students newsletter - al waha international school …alwahaschool.com/newweb/newsletters/newsletter...
TRANSCRIPT
Dear Readers,
Assalamualaikum
It is with great pleasure I present to you the ninth volume of Al Waha’s Esprit de Corps, a publication that has been a delight for me to read every year since I joined the school, yet it holds even more of an importance for me this year as I carry the responsibility of Editor-in-Chief - an honor I only pray I may live up to.
However, through this experience I have realized that editing isn’t a piece of cake. It was challenging even with the help of the group of editors at my side helping me edit the articles, for which I am forever grateful. As Beverly Sills once memorably remarked, “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” Indeed, as my editorial team and I undertook the daunting voyage of crafting a multitude of photographs and articles into the newsletter that is presented to you, I can say without a moment’s hesitation that this newsletter has had no shortage of sweat, tears and a ceaseless supply of hard work during the process of its making.
Why then, now that I think about it, I grasp that spending a wealth of time worrying about the quality of the newsletter and discussing almost nothing else with my friends for so long was, in fact, worth the plunge. Perhaps this is because it was my first time as an Editor-in-Chief, and I wanted to leave no stone unturned to maintain the class of this communique or perhaps it was because of the unbelievable number of articles coming my way. Well, all I can say is I hope you readers relish this volume of the newsletter as much as the Editorial Board has relished putting it together.
Esprit De Corps
V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1
Investiture Ceremony
Environmental Management
2015
Word Power 2015
… and much more!
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6
Students Newsletter
The part of being an Editor I possibly took the most pleasure in reading all these articles as an editor. Not edit or revise - just read! The articles brought back the achingly clear memoirs of each and every single event that occurred this term at Al Waha, letting me relive those memorable moments of experiential learning; eating my fill while learning the concepts of Accounting and Business during the Bake Sale, watching the Word Power and sharing the audience round, having loads of fun practicing for and participating in the Novel Globe; revisiting the known characters and getting introduced to the new ones, were just a few of the occurrences I have committed to memory.
Before I end this editorial, however, I would like to congratulate the six high achievers in the Girls and those in the Boys of last year’s IGCSE and AS/A Level batches on their brilliant success, bringing a sense of accomplishment to Al Waha, and setting a remarkably high standard for the coming batches of students; I pray we may all live up to these expectations! As Dr. Seuss once helpfully said: “The writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” So, let me not stall you any longer, depriving you of the experience I reveled in while assembling this newsletter. Adieu and happy reading! -Imtesal Jawaid, 12G
Public Speaking: A Stepping Stone Towards Success The night of 7th
November, 2015
was a turning point
in the lives of four
students from Al
Waha, who were
granted the golden
opportunity of tak‐
ing part in the Sir
Syed Memorial inter‐school compe on, held in the
Interna onal Indian School.
On a Tuesday morning, the students of Grades 9 to
12 assembled to hear the overwhelming news that
an elocu on compe on was to be held that very
weekend in the memory of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan,
founder of the Aligarh Muslim University. Consider‐
ing it a once‐in‐a‐life me prospect, numerous stu‐
dents opted to be registered in this skills‐enhancing
compe on. No more than a day later, the judges
were ready to evaluate the performances of a sur‐
prisingly large number of enterprising students, who
had successfully managed to write a 4‐minute
speech on the topic ‘Tolerance Leads to a Be er
World’. Despite the li le amount of me the stu‐
dents were allo ed, they were able to come up with
flabbergas ng ideas, and turn a plain white sketch
into a vivacious symphony of thoughts and perspec‐
ves.
Students were judged on their content, style, accu‐
racy of language, pronuncia on and presenta on.
A er a rigorous selec on procedure, one student
from each grade level was selected to represent the
school; the four finalists were Pra ksha Rao (Grade
12G), Hera Abdul Wahid (Grade 11G), Yara Ahmed
(Grade 10G1) and Fa ma Zahir (Grade 9G1). As the
long‐awaited compe on arrived, Al Waha's speak‐
ers op mis cally took their posi ons on the ba le‐
field.
The first round was the elimina on round; the four
students of Al Waha gathered in the classes of their
respec ve grade groups, and couldn't help but be
uneasy as they glanced at the label, 'Elimina on
Room’. However, sheer fear failed to find its way
to our contestants' hearts as they confidently
a empted to deliver their hear elt message to the
spectators. Proudly enough, all four Wahaites
were promoted to the final round, where they
were introduced to a wider audience as this me
they were to stand in the spotlight on a massive
stage, which was ready to embrace them.
A er a series of mind‐blogging endeavors by com‐
petent students, the moment of truth finally ap‐
proached, and the announced names of the win‐
ners eloquently reverberated through the auditori‐
um. The two winners from Al Waha were Hera Ab‐
dul Wahid, second runner‐up of Grade 11 and Yara
Ahmed, first place in Grade 10.
This ar cle cannot be concluded without express‐
ing hear elt gra tude to the hard‐working and
suppor ve English teachers, Mrs. Labiba Ahmed,
Mrs. Sana Muzaffar and Miss Rayya Taha, without
whom the students wouldn't have gained enough
mo va on and confidence to venture on this am‐
bi ous, challenging journey.
On a more personal note, I would like to add that,
more than this being a healthy compe on, it was
a means through which I was ul mately able to
convey and express the beliefs that have always
lurked within me. On that day, I was able to reach
out to a number of people and use the power of
words while speaking for jus ce, hoping to win as
many hearts as possible. I will never forget the ma‐
jor role that my English teacher played, for she
was the one who rooted in me the belief that no
ma er how tough and large that compe on was,
it was not too large for the garbs of dreams I was
wearing.
‐Yara Ahmed, 10G1
Tech-Fest 2015 Long gone are those days when being able to use a PC was only meant for the highly literate: now people no
longer have to scratch their heads in wonder and stare at the screen with a puzzled expression! Today’s gener‐
a on can barely be kept away from technology as it is easier, faster and cheaper to access these tools.
During the first week of October, the ICT department held a wide range of co‐curricular ac vi es for students
in grades 4 to 9 and 11. The topics were based on the concepts taught at these various grade levels.
The 4th and 5th graders took part in a chart‐making compe on on three different topics: Types of Printers,
Parts of a Computer and Microso Word. They worked indefa gably within their one hour limit in school and
the fruits of their hard work were truly astonishing. The students of grades 6 and 7 were asked to design post‐
ers on computer peripherals and storage devices, while the senior grades, 8 to 9 and 11, were given the task
of wri ng reports on rela onal databases, effects of ICT and many more similar topics.
The par cipants of grade 9 claimed that “our teachers have encouraged us to par cipate in these ac vi es; if
it wasn’t for them, we would never have seen the fun side of the subject”. It was a very successful event
where students not only got to bring out their hidden talents but also had a chance to learn in an entertaining
environment.
So, who in Al Waha are the next genera on’s Mark Zuckerberg?
‐Saima Khan, 9G
Chart Making Competition
Grade 4 1st [4G1] Yumna Zubair, Saira Ali, Sarah Asad Ali
2nd [4G2] Syeda Rumaisa, Wareesha Ijaz
3rd [4G2] Fiza Babar, Huda Kolpekar, Laiba Mohammad
Grade 5 1st [5G1] Serene Rose Samuel, Varsha Pattalathil, Yusra Raihan, Sanya Tabassum, Ayesha Tanveer
2nd [5G3] Isra Taha Nadwi, Maniha Imtiaz, Meshal Shahid, Naurah Nazir
3rd [5G3] Basma Rafat, Fatima Thasnim, Husna Sohaib, Eman Nizam ul Hassan
Poster Making Competition Grade 6 1st [6G2] Afreen Rehmani, Ahlaam Azhar, Alina Yousuf, Aiza
Asim 2nd [6G2] Jawairia Nadeem, Maimunah Abdul Rahman, Manahil
Siddiqui, Razzan Akhtar
3rd [6G3] Kulsoom Mateen, Maab Abbas, Maha Khan, Mai Ahmed
Grade 7 1st [7G1] Irfana Bilal, Laiba Ijaz, Marukh Khan
2nd [7G1] Quantia Amir, Saniya Mehdi, Sofiya Khan
3rd [7G2] Samah Abdul Monem, Sara Ashraf, Shahad Ahmed
Report Writing Competition
Grade 8 1st [8G1] Ayesha Shariq, Ayesha Sohail, Bushra Abdul Rahman
2nd [8G1] Nisma Khan, Rania Ahmed, Raniya Zaman
3rd [8G1] Yusra Talzaqi, Zahra S. Ghulam, Salma Shaukat
Grade 9 1st [9G2] Maarab Zaheer, Mahnoor Faisal, Khadeeja Naeem
2nd [9G1] Saima Khan, Sejal Sara Samuel
3rd [9G2] Haidy Osama, El Shaima Ibrahim, Aya Mohammad
Grade 11 1st Amna Hafiz, Duaa Afzal
2nd Jawahir Kamal, Sana Taha
3rd Wejdan Hafeezullah, Sara Tabassum, Zainab Hishma Sheham
‘I saw that bad hand‐
wri ng should be re‐
garded as a sign of an
imperfect educa on; I
tried to improve mine,
but it was too late. I
could never repair the
neglect of my youth. Let
every young man and woman be warned by my
example, and understand that good hand‐
wri ng is a necessary part of educa on.’
‐Mahatma Gandhi
Handwri ng is not just a ma er of style — it is a skill. Moreover, just as Mahatma Gandhi has said, it is a necessary part of educa on. Our school gives the u ermost importance to developing a striking handwri ng. To underline the significance of this talent, handwri ng com‐pe ons are held every academic year.
On October 5, the English handwri ng compe ‐on was held during the first period for all stu‐
dents across the grade levels 4 to 12. The stu‐dents were given a translated passage from the Holy Quran that they precisely penned down in their best handwri ng. The handwri ng compe on for the Second Languages took place during the second lan‐guage classes between 6th to 10th September, for all students of grades 4‐9. Like the English handwri ng compe on, the students were given a passage that they had to copy down. The handwri ng compe ons were inter‐sec on compe ons, meaning the girls and the boys were compe ng against each other. The winners of this compe on are given on the next page. ‐Laiba Ijaz, 7G1
Building Vocabulary ‘Looking into the Dictionary’ – Second Languages
Presentation at its Best English and Second Language Handwriting Competitions
The students of Grade 5 to 9 took part in the ‘Looking into the Dic onary’ compe on.
Well, the tle says it all. It was all about heads peeping into dic onaries scavenging the
meaning of words in the second language subjects taken by the students. This event was
held between the 8th to 14th of October where every student was given a list of words
corresponding to their respec ve second languages and had to expedi ously forage for the
word meaning in the language dic onary during the allo ed me. This event provided the
students an opportunity to expand their vocabulary and to awaken an interest in the art of
expression and foreign language. This contest came to a conclusion with the announce‐
ment of the winners who exhibited their best language skills and poten al; the results are
provided on the next page.
‐Amani Azhar, 7G
English Handwri ng Compe on
Posi on Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
1st Shofiyyah Tauriq
Sanya Tabas‐sum
M. Taha Siddiqui
Hareem bint Aqeel
Leena Rayees
Saima Khan Leen Al‐Munta Sana Min‐haj
Hanaa Rayees
2nd Rumaisa Imam
Aleena Faiz Hamayel Mashkoor
Zainab Rizwan
Injila Jawaid
Ayesha Baig & Khadeeja Naeem
Bayan Moham‐med & Faz Khan
Raveeha Irfan
Imtesal Jawaid
3rd Batool Muzamil & Sinaan
Mamoon Majeed
Abdul Rahman Zubair
Imaadh Renosh
Zahra Sajjad & Osama Tariq
M. Zubair Zahid
Jasie Alam Marwah Oozeraully
Humaira Mujeeb
Hindi Handwri ng Compe on Posi on Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
1st Eram Fatma Yusra Raihan Abdullah Sid‐dique
Nourain Inam Khan Abdul Moiz Mukri Fa ma Zahir Javed
2nd Ahil Khadija Ismail Faraz Zara Ahmed ‐ Sejal Sara Samu‐el
3rd ‐ ‐ ‐ Masir Javed ‐ ‐
Urdu Handwri ng Compe on Posi on Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
1st Batool Muzamil Abdullah I faq Manahil Siddiqui Mahrukh Khan Rania Ahmed Maarab Zaheer
2nd Nabiha Irfan & Ibrahim A f
Aleena Faiz Sara Waqar & Aina Yusuf
Syeda Misha Imam Rayyan Sajid M. Osama Majeed
Arabic Handwri ng Compe on (for Arab students) Posi on Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
1st Tala Fathi Shada Ibrahim Maab Abbas ‐ Malak Rani Sara Abdellah
2nd ‐ Haneen Abdellah ‐ Asmaa Mohammed ‐ ‐
Arabic Handwri ng Compe on (for non‐Arab students)
Posi on Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
1st Mariam Syed Shah ‐ Fiaza Rizmy Amani Azhar Saaliha Fazil ‐
2nd ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Sara Adeel ul Haq Maryam Adeel ul Haq
French Handwri ng Compe on
Posi on Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
1st Saima Naeem ‐ Anusha Rizvi Khadeeja Naeem 2nd Aqsa Sohail Qulood Shaikh Nizamuddin Jabir Mohammad ‐
(Hindi) Looking into the Dic onary Name Class Posi on Name Class Posi on
Hamed Naeem 5B1 1st
Nourain Inam 7G1 1st
Afia Fa ma 5G1 2nd Zara Fa ma 7G1 2nd
Reem Hamraz 5G1 2nd Saima Haque 9G1 1st
Zaid Qadri 6B1 1st Sejal Sara Samuel 9G1 2nd
Rayyan Sameer 6B1 2nd
(Urdu) Looking into the Dic onary
Name Class Posi on Name Class Posi on
Khadija A. Rauf 5G2 1st Laiba Ijaz 7G1 1st
Maniha Im az 5G3 2nd Misha Imam 7G2 2nd
Zainab Afzal 6G1 1st Xenel Islam 8G1 1st
Amaan Waseem 6G3 2nd Rania Ahmed 8G1 2nd
Name Class Posi on
Maarab Zaheer 9G2 1st Mahnoor Faisal 9G2 2nd Alina Irfan 9G2 2nd
INVESTITURE CEREMONY Leaders are defined to be of a perfect character: a collec on of great quali es, where humbleness is their strength,
confidence their support, and ambi on their mo va on.
They can be anyone, regardless of their class and ethnic group. In our scholas c community, these fortunate people
are known as ‘monitors’. They have been assigned as responsible and trustworthy representa ves of their classes,
because they have a kind of specialty that differs them from the rest. They are, therefore, given the token to ex‐
press what they are capable of, taking responsibility and driving others to becoming masterly imagina ve thinkers.
A er all, leading isn’t only about prosperity and having opulence, it’s about se ng things right.
In a conference of ght selec on, our esteemed teachers were deputed to appoint monitors based on their prag‐
ma c and academic performances, social behaviour and other certain a ributes. The designated students’ disposi‐
ons were to have the trait of excellent understanding and the ability to convey group opinions and messages
effec vely. The teachers’ judgments also pressed into the rate of punctuality, how posi vely they perceived and
tackled situa ons, their adroitness and much of the leadership skills that were essen ally required.
As a result of an interview session, the intui ve monitors shared their ideas and counsels for future monitors. Most
of them had focused on being punctual, coopera ve, generous, helpful and fun. Above all, their highlights were to
be responsible. Some also recommended ingenious tac cs with a coat of kindness, while others suggested slight
strictness. Overall, they all had a mo o of nourishing self‐confidence and provoking dignity and integrity.
On the 4th of October, the awaited Inves ture Ceremony was held, where the monitors were privileged with their
reveren al badges and they had to vow to the pledge of responsibility, commi ng to it completely.
The words of the pledge stated:
‘I hereby pledge to make a sincere effort to discharge my du es as a monitor and fulfil my responsibili es as a stu‐
dent. I shall try my best to understand and respect the rights of my fellow students and remain disciplined, respec ul
and truthful to myself at all mes.’
‐Maimona Zaheer, 8G2
The following table shows all the names of our upright monitors:
Grade Monitor Asst. Monitor Grade Monitor Asst. Monitor
4G1 Leena Asim Saira Ali 7G2 Amani Azhar Fathima Muz‐
zamil
4G2 Shifa Shakir Syeda Rumaisa 8G1 Rania Ahmed Nimra Rashid
4G3 Tala Fathi Salma Tarek 8G2 Malak Rani Maha A. Rauf
5G1 Serene Rose Maisarah Ahmed 9G1 Saima Liyaqat Fa ma Eskandar
5G2 Khadija Abdur Afia Sarfraz Khan 9G2 Khadija Naeem Maarab Zaheer
5G3 Shaima Jawad Naurah Nazir 10G1 Salma Tamer Saima Nadwi
6G1 Sara Waqar Syeda Hannan
Fathima
10G2 Maham Naveed Saneeya Nazir
6G2 Jawairia Nadeem Fiyaza Rizwi 11G Warisha Farhat Zainab Hishma
Sheham
6G3 Amna Sohail Dua A ab 12G Shuruq Saraswala Imtesal Jawaid
7G1 Laiba Ijaz Nourain Khan
Educational Field Trips “I scream, you scream, we all
scream for ice cream!” In early
December, the students of
grades 7 and 8 set out in a small
flurry of school buses towards
the Kwality Ice Cream Factory,
the des na on for their educa‐
onal field trip. Upon arriving at the factory, the
students were awed by its sheer size; the next
hour was spent in a blur of gigan c silver ma‐
chines, glistening metal pipes and massive, sub‐
zero storage rooms. The students traipsed
through rooms decked with machinery, into
freezers that allowed them to see chilly, white
puffs of condensa on appear when they exhaled,
un l they finally emerged at the exit and conclu‐
sion of the trip. However, the excitement didn’t
end there – the students were sent back to
school with boxes of ice cream carefully loaded
on to the buses! It was an exhilara ng experi‐
ence for all, and the memory of this wonderful ou ng will no doubt linger in our minds for a long
me to come.
‐Injila Jawaid, 8G2
Novel Globe: A Tour of Tales In line with the tremendous provision of educa on, Al‐Waha concurrently administers co‐curricular ac vi‐es with so much enthusiasm that it reflects not only in the staff, but also in the students' an cipa on
and performances. One of the most awaited events that Al‐Waha equips is the Novel Globe which was held on Wednesday, 21st October 2015. It is one of those unique events which required enthusias c par cipa on. To make this mega event of our school prosperous, the students had to stay back a er school in order to prac ce even harder. In addi on to this, they also had zero periods throughout the week, so the par cipants could memorize their dia‐logues and enact on it. Indeed, it is true that, 'prac ce makes a man perfect.' It really does, if we all are passionate enough to make this event blossoming. While the talented actors of Al‐Waha prac ced, we cannot neglect the endless efforts put by other students in making the backdrops appealing and realis c. Our school never fails in choosing the best of the judges for us. Every year, Al Waha invites a guest judge; this year we had a special guest judge from DPS (Delhi Public School), to judge the outstanding perfor‐mances of our splendid actors. The second judge was none other than our own Mrs. Shakeela Ahmed (History Department). The event was commenced by the recita on of the Holy Quran. This was followed by the singing perfor‐mance of the fourth graders, who stole the hearts of the audience with their adorable voices. Then the stage was taken by the enac ng students in sequence with their grades. The grade 5 performers took us to a journey around the world in a peach along with James’ li le insect companions. We travelled to India alongside Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden and learned of her circumstances. Grade 7 took us back to a beau ful Shakespearean tragedy about love, friendship and loyalty with their act of Mer‐chant of Venice. Coming back to the present, the Grade 8 par cipants showed us the diverse stunts pulled at the New York subways with their alluring act en tled “A Glimpse of the Future”. The 9th graders took us to a broken home which was working hard to resolve differences amongst themselves with “Madame Doub ire.” A er all those brilliant performances, the stage was shaken by the seniors ‐ Grade 11 and 12 ‐ with their profoundly realis c performance and absolutely nothing going amiss. Even though they weren't a part of the compe on, they s ll opted to entertain students, teachers and mothers alike; such dedica on and devo on was remarkable and can only be found in the students of Al‐Waha. Alas, such a beau ful event had to come to an end, leaving the students, staff and audience completely drained yet sa ated with the performances. We are undoubtedly thankful to the mothers for gracing us with their presence and suppor ng their children. Next and most importantly we are thankful to the En‐nglish teachers and principal, without whom the event would have been next to impossible; we are grate‐ful to them for pu ng up with us and leading the event to success. We are now le with the victors of the day, who were difficult to choose considering the flawless perfor‐mances given by all par cipants. The names of the winners are as follows: Grade 5: 1st posi on: Hana Shareef, 5G2 2nd posi on: Safa Mujahid, 5G1 3rd posi on: Aleena Faiz, 5G1; Abeer Asif, 5G3; Areej Mamdoon, 5G2 Special Prize: Reem Hamraz, 5G1 And from Grades 6 to 9 the compe on was between each grade sec on. Here are the results: • Grade 6 : 6G3 • In Grade 7, there was a e between the two sec ons, so congrats to both 7G1 and 7G2! • Grade 8: 8G1 • Grade 9: 9G2 Many congratula ons to all the winners! -Fatima Eskander, 9G1
A Book Collection According to me, all schools should have a library that has a diverse collec on of
genres, both informa ve and entertaining, where one can simply pick up a book
and be whisked off to different lands. I honestly pity those who see my nose in a
library book and tell me in resen ul voices that they don't have libraries at their
school, which is why I'm apprecia ve of our library.
Speaking of libraries, did you recently walk up to your shelf, thinking 'what shall I
borrow this me, I've read them all anyway', only to realize your shelf has been
re‐posi oned, you can no ce some books that you don't typically find in your
shelf, and that the library looks like it has somehow changed! I think you have,
but you probably don't know the en re story, so allow me to fill you in.
A er we had conducted an interview with our librarian, Ms. Sadaf, and received answers to ques ons we
had in mind, we were told that she had been mo vated by our school to make the improvements to the
library, and rearrange the books according to the grade levels. She also informed us that, per recommen‐
da ons made by the students, we can expect the arrival of new books by the month of January! The stu‐
dents are eagerly wai ng at the edges of their seats for the opportunity to read new books.
We would like to thank the volunteers from grades 11 and 12 who put in tre‐
mendous efforts and assisted Ms. Sadaf in meliora ng our land of stories.
So kudos to you, volunteers, for you have done a wonderful job. Keep reading
so you can con nue imagining and experiencing things you've never encoun‐
tered before!
‐Saaliha Fazil, 8G2
__________________________________________________________________________
CONGRATULATIONS
5G3—Seco
nd best
4G2
For being the most
well kept class
Model United Nations – MUN Dar Al Hekma University recently held its sixth annual Model United Na ons conference at the end of No‐
vember, 2015. Many students of Al Waha, from grades 9 to 12, par cipated in this conference.
A workshop was first held on the 14th of November, in order to help the students gain an understanding of
how the MUN works. We were welcomed by the Secretary General, Muntaha Quadri, a former student of
our school, who enlightened us with an overall view of the DAHMUN experience. The training team at DAH‐
MUN showed a presenta on on guidelines and procedures that were to be followed by delegates, thus as‐
sis ng us with the formal way of presen ng our speeches as well as explaining the various terms that were
to be used during the conferences. Our ques ons were answered by the faculty in the Q&A session, which
was an exci ng round, since many of the delegates had though ul ques ons. Later, towards the end of the
day, we were sent into our assigned commi ees, where delegates introduced themselves to each other, as
well as their Chairs and Co‐Chairs.
This year's topic at DAHMUN was: ‘The Light of Jus ce: A Glowing Torch or a Burnout Flame?’ Each com‐
mi ee was given a topic related to the type of issues the respected commi ee dealt with. Following were
the commi ees at DAHMUN:
1) The General Assembly – Poli cal and Economic Upli ment of Africa
2) Economic and Social Council – Corrup on in Deliverance of Foreign Aid
3) World Health Organiza on – Marine Destruc on
4) Human Rights Council – Eradica ng Ethnic Cleansing and Genocides throughout the World
5) Historical Cabinet – Aboli on of Slavery in Africa
The opening ceremony was held on 26th November; the welcome address by the host encouraged students
to make use of this wonderful pla orm to express their views and par cipate along with students from other
schools across Jeddah. Once the session was declared open by the Secretary General, the commi ees dis‐
persed into their mee ng rooms, where the debates started off.
The second mee ng was held on 28th November, a er discussing resolu ons and facing different crises that
organiza ons faced. The day ended with a social event with an interna onal theme. Refreshments were
served as delegates enjoyed each other’s company. A Talent Show was prepared by the team at DAHMUN,
which gave delegates an opportunity to flaunt their abili es.
On 29th November, the last commi ee session was held, where delegates in their respec ve commi ees
joined allies with delegates of different countries, combining their resolu ons to combat the issues their as‐
signed countries were dealing with. A closing ceremony followed where the Best Speakers were announced
from each commi ee. Lastly, A Gala Dinner was held, marking the end of an even ul day.
‐Humaira Mujeeb, 12G
It was a moment of great pride to see three out of four cabinet members on stage as ex‐Al Waha students
while it was equally heartening to watch our current students par cipate with confidence and grace.
THE BATTLEFIELD OF WORDS
On the 24th of November, the school was buzzing with excitement as the
students prepared themselves for the ba le of the year, the Word Power!
Before the Hajj break, students from each grade level were given a list of
fi y words that they had to not only memorize the spellings of, but also
learn their meanings. Yes, it may sound like a tough task, but it was not
even close to difficult for the well‐trained students of Al Waha!
A er the extended Hajj break, the students returned to school and were surprised to hear about
the preponing of the event, but this only further encouraged them to bring out their compe ve
side. So on the 22nd of November, the students took their seats in the compe on; although all of
them did their best, only five students from each sec on were selected for the second round.
However, this year there was a slight change in the compe on. All the students par cipated in the
second round, which was held on the 23rd of November. The five that made it through the first
round were being judged, and the ones who didn’t were being trained to make it through the next
me. All the students were asked to unscramble ten out of the fi y words, and were also required
to write their meanings. From this round only four students from each grade were given seats on
the stage.
On the 24th on November, the stage was equipped with weapons and the auditorium filled with an
excited crowd all wai ng for the fierce ba le of words to begin. The set of rounds began, all as de‐
manding and aggressive as the ones before. The par cipants were divided into four groups, aptly
named a er the well‐known literary figures Byron, Kiplings, Dickens and Johnson, ba ling against
words as well as against each other to prove their mastery over the English language. This year the
audience round was also introduced, which comprised of the audience having to guess the idio‐
ma c expression by looking at the related picture on the projected screen. The students par cipat‐
ed ac vely and gave their all to keep everyone entertained – and to get the chocolates that were
being handed out as prizes!
Suspense was hanging in the air as the scores were being calculated. The audience’s whispers were
audible and the tensed looks on the par cipants’ faces were visible as they recited li le prayers in
their hearts. Mrs. Seema Anis, our headmistress, finally announced the results of the 2015‐2016
Word Power – and the auditorium erupted into applause as Team Johnsons emerged as the victor!
Winning team members: Hajar Aslam (4G1), Safaa Mujahid (5G1), Hamayel Mashkoor (6G1), Sofia
Khan (7G1), Anusha Rizvi (8G2), Saima Khan (9G1), Zenab Habib (10G1), Hera Abdul Wahid (11G),
and Shuruq Omar (12G).
Even a er this event, our war of words has not come to an end, as the students of Al Waha are s ll
poised to enhance their vocabulary and con nue this ba le by displaying their language skills
throughout the year.
FUTURE NATURE - HOT SURPRISE!
We live in an era of crea vity and innova on. Every day,
technology is advancing and brand new devices are being
created. As we all know, these inven ons make life easier
and more convenient; However, they also have nega ve im‐
pacts on the environment. Supervised by the EM teacher,
the EM students of grades 9 and 10 organized a mega event that shed light on the conse‐
quences of these new devices on the planet. This event required the par cipa on of all the
grades from 4‐9. It was named the FUTURE NATURE – HOT SURPRISE and was a huge success.
The Environmental Management students wanted to convey the
message of the fragility of our earth, and to do so they planned
an exci ng compe on. Grades 4 and 5 were given the challenge
of proving their ar stry skills by making slogans on either ‘Energy
Conserva on’ or ‘Environmental Management’. Grades 6 and 7
had to express their feelings on the same topics through the me‐
dium of poetry. Last but not least, Grades 8 and 9 had to put on their brainstorming caps and
invent their own device, one that would help the future genera ons live life in a more ad‐
vanced way without exhaus ng the Earth’s resources. All the tasks were quite challenging, but
it is not unusual for the Wahaites to surprise their educators each me they are presented
with a challenge!
One the 22nd of October 2015, the students of Al Waha were rushed to the front seats in the
auditorium in order to kick‐start the event. The event started off with a presenta on made by
Fa ma Zaheer Jawed, which illustrated the causes for the destruc on of our planet and gave
the students ideas on saving the planet. It’s never too late to make a change!
The event was concluded by Mrs. Seema Anis, the headmistress, who announced the winners
from each grade and gave them their presents, which included many organic products ranging
from lip balms to powdered body deodorants. Other than implemen ng awareness in the stu‐
dents of the fragility of the earth, the event also mo vated the Environmental Management
students and created a place for the subject in their hearts.
The event was immensely successful and the two main reasons behind its success were the
students and, of course, Mrs. Tabassum, their EM teacher. Words cannot explain how blessed
we are to have the support of a very mo va ng and inspiring educator. Her guidance and sup‐
port made this event an incredible accomplishment!
‐Khadeeja Naeem, 9G2
The Bake Sale Bake sales are, typically, a common event in
schools all around the world – but in Al Waha, the
bake sale is anything but an ordinary occasion.
Judging from the delectability of the desserts on
display, the dizzying whirl of ac vity around the
game stalls, and the sa sfyingly eerie screams em‐
ana ng from the Haunted House, it’s safe to con‐
clude that the Annual Bake Sale of 2015‐2016 was
an unprecedented success.
Students were found crowded in the dozens at
every stall, delighted at the efforts which had so
clearly been put into making everything absolutely
perfect by the students of Grade 9, 10, 11 and 12.
The real‐life Snakes and Ladders game, which was
the newest addi on to the year’s Bake Sale, s rred
up a great deal of exhilara on from students and
teachers alike. The fact that the Bake Sale was fic‐
on‐themed seemed to add to the frisson of ex‐
citement in the air, with ar ully drawn‐up posters
a rac ng a en on to every kind of stall. The Chi‐
nese food stall was especially resplendent, with the
girls running it clad in lovely scarlet kimonos; each
stall’s owners were wearing clothes befi ng their
respec ve cuisines, which made the whole affair
truly deligh ul and enlightening to different cul‐
tures. The games and beverages stalls were no less
en cing; you could see the brightly‐colored game
posters from a second‐floor classroom window,
and the drinks stalls were by far the most striking
out of them all, the sparkling refreshments catch‐
ing the students’ eyes almost instantly.
The event lasted for the dura on of two school
days, the 2nd and 3rd of December. Needless to
say, everyone was sorry to see the Bake Sale come
to an end. There was s ll one thing le to hang on
to, though, a twist on this year’s bake sale. In the
Bake Sale 2015‐2016, Al Waha decided to spice
things up and presented the students with a com‐
pe on within this fes ve ac vity.
The compe on was to be held between all the
food stalls, the drink stalls and the game stalls, re‐
spec vely. The goal for each par cular type of stall
was to see who made the most profit, who was the
most hygienic and who sa sfied and rose as victors
in the eyes of the judges, who were our very own
Mrs. Shakeela Ahmed and Mrs. Kishwar Tarique.
A er the hard work of buying , selling and enter‐
taining, the results of this event were announced,
and they are as follows:
Food Stall Winners:
(9G1) Indo‐Pak Stall: Ashna, Fa ma Zaheer, Sejal,
Fa ma Farooq, Manaal, Jameela, Natalia, Saima H.
Drink/Desserts Stall Winners:
(11G) Desserts Stall: Duaa Afzal, Wijdan Ha‐
feezullah, Zoha Mujeeb, Shireen Rahmani, Sana
Minhaj, Summaiya Khan
Games Stall Winners:
(11G) & (12G) Haunted House: Ahad Maysra, Amna
Hafiz, Eqbal Sultan, Fatma Kamal, Haneen Mustafa,
Jawahir Kamal, Mai Yassir, Maram Ismail, Marwa
Oozeeraully, Reem Saif .
Maintaining the spirit of Al Waha striving for excel‐
lence , a sense of compe on was introduced
through the declaring of three best stalls based on
business strategies, ethics and code of conduct. It
was very encouraging when the students of their
own decided to increase the money they donate
from their net profit for charity from 2.5% to 5 %.
Looking forward to another Bake Sale even more
spectacular than this year’s! :P
‐Injila Jawaid, 8G2
Interview with the proud Teachers!
We are elated to receive such a wonderful news. It’s God doing, students hard work and school’s guidance!
‐ Mrs. Priscilla — Senior English Teacher
Praise be to Allah, who showers us with His blessings. I am honored and proud to have students like Wejdan and Maram and I pray to Allah that
they achieve a lot more success in their life. I cannot forget to thank Mrs. Oula for consistently mo va ng the girls; the greatest gra tude goes to
the school’s management, who never stop leading their girls to further accomplishments. In sha Allah we will achieve more in the coming years.
‐ Mrs Saliha Zahrani — Senior Arabic Teacher
I was extremely pleased at Areeba’s success; I thanked Allah for rewarding both Areeba and I for our hard work. Areeba’s success is, in fact, the
success of the system of our school. On the achievement of every child, we can see a glimpse of the school’s hard work that went into every child.
‐ Mrs Beena Saad — Urdu Coordinator
Upon hearing the news of Hera's achievement, I was very happy and excited. Hera has made me proud and I pray that she achieves her future
aims and goals.
‐ Mrs.Shakeela Ahmed — GP Coordinator
When Hera got the award for Global Perspec ves I was very happy, Ma Sha Allah. I felt a sense of achievement along with her. However, all my
GP students performed brilliantly, and I was expec ng some form of ranking from one of them. Hard work really pays off, although you can only
achieve anything with Allah's rehmah.
‐ Mrs Farhana Shaukat — GP Teacher
Alhamdolillah is all I can say for blessing Al Waha with a commi ed faculty, sincere students and conscien ous parents. We, as a school, wait for
this moment every year wishing the awards to spread over a wider range of students and that’s what is happening with each passing year,
Alhamdolillah! May Allah (SWT) keep blessing the Al Waha family with more of such moments to treasure, Ameen!
‐ Mrs Seema Anis ‐ Headmistress
High Achievement Awards
“I was absent the day the school had announced this, so at home when I started to receive messages saying
"Congra tssss!", well, you can imagine how I was a bit confused. A er coming to know about it, I felt very
thankful‐to my Lord, my family and my teachers for their con nuous, overwhelming support which has
made this possible. I cannot thank them enough! Those days of preparing, edi ng and revising the research
works had paid off. When your family and teachers smile and tell you that you have made them proud‐it is
a feeling of happiness and gratefulness. I am really proud of all my friends who have been given awards for
other subjects. Praise be to Allah for everything!”
Hera Abdul Wahid (11G)
“I am grateful to God for achieving this award. A year ago I would have never imagined myself wri ng this le er and ex‐
pressing my ul mate gra tude and joy. When I first heard the news I was speechless and i couldn't believe it un l i asked
Mrs. Seema . This not only mo vates me to do be er, but it gives me the confidence that will enable me to do so in the
future. Alhamdulillah!”
Wejdan Hafeezullah(11G)
“Language defines our country and culture. I am proud of my culture and inspired by my mother tongue. Language is
how we communicate and I feel honored to get an achievement in Urdu and my parents are really proud of me. What
makes this achievement even more special is knowing that I got an Achiever’s Award in a subject that is not an easy
language to learn!”
Areeba Ather (11G)
The Honored Achievers!
When I came to know about my IGCSE achievement, I couldn't believe it. At that moment I had mixed feelings and emo‐
ons I felt happy, proud, and a great sense of achievement. Ge ng the top across the world in foreign language Arabic
was indeed hard to believe. This achievement has taught me to work hard. The support of my parents, my friends and
most importantly my Arabic teacher, Mrs.Saliha, who always guides us and has helped us to improve our wri ngs made
me feel even more grateful and proud . Alhamdulilah!
Maram Ismail Taha (11G)
When I received the Cambridge Outstanding Learners Award for First Language English, I literally felt bewildered. Mostly
because I never considered English to be a subject I was par cularly good at, even though I am fond of it as a subject.
And then there was that li le ma er that it was my younger sister delivering the news to me, hence I thought it was a
prank.. But when I got to know officially, I was on cloud nine ‐no, cloud infinity!
Shireen Rahmani (11G)
Wejdan
Hafeezullah
This story can fit 175-225 words.
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You can also use this space to remind readers to mark their calendars for a regular event, such as a breakfast meeting for vendors every third Tuesday of the month, or a biannual charity auction.
If space is available, this is a good place to insert a clip art image or some other graphic.
Note from the President At the start of every academic year, we find ourselves promoted from one grade to another; we have the privilege to learn new things and redefine what we learnt the previous year. As we progress, we end up having a lot of new things to look forward to, such as new events to take part in, new activi-ties to participate in - even running for elections and being a part of the Student Council body.
We are all born leaders. And being a part of the Student Council feeds the leader in us with many opportunities to contribute to a better environment through collaborative efforts.
I always wanted to be a member of the Student Council. Not only because it seemed so exciting to carry the title, but also because I’ve always wanted to do something for our student community. Be-ing a member of the Student Council is a lot about being patient, open to new ideas and determined to make a difference.
My experience of being a member has certainly not ended, but so far it has been quite challenging. It is so much more than wearing a badge to school every day. It is a responsibility that I wear every day; the responsibility of helping someone, of brainstorming ideas to make our days in school mem-orable.
When you become a part of a general body that is so big, you always wish to see the better of it. Be-ing a part of the Student Council is about making that very thought a visual image for everyone to see, and everyone to feel.
However, it is a common misconception that being a member of the student council is only about brainstorming and sharing new ideas. What it actually entails of is, we are constantly trying to bridge the communication gap between the students and the management. Students, our friends, are con-stantly coming up to us and sharing with us the problems they have with respect to their school life. And that’s why it is a responsibility, a job that requires great patience and mental agility.
Our term will soon come to an end, but for those who are aiming for it, there’s a piece of advice I’d like to give:
Be true to your work. Think from not one, but many perspectives, because you are representing an entire student body. Make simple promises like that of working hard and being persistent to achieve, instead of challenging promises that you can’t be sure of yourself. In the end, be creative. Try and think outside the box, trust your vision, have faith in the Creator and reach for the sky! Good Luck!
Pratiksha Rao, 12G
__________________________________________________________________________
Editorial Board Members
Editor‐in‐Chief: Imtesal Jawaid (G12)
Editors: (G12) Hanaa Rayees, Anam Farukh, Hiba Abdullah
Sub‐Editors: (G11) Sana Taha, Zainab Hishma, Sarah Mahfooz, Zoha Mujeeb
Reporters: Laiba Ijaz (7G1), Amani Azhar (7G2), Saliha Fazil (8G2), Injila Jawaid (8G2),
Maimona Zaheer (8G2), Khadeeja Naeem (9G1), Fa ma Iskandar (9G1), Saima Khan
(9G1)