures, thus creating a space where any and all discussion was welcome – even

about topics deemed taboo.

Within the meeting, students led these difficult discussions, displaying a great deal of diplomacy

and cultural sensitivity. Students at Hartland and around the globe have a lot to contribute to

conversations about social injustice. Students of all ages are able to evaluate the most significant

issues facing our society and come up with impactful and effective solutions.

A student’s ability to tackle or even acknowledge issues like race and discrimination should never be

undermined – as there is so much the younger generation can teach us about our everyday racial

dynamics.

To ignore or undermine their views is to impede the development of the minds that will guide our

future society to true, unadulterated justice.

 EXTRAORDINARY
BEGINNINGS AT
HARTLAND

AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR NEW YEAR 7S

by Manuela Farinon

How have the Year 7s adapted to the

new secondary environment?

This year at Hartland International

School, the Year 7 cohort have had
many changes compared to their
primary years. Not only have they
had to adapt to the rigours of
secondary school they have had to
adapt to the new Covid rules as well.
We think that we have done very well
and have stuck to the new Covid
restrictions and rules. There have
been many other changes such as,
more homework and tests and having
to be more responsible, moving from
class to class focusing on schedules.
Even with the pandemic, many
students have been able to accomplish
great things. Students have joined
clubs and teams that have helped
enhance their learning and
understanding.
How Have We Changed?

Change is something everybody goes through in life. It is an important

stage to really think what is best for us and how we think, this will help
us in the future. Some key aspects that the Year 7 group have had to
change is our behavior, having to be more responsible and organized.
This will stay with us even when we grow up to be adults. As a year 7
student, I have noticed that I have changed my behavior, in adapting
to secondary school. We all look up to the older students and take
examples from their actions and behaviors. All in all, it has been a
great year.
 READ WHAT OUR YEAR
7S HAVE TO SAY..
I have changed through being more responsible and
independent. Some of my achievements that I am proud to
announce are that I am class rep, I’m in the library committee,
F1 in schools and MUN.
- Nabeela Kazmi

From Year 6 to Year 7 things have changed a lot,

having homework and finally being able to be in
school not online learning. I was also part of the
Charity Committee, and it was very enjoyable.
- Emily Steinberg

Many things have changed this year such as more subjects

and more tests and homework. Also, it has been hard to
handle both gymnastics and school at the same time but it
has taught me to be more efficient with time and be
thankful for the time that I get to learn. The beginning of
this year has been hard although I have been resilient and
now it is way easier.
- Zalina Kubataiva
 I’ve started to be more mature and more organized in
Year 7 and have been part of the art competition and
swim squad.

- Abdalrahman Tahboub

I have been more organized. I participated in the

newsletter team, debating competitions, LAMDA, and
MUN. There has been more schoolwork although I have
coped with it by making timetables and schedules on my
laptop
- Aisha Ibrahim
 EXTRAORDINARY
ATHLETES
An interview with Ryan McDonough

by Melina Garaud

Ryan McDonough is a student in Year 11 who recently took part in a triathlon. This

was the first triathlon he has ever done - despite this, he managed to come 4th

overall! We interviewed him to find out more about this amazing achievement.

Can you tell us about what you had to do in the triathlon?

Ryan: It was an 800m swim, a 5.5km cycle, a 2.5km run. This was in Khor Fakkan. It

was open water (meaning that the swimming took place in the sea), making it a

lot harder.

Why did you decide to partake in it?

Ryan: I decided to do it because it was something that linked into swimming (I’m a

swimmer) - therefore I thought it would be a good idea. It was also something

different, because I never cycle or run, and a combination of all three was

challenging.

What was the best part of the triathlon?

Ryan: The best part of the triathlon was finishing it, because having that relief of

having it come to an end and the feeling of successfully completing all the

challenges was very rewarding.

What challenges did you come across?

Ryan: I found out that when you get on the bike you have certain rules and

regulations - you must quickly change from being in the water to cycling, which

I’ve never done before, I found that preparing myself to get on the bike was

quite difficult. The cycling bikes were also thinner, which I wasn’t used to, whilst

mountain bikes which I am used to are thicker, which are easier to control.

Would you do this again?

Ryan: I think it would be good to do it again - it was a nice challenge, and it

was good fun. If there was an opportunity, I would be up for it.

Who would you recommend this to and what advice do you give?

Ryan: I’d recommend it to anyone who would like a challenge, and anyone who

knows how to cycle, swim and run. Pace yourself, try and conserve your energy -

on the bits you’re better at, take it easier. Don’t think about winning - think

about beating yourself, not other people. I think it’s better because if you focus

on others, you’re never going to get better at improving yourself - you should

focus on improving yourself before you think about beating other people.