The document summarizes various academic and extracurricular activities at Al Yasmina School. It discusses the school's able, gifted, and talented program which identifies students scoring highly on cognitive tests and provides enrichment opportunities. It also mentions that design technology students collaborated with Year 2 students to create furniture, and that several debaters will trial for the UAE debate team. The publication serves to keep parents informed about events and achievements across the secondary department of the school.

1. AL YASMINA SCHOOL STRIVES TO BE AN
OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
SCHOOL, MAXIMISING THE LEARNING
POTENTIAL OF ALL
THE SECONDARY
PARTNERSHIP
AL YASMINA
SCHOOL
Connect
Bloom
Grow
Learn
Nurture
Play
ABU DHABI issue 7
2012/2013
ALDAR ACADEMIES

2. CONTENTS
WELCOME From the HEAD OF SCHOOL 3
FOCUS ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION 4
SPORTS AWARD WINNERS 6
ABLE, GIFTED AND TALENTED NEWS 8
DT STUDENTS COLLABORATE WITH YEAR 2 9
FAREWELL TO THE FIRST YEAR 13s 10
OVERSEAS TRIPS TO NEW YORK AND PARIS 11
sTUDENT COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENTS 15
FOY NEWS 16
SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS 18
AMBASSADOR AWARDS 20
studentS OF THE MONTH 20
Welcome to this issue of the Secondary PARTnership
for the 2012/2013 academic year. The Secondary
PARTnership is the publication for Al Yasmina's
secondary school and is published eight times a year.
Look for previous issues on the school website.
The Secondary PARTnership keeps you up-to-date with
student activities across the secondary department. It
also gives Al Yasmina School the chance to celebrate
progress and achievement and provide more in depth
information to parents on a wide variety of subjects.
We welcome your feedback.
communications@alyasmina.sch.ae
The latest PARTnership for this academic year
Topics, trends, updates, views and news from the Al Yasmina Secondary Department
WELCOME
Pictured on the cover: Students take in the sights of Paris during their March trip
2

3. 3
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL, MR GALE
Term three is always a demanding term. There are two key
contrasting features of the term, exams and celebrations.
This term exemplifies the purpose of a school. This is what
schools are about, preparing students to be confident and
successful in their exams as well as developing, nurturing
and rewarding all aspects of school life.
It is a real mix, with the upper school facing the pressures
and rigours of examinations and the lower school
celebrating all that has been achieved throughout this
academic year.
On 23 May, we held our inaugural Year 13 leavers’ assembly
(see our feature on page 10). It was with a great sense of
pride we heard of the students’ affections for the school and
the positive effect Al Yasmina has had on them.
Two of the school’s key roles are to ensure students ‘enjoy’
and ‘achieve’. I believe Al Yasmina has this combination
right. You will see, by leafing through this publication, the
balance of academic rigour and celebration.
You will read of the sports awards in this edition as well
as the introduction of the Al Yasmina student ambassador
award (see page 20).
Whilst just over 200 of our students in Key Stage 4 & Post-16
may not feel much like celebrating at this time of the year,
we are confident that they will reap the rewards of their
efforts in August!
I do look forward to seeing you in school at one of our end of
term celebrations.
Enjoy the publication.
Two of the school’s key roles
is to ensure students ‘enjoy’
and ‘achieve’.

4. PE DEPT HAS AMBITIOUS GAME PLAN
An overview with the Director of Sport
In less than five years since Al Yasmina opened, the school’s
PE Department has firmly established its reputation among
international schools in Abu Dhabi but has big plans to take
sport to the next level.
As the school has grown, the department has developed the
increasing pool of talent and this year’s achievements are the
best yet.
Almost 300 fixtures have been played since the beginning of
the year, across a range of sports including rugby, football,
netball and hockey. In football, Al Yasmina is the strongest
off-island school and in rugby, the Under-16 team was both
Cup and League runners-up. The secondary netball teams
developed more depth as the Abu Dhabi Netball League
completed its second season. While the senior hockey team
does not lack talent or enthusiasm, it remains short on
competition, with BSAK their only opposition.
The swimmers are a success story in their own right. Al
Yasmina returned from the recent British Schools in the
Middle East swimming championships with 60 medals– 11
gold, 25 silver, and 24 bronze. The swimmers set six BSME
record and each swimmer recorded personal best times. Al
Yasmina is now in the top five teams in the GCC region. On a
local level, our swimmers dominated at last month’s Under 16
swim meet. They beat BSAK and Al Raha by 100 points. “The
team has had a great year and we are yet to lose an event,”
says swim coach Mr Todorov.
While the sporting achievements are encouraging, Director
of Sport Mr Smith has a number of initiatives planned for
the coming year to take advantage of the school’s maturity.
“We are trying to raise the standards of our elite athletes and
squads so that we can compete well.”
From next year, each school sports team will get two one-
hour training sessions a week, up from the current one. And
in a joint venture with Harlequins Rugby Club, all secondary
school rugby training will transfer to the gentle grass pitches
of Zayed Sports City where players will be coached by both
school staff and Harlequins coaches.
“This is my first year as Director of Sport and one of my main
priorities is to try and develop community links.” This has
been initiated by teaming up with local sports organisations
to offer Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs) in sports such as
sailing, equestrian, and ju-jitsu. Mr Smith is also exploring
the possibility of a joint Aldar Academies sports team for an
overseas tour.
In addition, an agreement has been reached with Haddins
Gym which will see their staff working with the PE
Department across the secondary school.
They will provide strength and conditioning training to
students in school sports squads on Thursday afternoons and
will offer one-off sessions with gifted and talented students
during school time. They will also offer further training for
staff and will run specialist ECAs in classes such as yoga and
pilates.
The department recognises the value of using the latest
technology to its advantage, and has Mr Dunne taking the lead
role in the use of interactive whiteboards, TVs, and iPads in
the PE curriculum. They can be used for video analysis, GCSE
preparation, presentation of sports, and the viewing of video
clips of sport in action. “It’s another way to be creative in how
we teach.”
Launching the sports section of the school website was Mr
Smith’s first project in his new job and he says it has been a
huge success. It lists upcoming fixtures and results, runs a
calendar, records photos and other relevant information. It
will be further developed next year by adding a link to players’
and parents’ mobile phones.
Sporting “colours” are being introduced to Al Yasmina for the
first time this year to give recognition to students who have
represented the school or won an event or award. “I really
want to create a sporting ethos and raise the profile and
standard of sport in the school.”
He says the school must record its sporting successes and
display them for all to see. To this end, an honours board is
to be installed in the secondary sport hall. He is currently
collating Al Yasmina’s sporting achievements to be recorded
on the board. It will include school sports winners, house
sports winners, record holders, team achievements, and
Player of the Year recipients.
“It’s important to start the school history and build on it.”
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
4

5. Curriculum focus with Head of Secondary PE
A particular core curriculum focus for PE is to develop
leadership within the school. This is especially important with
the introduction of A-Level PE. The Junior Sports Leaders
Awards, a recognised sports qualification in the UK, should
return to school next year after the relicensing of a staff
member to run the programme.
The JSLA develops sporting links across the school, as
senior students work with primary students as part of the
programme.
This year saw PE classes divided into sets according to ability
for Years 7 to 9 for the first time. Mr Cantrill says it has been
a “very positive experience”, as those with more abilities
have been able to be challenged, while those not as sporty
have been encouraged and able to develop without feeling
overshadowed.
A-Level PE is to be added to the curriculum for the first time
in September. It will build on the success of the current group
of Year 11 GCSE students, whom Mr Cantrill says have worked
hard and are expected to achieve the best grades yet in the
subject. They have already completed their practical exam
comprising 60 percent of their marks, with all 14 students
achieving A*-C grades.
At least six or seven students are expected to carry on with
A-Level PE, while there are 30 students in the current Year
10 who will be working towards their final GCSE grades next
year.
As the number of students continues to grow so does the
staffing, with one replacement teacher and two new ones
due to start in September. “This gives us more scope for
specialised teaching.”
One of the new staff members is a dance/gymnastics
specialist which fills a gap that currently exists at the school.
“It will be great to have someone to focus on the artistic side
of sports.” Mr Cantrill hopes to see the current dance club
expanded and a gym club added next year.
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
5

6. Matthew Brundan
Male Hockey player
of the Year
Jenny Goldsmith
Female Hockey
player of the Year
Gina Cantelmi
U12 Football player
of the Year
Sally Zeidan
U14 Football player
of the Year
Abigail Alexander
U16 Football player
of the Year
6
SPORTS AWARDS
Ross Gammell
Male Sports person of the Year
Emily Green
Female Sports person of the Year
Ryan Hunter
Jack O’Donnell
Award
Cameron Oliver
Outstanding Sporting
Achievement
Cameron Oliver
Male Swimmer of
the Year
Dannielle Hatcher
Female Swimmer
of the Year
Fadwa Qadan
Female Swimmer
of the Year
Sam Forbes
U12B Football player
of the Year
Murray Hughes
U12A Football player
of the Year
Liam Bryant
U14B Football player
of the Year
Syed Talha
U14A Football player
of the Year
Yazdhaan Abbas
U16 Football player
of the Year
Jake Hughes
U18 Football player
of the Year

7. Sophie Ensor
Year 8 Netball
player of the Year
Aaron Parker
Golf player
of the Year
Syed Rehman
Cricket player
of the Year
Team
Players Player Award
Commitment Award
Year 7
Alanood Al Ameri
Erin Cassels
Year 8
Rachel Foulsham
Sally Zeidan
Year 9
Nikita Amir
Courtney Read
Year 10
Jessica Lewis
Katharina Toma
Year 11
Yea In Lim
Holly O’Shea
Year 12/13
Sophie Ensor
Emily Green
Swimming Awards
Commitment Award Alexa Groh and Milan Den Haese
Improvement Award Rosa Smith
Netball Awards
Under 12 B
Riyadh Hassan-Beck
Jamie Queen
Team
Players Player Award
Commitment Award
Football Awards
Under 12 A
Omar Abusin
Sam Hudson
Under 14 B
Kyle Crighton
Adnan Al Armouti
Under 14 A
Ahmed Al Sheryani
Owen Harcup
Under 16
Mohammed Al Hashmi
Tom Wouters
Under 18
Joe Sturt
Fasial Ali
Boys
Team
Players Player Award
Commitment Award
Under 12
Katya Ayass
Dhabia Al Mazrouei
Team
Players Player Award
Commitment Award
Girls
Under 16
Charlotte Patricolo
Tina Kamel
Under 14
Katie Parker
Aya Zeidan
Sports Avievement Award
Sam O’Shea - Triathlon
Ryan Hunter - Golf
Ryan Wynn - Motor cross
Team of the Year Award
Swimming
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
7
Ano Chinengo
Year 7 Netball
player of the Year
Shan Coley
Year 9 Netball
player of the Year
Alex McMillan
Year 10 Netball
player of the Year
Chanel Lehmkuhl
Year 11 Netball
player of the Year
Lucy Thompson
Year 12/13 Netball
player of the Year
Paolo Pretorius
U12 Rugby player of
the Year
Calum McKay
U14 Rugby Player of
the Year
Thomas Cook
U16 Rugby player of
the Year

8. issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
ABLE, GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMME
Al Yasmina runs an AGT (able, gifted and talented) programme.
It is for students who are identified as having a particular
strength highlighted by various factors within school.
A combination of staff referral, Cognitive Ability Test (CATs)
results and student achievement is taken into consideration
when identifying AGT students.
Those who achieve a CATs score of 120 or above are placed
on the school’s official AGT register. The AGT students show
aptitude in their general understanding and ability to relate
their learning to the wider world around them.
8
The Dove and the Orca
A dove, a dove, so graceful and small
But against the orca it shall fall
For the orca is so big and tall
But even that can stall at the dove’s call.
Life is not how we see it
But every day we die a little bit
When in bed, some will sit
While our silent and dark streets are lit.
For what we might see in our sight
Will give us a horrible fright
And as we sleep at night
A terrible flame is set alight
So back to the dove
So full of peace and love
Are we the dove or the orca?
Are we full of hate?
Or have WE decided on our fate?
Some of us take life for granted
So help us grow this tree we planted.
By Natasha Lauren Callow and Mehek
Mathur
“The AGT programme here at Al Yasmina is developing to help
challenge and motivate students to push their own learning,”
says programme co-ordinator Miss Magee. “We offer
opportunities for like-minded students to take part in activities
that are not necessarily part of the curriculum in order to
stimulate them.”
As an example, some Year 7 AGT students have been chosen to
be part of a group that will receive coaching from our winning
Year 9 debating team in order to take part in an upcoming
debate. There will be other opportunities for AGT students
throughout the academic year, both within and outside of
school, she says.
NATASHA AND MEHEK ARE PUBLISHED POETS
The English Department would like to congratulate Year 7
students Natasha Callow (left) and Mehek Mathur (right) on
the publication of their poem ‘The Dove and the Orca’ in Abu
Dhabi’s 181 publication.
This beautifully written poem uses symbolism to explore
society today and what we’re doing to our world. Mehek and
Natasha now join the ranks of talented published writers!
Good luck to Shahmir Khan, Abby Alexander and Priyanka
Iyer in their trial for the UAE Debate Team on June 15. The
students are keen debaters with an excellent knowledge of
current affairs and issues. If successful, they will represent the
country in the World Schools Debating Competition in Thailand
in August 2014.
AL YASMINA DEBATERS TRIAL FOR UAE TEAM
This will be the UAE’s fifth participation in the tournament
and it has developed a strong tradition of fielding competitive
teams. Last year’s team finished 13th out of 50 nations, a
highly creditable performance. Shahmir, Abby and Priyanka
are excellent speakers and have all been instrumental in
raising the profile of debating at Al Yasmina.

9. issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
Year 2 students and teacher Miss Dean took on the role of
clients this term for A Level Design Technology students who
have created fabulous furniture for the children’s shared area.
The Year 13 (A2) DT students were fulfilling a course
requirement that they undertake a major project that specified
they work with a client, just as professional designers would
operate in industry. Alistair Mains, Stefan Bennett and Hasan Al
Mashani chose to work with the primary school, and specifically
with Year 2.
The designers had a client interview with Miss Dean where the
brief was set and they generated some initial creative ideas.
Miss Dean then offered some additional client direction and the
students made some small and full-scale models of a number
of different components from their designs, which allowed them
to resolve some technical challenges. They used a variety of
different skills, from sand casting to sewing, as well as using
the computer-controlled router and laser cutter.
Hasan produced a round artist’s table with integral storage
and a light box. Stefan made a drawing table with its own
magnetised ruler and table top ,and with a built-in paper roll.
Alistair made a nautical-themed seating unit with built in book
drawers and portholes with fish decals.
Miss Dean says it was a fantastic opportunity to be involved in
the A Level DT projects, and that the furniture has transformed
the children’s learning environment. “It is difficult to believe
that they were not shop-bought items!”
“The Year 2 children now have a tailor-made, multi-purpose
workbench with objects to help them with pencil control,
handwriting, group work and word building; a reading area that
is comfortable and encourages them to share books with their
friends, and finally a brightly-coloured art table with easily
accessible pots to store brushes and pens, not to mention a
fully functioning light box!”
Miss Dean says the designers were very professional and asked
detailed questions to ensure they fulfilled the needs of Year 2.
“They found out what the Year 2’s liked doing, what they needed
help with, or what was missing from our learning environment.”
Mr Wood, Curriculum Team Leader Design and Technology,
says the client-led process is a rewarding experience for the
students, as they get constant feedback throughout the process.
A-LEVEL DT CREATIONS A HIT WITH YEAR 2
“Stefan, the workbench is
awesome! It has a whiteboard,
paper and the Spirograph helps me
get better at my pencil control and
my writing.” - Oliver
“I love the reading bench, it
reminds me of the sea which I
love! Thanks Ali!” - Laurie
9

10. issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
10
An important milestone in the short history of Al Yasmina was reached this month, with the school’s first-ever group of Year 13 students completing
their education and moving on to the next stage of their lives.
The occasion was marked with a special school assembly on May 23, followed by an evening function for the 22 students, their parents, and a small
number of staff at Yas Links.
Miss Fenning, Learning and Progress leader, Post-16, admits to mixed emotions as the students head away. She says it has been a rewarding year,
getting to know the students both as a group and as individuals, but it has not been without its challenges, as systems were established for Year 13s
for the first time.
Some of the students have been at Al Yasmina since its opening in 2008, others have joined more recently, but as the first cohort of students to
complete their education at Al Yasmina, they will always be fondly remembered, she says.
As is fitting for students from an international school, most have conditional offers at universities in many different parts of the world.
FIRST YEAR 13S GRADUATE

11. AL YASMINA TAKES
ON THE BIG APPLE
Museum of Natural History
The Natural History Museum was massive and we only
had an hour and a half, so we had to prioritise. We headed
straight for the animals. We started in the mammal area
where some of the animals were absolutely massive and so
realistic it was slightly disconcerting. We tracked down the
aquatic animals and saw a giant whale suspended from the
ceiling, a turtle with a tracking device backpack and some
freaky deep-sea creatures. Our next mission was to find
the giant dinosaur skeleton seen in the movie, “Night at the
Museum”. After asking a number of friendly security guards,
we finally found it and it was incredible, SO BIG! - Alex
McMillan
Guided tour of Wall Street
Our guide had lived in New York for 60 years and knew so
much about the city. We learned about Wall Street, the slave
trade and how the business district was formed. He told us
about the history of New York and took us on a walk through
a cemetery, then on to the 9/11 memorial site, and then into
a church. - Alex McMillan
Central Park
The best day was the day we went to Central Park, where
the teachers had organised two surprises for us - Central
Park Zoo which was fabulous, and a horse and cart ride
around Central Park. The park is beautiful, especially in
the winter weather. In the afternoon, the drama group
had a dance workshop where we learned the moves to the
first two verses of ‘All That Jazz’ from the Broadway show
‘Chicago’. The rest of the students went off to the Museum of
Mathematics. This was a once in life-time experience which
was just incredible! - Emily Simpson 11

12. Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial
site
We took the boat out to see the Statue of Liberty where it
began to snow, which was a huge shock but very exciting, as
many of us had never seen snow fall before. After we sailed
around Lady Liberty we went to the 9/11 memorial site.
We got to look at the incredible fountains where the Twin
Towers once stood. This was very moving as we saw videos,
photos and accounts of that terrible day and how it will never
be forgotten. Then we had a surprise - a trip to Madame
Tussauds where we got to meet a whole bunch of famous
people, from Robert Pattinson to Albert Einstein! To round off
the day we went ice-skating at the Rockefeller Centre. A truly
iconic New York City experience. I had so much fun on this
brilliant trip! - Holly Young
On our cruise round the Statue of Liberty, it started to snow.
It was the first time I have ever seen snow, it was amazing
and I really enjoyed it. Actually this day was the best day for
me! After visiting Madam Tussauds, we had free time to shop
and walk around. Times Square is the best place in New York
- it’s always busy, exciting and enjoyable! After a long day we
went to an awesome restaurant called Planet Hollywood. The
waitresses were really friendly. One of them was from Abu
Dhabi and wore my scarf as a head piece! - Eissa Al Shehhi
Radio City, Empire State Building, and
Fifth Avenue
On our first full day in the city, we visited the flagship Apple
store on Fifth Avenue. It was a massive shop that was
underground with a huge glass entrance. They were selling
every single apple product available in the world in that shop.
Next door was Fao Schwarz, an enormous toy store. The shop
was three stories high and had the best toys ever. Fifth Avenue
was really long and the shopping was very good.
After this we went off to the famous Radio City Hall, which
was a huge arena which looked like the best place to perform.
We went backstage and saw the crazy different types of
mechanisms used to get the stage to move in several different
ways. We got to stand on the stage as the performers do and
experience how they would feel on their performance which
was great!
We had to wait in line to go up the famous Empire State
Building and the view we had from the top of the building was
amazing. We could get a bird’s eye view of the entire city. It was
fantastic. - Karan Sampat
Shopping in Soho
We got to do lots of shopping in Soho which I really liked! When
our two hours was up the fun wasn’t over. Mrs. Eaves arranged
for all the girls to go to the “Dash” shop which is owned by the
famous Kardashians. The girls loved it!
We found a snapback shop where everyone went crazy. We all
then went to the park and put our snapbacks on the table, and
took pictures of how many there were. In total the group had
spent around $340!
Back at the hotel, Mrs Eaves and Mrs Hetherington had bought
us all “I heart New York t-shirts” as a surprise and said we
HAD to wear them on the journey home. It ruined my look so
while everyone wore their shirt normally I put on my Louis
Vuitton on and it looked awesome. At the airport we signed
shirts and said our goodbye to New York. It was a great holiday
and I loved being with my friends, learning new things and
making new friends. - Hazza Al Bushlaibi
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
1212

13. PARIS CHARMS STUDENTS
13

14. MR RICHARDS’
The solutions for last month’s Christmas challenge were
There is only one word to describe this trip. AMAZING ! It was a
great experience just travelling on my own, visiting so many places,
like the Eiffel Tower and Euro Disney. We even went on a cruise
on the River Seine. One of my favourite days was when we went to
Abercrombie & Fitch and went shopping. I also tried French cuisine
like frogs legs, snails and fondue. Overall it was a great trip and we
all had so much fun. - Marina Girguis, Year 9 Khalidiya
Going on the Paris trip has been amazing. We have all learnt so
many things about France that we never knew about. The metro
rides were the funniest bits… we would all sit, take selfies and
laugh. Experiencing different things and speaking a different
language to strangers was hard but it sure was fun. Best five days
of my life. I really hope it happens again next year! - Aleya Al Ketbi,
Year 9 Gurm
The French trip was the most amazing experience ever. It was
beyond fun, we had a lot of laughs and Paris is definitely my new
favourite city. All we did was try new things and try to speak French
which was so fun and hilarious. I think all of us fell in love with the
beauty of Paris and will go back there some day. This trip overall
was the best 5 days of my life. - Shamma Biny Sied, Year 9 Safarat
Pendant le voyage à Paris nous avons visité beaucoup d’endroits
cool comme la tour Eiffel, le château de Versailles, le Louvre,
Disneyland, les Catacombes, L’arc de Triomphe, le Notre Dame et
beaucoup d’autres choses. J’étais très audacieux et j’ai mangé des
escargots et des grenouilles aux cuisses. C’était dégoutant. J’ai
fait beaucoup de nouveaux amis et j’ai vraiment passé un moment
fantastique! - Silke Griffin, Year 10 Khannour
Bonjour. Il y quelque semaines, j’ai voyagé en France à Paris.
Nous avons visité la tour Eiffel, le Notre Dame et beaucoup plus.
Selon moi, c’était très excitant et intéressant, parce que j’ai appris
beaucoup de français et aussi j’ai trouvé Paris très amusant !
- Luke Read, Year 11 Fahidi
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
14

15. issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
The mission statement of the Student
Council is to “make a difference” at
school and as the end of the year
approaches, those involved are
confident that they have. While the
council members have learned that
some of their bigger ideas take time
to implement, they have a number of
achievements to show for their efforts
and further initiatives under way which
will benefit the whole school.
The council has representatives from
all mentor groups and is divided
into committees, each with its own
area of responsibility. They are
Communications, Curriculum, Events,
Rewards, Facilities, Recreation, and
Sustainability.
Highlights from this year include
Pink Day, a breast cancer awareness
fundraiser. The students offered for
sale pink ribbons, pink face painting,
pink hair spray, and pink ice-cream.
The Student Council was also closely
involved in International Day. The
students helped to set up the stalls
and each member of the council was
assigned to assist a primary class.
They were a huge hit with the younger
children, who did not want them to
leave!
Establishing recycling at Al Yasmina
has been a high profile project
the Student Council has taken on
with determination. The recreation
committee undertook a marketing
campaign, which included hosting
assemblies,
explaining to students and teachers the
need for sustainability in the UAE, and
the importance of the contribution Al
Yasmina could make by recycling.
Colour-coded bins are now a familiar
sight around the school and paper bins
have been place alongside printers.
Responsibility for managing the
programme was tied in with the house
system, with house leaders supervising
the recycling at break and lunchtime.
Although it got off to a slow start in
March, everyone is making a habit of
recycling now and ambitious targets
have been reached.
A red “thermometer” on the wall in
the atrium tracks progress. By the end
of May, four huge metal cages had
been filled. “It’s been hard work, but
the students have stepped up, with
encouraging results,” says Mrs Hewitt,
Student Council Team Leader.
The facilities committee is eagerly
awaiting the arrival of a vending
machine offering healthy food and
drink options. The committee members
have worked hard on this project over
a number of months, engaging in
discussion with both management of
the canteen and the school in order to
get the go-ahead.
They see it as a way of bringing
additional healthy food choices to the
school, and relieving queues at the
canteen.
There are many other ideas the
Student Council is working on for the
coming year. These include selecting
a mascot to represent Al Yasmina,
setting up STAR (Students Taking
Active Responsibility) awards scheme
to recognise the volunteer work
students do around the school, and
establishing a Student Charter. Every
class has been asked to submit three
rights and responsibilities they believe
all students should have. The Student
Council will then vote on which ones
should be included in the charter.
Mrs Hewitt says she loves the
council meetings and seeing the
representatives working to make
a difference at school. Despite
sometimes encountering setbacks, the
students have persisted and “really
shone”. She is looking forward to
seeing their efforts further rewarded in
the new school year.
STUDENT COUNCIL PROUD OF ACHIEVEMENTS
15

16. FRIENDS OF AL YASMINA
Saturday, 1 June 2013
Al Yasmina School Atrium
9.30am - 12.30pm
clothing,
household items,
cakes, etc.
(no plants,
no animals,
no flammables)
TABLE TOP SALE
For futher details contact: alyasminafoy@gmail.com
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
NEWS FROM FOY
This month has been another busy one for Friends of
Yasmina. Fifteen multi-coloured beanbags were bought
for the primary school and these are being enjoyed and
well used by the children in the library and the FS1 shared
area.
A Welcome Coffee Morning is held at the beginning of each
term. It is a very informal morning to help welcome new
parents into the school. It is open for anyone to attend,
new and old, and a perfect opportunity to help someone
out or just meet some new faces and make them feel
more at home in Abu Dhabi. Thank you to all those who
attended the coffee morning last month.
Our final fundraising project for the year is the Table Top
Sale, to be held inside at school on Saturday, June 1,
9.30am-12.30pm. Last year it proved very popular and
this year should be no exception. Clothing and household
items will be for sale.
16

17. MR RICHARDS’
MATHEMATICAL
CHALLENGE
YEAR 11’S ALVIN
SINGH TOPS UKMT
CHALLENGE
Year 11’s Alvin Singh topped Al Yasmina’s results in this year’s
United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Intermediate Challenge,
with a score of 71 out of 135.
Sixty-one students in Years 9-11 sat the challenge which
involves lively, intriguing multiple choice question papers,
designed to stimulate interest in maths in large numbers of
students. The combined junior and intermediate categories
attract over 600,000 entries from more than 4000 schools and
colleges.
Alvin’s result earned him the Best in School and Best in Year
11 awards. Best in Year 10 went to Ruby Hughes and Best in
Year 9 was jointly shared between Syeda Manal Ahmed and
Mohamed Al Hammadi. While no-one won Gold, 10 Silver and
13 Bronze awards were made.
Silver
Year 11: Alvin Singh, Usman Liaqat, Hibah Hassan, Mohammad
Shahrour, Clara Ziada.
Year 10: Ruby Hughes.
Year 9: Syeda Manal Ahmed, Mohamed Al Hammadi, Grace
Chuan, Jack Dunn.
Bronze
Year 11: Sarah Munro, Ahmed Al Saqri, Luke Read, Anissa
Johnson, Magdalena Bedrozova.
Year 10: Ashkan Bafti, Oliver Barron.
Year 9: Chris Lincoln, Ryhana Rasidi, Georgina Jones, Joseph
White, Sana Aftab, Yara Al Fawares.
Mr Hetherington, Curriculum Team Leader for Mathematics,
says that considering only the top third of students from each
school take part, it is a big achievement to receive a Gold,
Silver or Bronze certificate.
Students in Years 7 and 8 sat the Junior Challenge at the end
of April and are awaiting their results.
There were no correct entries last time. This month’s
challenge is similar but a little harder.
Fill in the empty boxes so that every line adds up to 30. Use
two numbers only, one of which is double the other. What
number should replace the
question mark?
6 1 7
5 1
6
? 14
5 13
Please email your answers to crichards@alyasmina.sch.ae.
The solution and the person who solved it correctly will be
published next month.
Year 8 Tayyibah student Eve Willis with the signed football
shirt she won during the Secondary Sport and ECA Awards
assembly for correctly guessing the number of songs played
during the House Sports clips. The answer was 66.
EVE WILLIS A WINNER
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
17

18. AL YASMINA
FIRST SCHOOL TO
AFFILIATE TO UAE
TOUCH
Al Yasmina is set to become the home of Junior Touch Rugby
in Abu Dhabi, with the announcement that it is the first
school here to become affiliated to the UAE Touch football
programme.
“This is another step in the right direction for UAE Touch,”
says programme founder and president John Larkins. “We
are looking for our schools programme in Abu Dhabi to
double in size next year and by affiliating Al Yasmina, we
will now be able to call on the skills of international Touch-
accredited coaches and referees and will be able to access
resources that are consistent across the world with other
affiliated organisations.”
Al Yasmina Director of Sport Mr Smith has welcomed Touch
Rugby into Al Yasmina.
Already this year the school has hosted the U9 and U11
School Finals, as well as the second round of the Abu Dhabi
Secondary Girls Touch Tournament. “Getting the basis of
Touch Rugby established at primary age will, in the long
term, benefit not only the sport of rugby but the overall
development of the students.”
He can see that the development of the sport within the
school offers another competitive pathway for students to
follow, but it also contributes to students fostering a life-long
enjoyment of sport and understanding of the overwhelming
benefits it can bring.
“Touch Rugby is here to stay at Al Yasmina, with a programme
in place for September already up and running.”
MILAN QUALIFIES
FOR BELGIUM
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Year 10 swimmer Milan Den Haese has qualified for the
Belgium National Championships this summer after an
outstanding performance at the Grand Prix Guy Coolen
competition he attended there in April.
He won one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal, and
produced the following times:
200 Individual Medley 2.24.9
100 Free 57.6
100 Breaststroke 1.19
50 Free 27.06
These were fast enough for him to qualify for the national
champs. The club in Belgium which Milan is associated with
is called De Meerkoet in Bree. Milan’s father, Piet, says the
club was very impressed with Milan’s achievements and hard
work, and was looking forward to welcoming him again in July
to train for the national competition.
Mr Den Haese says the credit lies with Milan’s hard work
and the skills of Mr Todorov, “an amazing and extremely
competent coach”.
Congratulations, Milan!
Mr Gale with UAE Touch founder and president, John Larkins and Director of Sport, Mr
Smith
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
18

19. MIXED FORTUNES
FOR GOLF TEAM
While only in its second year, Al Yasmina’s golf team has been
quietly going about its business, with increasing success.
The team has competed in monthly tournaments around Abu
Dhabi and Al Ain. Highlights include Callum McKay shooting a
very impressive one-under par at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to win
back in November and Aaron Parker scoring 21 points to win
at Al Ain Golf Club in February. The team finished joint first in
December at the Abu Dhabi City Golf Club.
“Overall there were mixed fortunes as the team finished a
respectable 4th for the season,” says Mr Ward, the teacher
in charge. “The hope is to push on even further next year
and grow golf at Al Yasmina and hopefully mount a stronger
challenge for the league title.”
Team members are:
Ryan Hunter (Year10)
Harry Baldock (Year10)
Jake Peate (Year10)
Aaron Parker (Year10)
Callum McKay (Year9)
James Forbes (Year9)
Max Baldock (Year8)
James Tweddle (Year7)
NETBALL SEASON
HIGHLIGHTS
Under 12 (Year 7)
6th place in the Abu Dhabi Schools Netball League (ADSNL)
Under 14 (Year 8)
5th Place in the ADSNL
Sophie Ensor was selected for the inaugural U14 Abu Dhabi
Netball Squad.
Under 14 (Year 9)
7th in the ADSNL League and runners-up in the endof season
tournament.
Under 16 (Year 10 and 11)
5th in the ADSNL and the end of season tournament.
Voted Team of the Year
Emily Green and Chanel Lehmkuhl represented Abu Dhabi in
the Inter-Gulf Tournament, where Emily Green received Player
of the Tournament.
Under 19
No league for this team, but they were runners-up in the end
of season tournament, losing marginally by 3 goals.
Lucy Thompson represented Abu Dhabi in the Inter-Gulf
Tournament.
Miss Jones with netball league award winners Sally Zeidan, Erin Cassels, Emily Green,
Sophie Ensor and Yea In Lim
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
19

20. Congratulations to the following students:
Fadhel Barakat (Islamic Studies - native)
Sumayyah Yousaf (Islamic Studies - non-native)
Aida Anani (Arabic - native)
Claire McManamon Purtell (Arabic non-native)
Amro Luqman (UAE and Social Studies)
Mera Al Farawes (Art)
Faisal Mohammed Ali (Business Studies)
Emily Simpson (Drama)
Maxwell Korff (Design & Technology)
Yea In Lim (Economics)
Hamzeh Abbaas (English)
Adam Pollock (French)
Alvinderjit Singh (Geography)
Karen Alexan Girgis (History)
Roxanne Gardiner (ICT)
Nicholas Ensor (Mathematics)
Kelsi Friedenthal (Music)
Aurore Queromain (PE)
Yousef Abdel Fattah (Psychology)
Mehek Mathur (Science)
Jordan Youlten (Spanish)
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
The Year Leaders were very excited at the start of this term to
introduce a new award for Al Yasmina students. While students can
receive a range of awards for their academic studies, the pastoral team
felt that there was something missing…
A new – and very special – award has been created. It will go to those
students who, we feel, fully represent the values of the school. The
award is for those students who, on a daily basis and without the need
for reminders meet, and exceed, our standards and expectations.
These students demonstrate a caring, supportive approach to other
students; they are respectful, polite and aware of the feelings of others.
In addition, they participate in, and contribute to, the life of the school.
In short, they are students who we feel are true ambassadors for Al
Yasmina.
AMBASSADOR AWARD ANNOUNCED
The Al Yasmina Ambassador Award takes the form of a small, round
pin bearing the Al Yasmina logo – we hope students will wear this
with pride. Learning Mentors will make nominations to Year Leaders
on a half termly basis with one boy and one girl from each year group
receiving the award each half term. The awards will be distributed in
our regular awards assemblies. The first group of students to receive
the award are: Jamie Queen (7 Maryah), Muzna Abdulrahman (7
Butinah), Roxanne Gardiner (8 Bih), Daniyal Ahmed (8 Tayyibah), Adnan
Al Armouti (9 Hamdan), Ramya Iyer (9 Safarat), Milan Den Haese (10
Qattouf, Jess Lewis (10 Qattouf), Luke Read (11 Fahidi) and Emily Green
(11 Fahidi).
Congratulations to all of those students who received the Al Yasmina
Ambassador Award, it is richly deserved.
Mrs Peacock, Assistant Headteacher, Students
issue 7
2012/2013
AL YASMINA SCHOOL
20