PARENT UPDATES 22 November, 2020
A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR Please CLICK HERE to view a video message from our Director Mr Graeme Scott.
IMPORTANT DATES Tuesday, 24 November, 9am: Zoom Coffee Morning Parents, join our Zoom Coffee Morning this week Tuesday at 9am and learn about the different initiatives we are taking as a school toward Digital Citizenship, including the Common Sense Education curriculum and access to UK's national online safety portal service. We will be discussing some strategies to help your children stay safe online.
Please CLICK HERE to join the Zoom. Meeting ID: 919 5765 0273
30 November: In-School National Day Celebration Students can come to school dressed in their National Day colors and clothing in honor of the UAE National Day.
1-3 December: Commemoration Day & National Day Break The UAE government has declared a public holiday from 1-3 December in honor of Commemoration Day & National Day. Please note that the school will be closed these days.
10 December: Early Dismissal Day Please note, there will be an Early Dismissal Day on Thursday, 10 December, the last day before Winter Break. We will remind you of this again as we get closer to this date. If you'd like to review the school calendar, please note you can find it posted on our website under the "Academics" tab or CLICK HERE to view.
HOLIDAY CARE PACKAGE
FROM OUR HEAD OF COUNSELLING Helping Teens Feel Loved
Dear Parents,
As a parent of teen boys, I sometimes take a moment to reflect on how as parents we continue to show our love for our boys. Especially as John Coffey Psychologist in his research describes how challenging it can be to show love to our teens, when faced with the daily battles, of what time bedtime is, or how much Xbox is too much!
When our children were younger, it seemed effortless to find opportunities for connection, through play, reading, sports, and leisure. The hugs were aplenty. At this age, our boys welcomed our attention, even enjoying spending time with us! Now when we come home, we often return to a quiet house, with teens ensconced in their bedrooms, with their screen for company, and study ( or at least that is what they tell us!) Those warm hugs and smiles that would greet us upon our return from school, when they were younger, have been replaced by friendly grunts, a sign that adolescence is beckoning them towards separation and individuation.
Of course, this is normal, as they mature they seek independence, and in their quest to become self supporting adults, the opportunities for conflict between parents and teens can grow exponentially! Parents eager to guide, influence, children eager to assert their autonomy, opinions, can lead to resistance and rejection, may I add on both sides.
I know some of our Fairgreen parents face this conundrum too, how do I ensure my teen feels loved, even when connection feels broken through conflict. The key piece of evidence from the Coffey study was for parents to ensure that daily warmth and love was given to their teens, and it was not conditional upon their behavior. Even when a battle was in progress about 'chores' or 'homework' or 'too much gaming', so long as warmth and respect prevailed, relationships would continue to strengthen.
So, Moms and Dads, if it has been a while since you complimented your teen, told them you loved them ( all of them) even the grumpy bits, insisted that you needed a hug or shared some empathy for their teen issue... I encourage you to do so.
With only a year to go before my first born leaves for University, I know what my first priority will be when I get home today...
Have a great week!
Kind regards,
Jackie Greenwood Head of Counselling
DEVICE USE IN SCHOOL Dear Parents,
Since returning to school, we have become more reliant on devices as a means of working safely within COVID restrictions and preventing the spread through exchange of books/papers/reading materials in class.
This has been working well within school. However, we are noticing that some students are using their devices, particularly mobile phones, more frequently at times when it's not appropriate, for example during transitions between classes.
If they use their mobile phones within school time (without permission), they will be asked to give them to Ms Desai for safe keeping until the end of the day. Students will be still able to use their phones in class to enhance their learning when given permission by the teacher.
We would like to thank you for your support with ensuring that devices are used appropriately and would also like to remind parents that students shouldn't not be receiving messages from home via devices on a regular basis during the school day.
Best regards,
Aimee Thomas Damayanti Rao MYP Pastoral Leads
HOUSE UPDATE This is the current house totals: Aqua are still in the lead and Ignis have managed to hold on to second place. Caeli have managed to overtake Terra and are back up to 3rd.
Plus, students continue to earn house points by uploading photos or video clips of their fitness activities they are doing outside of school as part of the Dubai 30x30 Fitness Challenge. Here are some great pictures of students doing some really cool things: dune climbing, horseback riding, sailing, swimming, family games at the park, yoga and more!
HIGHLIGHTS FAIRGREEN PARTICIPATES IN ANTI-BULLYING WEEK Last week, our students and teachers made many efforts to support Anti-Bullying Week. Students wrote messages around campus to encourage kindness, did in-class activities and projects emphasizing kindness and friendly behaviour, and some classes took part in the DHA-sponsored anti-bullying webinars. This was a great way to encourage our students to "be a buddy, not a bully." Great job!
GRADE 6 ART STUDENTS FOCUS ON PATTERN AND DETAIL
Grade 6 finished a unit on printing techniques in Mrs Clarke's art class. Students each developed their own design focusing on pattern and detail, and then had the joy of printing them!
UNIFORM SALE SHOP TIMING FOR NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
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