graduation eremony of the lass of · pdf fileone of the most memorable interactions that i had...

SUNDAY, 5 JUNE 2016 ISSUE 203

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL SECONDARY

SCHOOL NEWS

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS

PADIA

G R A D UAT I O N C E R E M O N Y O F T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 6

GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE CLASS OF 2016

SPEECH BY THE VALEDICTORIAN

JUNIOR SUNDAR

Graduates, parents, esteemed faculty and administration, good evening and congratulations to the Class of 2016. I am honoured, to be able to speak in front of all of you.

It has been a truly wonderful ride, and when I look back at everything that has happened over the course of these years, I am overcome with a paradox of emotions, namely deep sadness over having finished school and excitement over having FINALLY finished school.

The school bus has always been the starting point to my school experience. Now I often feel myself holding back from stepping onto the bus, as I see my younger brother board it without me. School will always hold a special memory in my heart, especially my time in DIA, but it is time to move forward into new beginnings and new possibilities.

When I look around, I see a mix of emotions. There’s sorrow as we close one chapter of out lives, and excitement and apprehension of what is to come. There’s pride amongst the parents who are always by our side and have supported us in this journey, and more importantly a sense of accomplishment amongst our teachers who have guided and lifted us and with whom we have formed a strong bond.

Unfortunately for me my grandfather, a man who shaped my life and who I very much wanted to be here today, passed away during the week of exams. For the 18 years I had known him, I never once saw him with a frown on his face, and whenever I inquired him about his carefree attitude he would always tell me, “When I’m gone, I don’t want you people to remember all the sad moments we had together and feel down. I want my thoughts to bring out a smile on your faces.”

One of the most memorable interactions that I had with my grandfather, happened about 2 years ago in India. Now imagine this: A beautiful garden, birds chirping, leaves rustling in the trees as a gentle breeze blows through the branches, and a man, in his late 70s, seated amidst this beautiful scenery drinking tea with the loudest slurp you have ever heard.

My grandfather loved his tea, especially out in the garden, that’s when he was the most philosophical. Well, think of it more like a mix of nonsensical stand-up comedy and philosophy: “Stand-up Philosophy”. Let me illustrate it for you: Whenever I got stressed over exams, he would tell me “Junior don't worry! If you ever come across a question which you can’t answer, do what I always do! Call over the invigilator and ask them to help you solve it, that’s why they are there.”

I actually tried it, how else do you think I managed to get this far?

As he was drinking his tea, he called me over and said to me, “You are about to enter the most important stage of your life. I never had the opportunities and the resources to enjoy my youth, but you do! What I’m going to tell you are the 3 regrets of my life.” He gave me advice that inspired be deeply, and I would like to share it with you and I hope it inspires you as much as it did me.

He told me to “Be selfish”. For the first 19 years, most of your life decision are made by your parents, and to an extent your life is in their hands. After 35 you live for your family, if you choose to have one. The 15-20 years in between are yours alone. During these years you should only live for yourself, and do only what you want, because this is the time to follow your desires. During these years whatever you choose to do will define you as a human being, so don’t depend on other people’s opinions. There’s no shame in taking advice, just ensure that how you apply it to your life makes sense to you.

The next thing he told to me was “Try anything and everything that you won’t regret 5 years from now.” From this point on, you’re going to lead your own life. So now is the time to experiment. If you really want to do something, do it! There’s no one stopping you. You want to learn to play the guitar? Buy one and learn it! It doesn’t matter if you don’t continue, as long as you thoroughly explored every aspect of it. Don’t end up like an old man with a lot of regrets and unfinished dreams. But make sure that your actions don't disturb others.

His final advice, is the key to living a happy life. After this point, our life will accelerate like a bullet train. But during all the commotion and rush “Always remember to slow down every once in a while.” Have an aim in mind and work vigorously towards achieving it, but always stop to enjoy the things that are happening around you. If you don’t, then when you DO achieve your goal you will have wasted a good chunk of your life. People might say, “I can enjoy life when I am old,” but how can you be sure that you will even wake up and see the light of day tomorrow. He always says “time and tide waits for none”. So cherish every moment you have and hold on to it, because times like these are never going to come back. When we get old and reflect on our life, we aren’t going to reminisce about all our accolades. We are going to recollect all the times we stopped to look around us.

If our life were a book, today marks the end of the Preface. There’s now billions of empty pages to fill in with interesting snippets from our lives. And it doesn’t matter if the pages run out, write a sequel. Just keep writing, because your pen should only stop when your heart stops.

GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE CLASS OF 2016 SPEECH BY THE HEAD STUDENTS

FELIX KEMPF & KIRSTEN ERASMUS

Dear teachers, parents, esteemed senior management team and guests of honour and of course, our beloved fellow graduates,

It is our true honour and privilege to stand here in front of you 143 incredible young adults tonight, and to reflect on the journey we have been on together for the last 2 years.

We drove all the way out to RAK to stay in one of the nicest hotels where we “learned” all about CAS, ToK and EE.

In those first few months leading up to the Retreat, we were all still very much in the beginners phase with the Diploma Programme We didn’t entirely realise what was to come our way, and I doubt any amount of Alvaro threats or teacher scare talks would have prepared us any better. What followed, well I don’t think any of us comprehended just how many cups of coffee from Ms Sippy we’d need to haul us through.

Despite the fact that just just a couple of weeks ago we sat at desks separated from each other by a metre of empty space, writing our final exams; the past two years have undoubtedly been a journey we’ve taken together. I cannot fathom the number of sarcastic comments, funny memes / videos and last minute panic

epidemics that have passed between our year group. And of course, we cannot forget the shoulders that were tend-ed to cry on when it all became too much. All in all, we are sitting here today because of what was a group effort.

At our farewell ceremony, we all had the chance to thank our teachers, educators and support staff for all their constant hard work. However; tonight we are here to celebrate the students - who through hard work, community effort and a few minor miracles, are sitting on this stage, looking very handsome or beautiful in their black graduation robes.

Despite the fact that we spent the past few months counting the days until we were done with exams and free of high school, now that the day has arrived, it is most definitely a bittersweet moment. As much as some parents and teachers would have wanted, the past two years have most definitely not consisted exclusively of studying. We have made friends, forged relationships that will last beyond this city, laughed until our stomachs hurt, cried until we thought our hearts would shatter, and most importantly, pulled together as a group to do things that would never have been possible if it were just us alone. (most importantly, finding the latest past papers and mark schemes) Together, we have grown; emotionally, mentally, and in some cases, physically. Each and every graduating student is unique and spectacular in their own way, and your new homes will be lucky to have you.

And now the time has come for us to move on and leave this bubble we live in behind. Which is both exciting, and absolutely terrifying. But don’t worry, the trusty Facebook group is always on hand to save the day. If anyone ever needs to know how to make pasta or sew on a button, just ask, there will be someone to help.

So, when you get on your flight heading off to your new life, think back to the two years we have shared together, and let the experiences you had here shape you for the better.

We made it. Our school career has come to an end, we have reached the finish line of the International Baccalaureate Program, which proved to be a marathon, pushing us far beyond of what we thought we were capable of.

I am truly grateful to have spent the last two years with such an amazing group of people. Especially for me, as I only joined DIA two years ago, I was genuinely moved by how welcoming every single one of you was. It was a very humbling experience for me, and I would like to thank all of my classmates for making me feel like a part of the school community so quickly. It was amazing to experience how seamlessly we supported and motivated each other throughout the many sleepless nights before exams.

I realized very quickly that these students are something special. Hence, I am really looking forward to what the future brings, as I already know many future celebrities and people who will have a meaningful impact on our world. Look at them, I can already see a future CEO, astronaut, artist, bodybuilder, feminist activist, President, Nobel Prize winner, scientist… the list goes on and on.

The many different talents within our year group are astonishing. We were able to witness them during various theatre performances, music displays and in the PE Hall, on many courts throughout the UAE.

Our sports teams were phenomenal, for example the Boys Basketball Varsity Team, who won the first AUD Championship trophy in DIA’s history this year. We would have not been able to achieve this incredible success if it wasn’t for Coach Mihail, and hence, on behalf of all sports teams and students, I would like to thank you Sir for your constant hard work and incredible motivational speeches before every game.

Also, I want to thank our Prefect team and our deputies Ananya Jain and Faris Omair for their outstanding contributions throughout this year; Kirsten and I would have not been able to make anything happen without your support.

Now, we all stand at the gateway to adulthood, about to begin a new chapter full of unknowns, both for our families and ourselves, and we will set out to conquer the world as holistic, inspired young adults. We are going to work hard to achieve our goals, as we know, it doesn’t matter that your dream came true if you spent your whole life sleeping.

These past two years have truly been the greatest of my life. Thank you, Class of 2016.

GRADUATION AWARDS OF THE CLASS OF 2016

VALEDICTORIAN JUNIOR SUNDAR

CEO’S AWARD FOR THE BEST ALL ROUND STUDENT

JAGWIR GREWAL

CAS AWARD TIJN BOENK

IB LEARNER PROFILE AWARD ELDRICK LOS BANOS

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD REBEKAH MATHEWS


AMICUS GENERIS FELIX KEMPF

COURAGE THROUGH ADVERSITY KIRSTEN ERASMUS

MOST EXCELLENT PREFECT AWARD FARIS OMAIR

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR LAURENE LECLERC

CITIZENSHIP AWARD ANANYA JAIN


INTERNATIONAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR HANZ VALBUENA

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR TANISHQ LALVANI

ACADEMIC YEAR 2015 - 2016

JUNE 2016

Sunday, 5 June IVEI Sports - Table Tennis - U8-U18 – hosted by RWA

Sunday, 5 June Parent Appreciation Coffee Morning

Sunday, 5 June DIA Sports Awards Gala Presentation

Monday, 6 June Beginning of Ramadan (TBC)

Wednesday, 8 June KG2 Graduation

Wednesday, 15 June Innovents Quran Recital And Arabic Writing Competition, Grade 3-12 at RIS

Thursday, 16 June PS Portfolio Conferences only – no school for PS students

Thursday, 16 June Innovents - Film Fest, Grades 6-12 at DIA

Tuesday, 21 June Year 6 Graduation

Thursday, 23 June Last day for students

Tuesday, 28 June Last day for teachers

AUGUST 2016

Wednesday, 24 August New Secondary students Orientation Years 7 – 11 Current Year 6 students do not need to attend the orientation. Their first day of school will be Sunday, 28 August .

Thursday, 25 August Re-sit exams from 8.00 – 10.00

Thursday, 25 August All Year 12 students (new and returning) Orientation from 8.00 – 12.00

Sunday, 28 August All PS and SS students return. PS - Hopes and Dreams, SS - normal classes.

Please Note: The above dates are subject to change. For calendar updates please refer the school website - http://www.diadubai.com/learning/academic-calendar/2015-2016/

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL

SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS


PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS GENERAL

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS

YEAR 6 EXHIBITION By Adam Masood, Year 6

Ring! Went my alarm clock which woke me up for most important day of Primary School: The Year 6 Exhibition! I rushed to school with a mix of emotions, I was curious, excited and nervous all at the same time. Blood was pumping through my body, I couldn't wait to present all of my hard work (and my group’s work) to the Exhibition visitors. Our boards were in the SS gym, waiting to be shown. The big day began with a DIAtones performance and a Year 6 song to the parents that were both really catchy. Finally, the time had come, we stood next to our boards, attracting parents and students by how good our boards looked. We felt like experts that had come with knowledge that only we knew, and knowledge only we could share! My group and I presented with enthusiasm to people who came to our board. Our topics were interesting and we choose them because we were passionate about them. We were all fully committed to this project. It was an exhausting morning of sharing our learning journeys, but with a forty minute break, we were back on track. Soon enough, it all came to an end, Year 6 cheering themselves on for completing such a challenging accomplishment: Exhibition. We will always remember our last project in primary school.

COMPETITIVE SPORTS NEWS PADIA


SCHOOL NEWS

DIA STUDENTS SUCCEED IN INNOVATION COMPETITION

We are delighted to announce the tremendous success of Dubai International Academy students in the recent International Conference on Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ICLIE) held on April 20th – 22nd, 2016 at The Atlantis - The Palm, Dubai.

A multidisciplinary panel of academic judges selected from teams from schools all over the UAE, with the top three winning teams being announced during the gala dinner, concluding the event.

Taking the second prize of AED 3,000 were Braden Bihag and Carl Vinter (both Year 10). The pair secured the runners-up position with their project AeroCig, a product that uses revolutionary filter technology to eradicate secondary and tertiary smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, to protect non-smokers in a smoking environment.

Also recognized for their Tutor Today project – involving the use of technology to solve tutoring needs - was the team of Ananya Mirchandani and Aditya Rathi (both Year 10). Special mention was also given to Annabella Cuenca Goddard (Year 8) for her individual project, Teenbox.

All of our student projects reached shortlisted project status and were showcased to more than 200 delegates attending the international conference.

Our students were especially well commended as this competition is open to students up to school-leaving age. We look forward to seeing even more of their innovative projects in future too.

Well done, DIA Students!!

http://www.iclie.com/

Robert Jennings Deputy Head of Secondary (Pastoral)



PADIA

Left to right: Aditya Rathi, Braden Bihag, Timothy Graystone (CUD), Carl Vinter, Ananya Mirchandani, Robert Jennings. Annabella Cuenca Goddard (not in the picture)

http://www.iclie.com/

YEAR 9 COMMUNITY PROJECT

What is the most important Year 9 assessment at DIA? The Community Project of course! The Community project aims to generate new creative insights and develop a deeper understanding [of the world] through an in-depth investigation issues facing the world through service learning. This year we had many outstanding projects including: teaching technology to labourers, investigating how sewing can empower women in India, turtle rehabilitation, beach and desert clean ups.


SCHOOL NEWS


DIA IS PLACED FIRST IN

THE IVEI BADMINTON TOURNAMENT


PADIA

SCHOOL PLACE

DIA 1st

CAS 2nd

RIS 3rd


SCHOOL NEWS

PADIA is now Hi-Tech. The PADIA Facebook page is now active. Please like our page and become friends of PADIA. After all it is a parents association of parents, for the parents by the parents!!

Click on the link below to access the PADIA Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PADIA-DUBAI-1671408443128798/


PADIA

NEWS FROM PADIA

Our 2016 graduates had a

truly memorable and

emotional graduation

ceremony this year.

PADIA donated beautiful

sashes for our Year 13

students to keep as a

souvenir for when they

take-off - for many to new

countries, new studies in the

near future, new jobs in the

later future and possibly

eventually even new families

of their own.

Our children have become

young adults, ready to

embrace the world and make

their dreams come true.

https://www.facebook.com/PADIA-DUBAI-1671408443128798/

graduation eremony of the lass of · pdf fileone of the most memorable interactions that i had...

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