As the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi comes to a close on Thursday, SES salutes all the participants and people of determination who have made this such an inspiring and memorable event.
As a school we have been proud to have participated in many ways in creating great memories for those involved: from ex-SES student Chaica Al Qasimi delivering a speech at the opening, to Ms Hyland training and supporting competitive Cheer-leading in its first appearance at the Special Olympics, and to Anneketrien who led the massed student choir at the Opening Ceremony.
Well done SES. And mabrook to all the organizers and supporters.

SES student Anneketrien Van Wassenhove raises the curtain on the opening ceremony of the Special Olympic Games in Abu Dhabi last Thursday. Performing in front of 40,000 people, 7,500 athletes from 190 countries and a world-wide TV audience, Anneketrien led the choir in singing the specially composed anthem "Woven World".
"The school is really proud of Anneketrien's achievements in music. This is a remarkable distinction for such a young singer", said John Nolan, SES school principal. "The school is also delighted to be able to support this fabulous event and all the athletes of determination who are participating."

Congratulations to Megan White on passing her Young Leader Qualification for British Girl Guides Overseas.

A number of SES girls are active members of the Sharjah Guides, and put in many hours of service assisting in running of the troop. For Megan to receive this accolade is a great achievement, and sets her up to proceed to her full leadership qualification.

Sharjah Guides and SES are very proud of her.

The photograph shows the Chief Commissioner for BGO, Diane Thomas, presenting Megan with her badge and certificate last week, when Diane visited Sharjah as part of a Middle East visit.

On Thursday, Students from SES competed in "Choirfest Me" an international choir competition for school across the country. Led by Ms Lis, the choir performed 3 songs and were adjudicated by professional choir directors. Competing against DESC, Dubai College and Winchester School, students were treated to some exceptional choir performances. We are very pleased to say that our vocal ensemble came out winners of the "choir of the day", something which recognizes the dedication and talent of both our students and staff. A huge congratulations to all involved, especially Ms Lis and the participants for once again showing the quality of the music opportunities at SES.

Congratulations to three SES students made the finals of the Kellogg's Spelling Bee at Motiongate, Dubai. Nishant Sood (y9), Rhea Sequeira (y10) (returning contestants) and Anna George (y8), a newcomer to the competition. Nishant went on to make joint 6th overall and was the highest ranked Sharjah student. The registration for next year's competition will open in term 3 with Miss Somers (for years 6-10) and next year, we hope to launch a new competition with the spelling bee organisation for years 1-5!

During the Year 7 design and Technology students at SES worked on an innovative moisture sensor project. The students were put into groups of four and began the day with a research project on the importance of water around the world. They then put their research into action and learnt about development of water management systems and electronic circuits.

For the first time ever, SES celebrated International Mother Language Day and its translation into more than 19 languages on Thursday February 21st.

The event, built around the concept of flight and travel, was marked in Key Stage 3 with over 30 students introducing their peers to their culture and language, encouraging other students to discover greetings and a little of someone else's mother tongue. As a celebration of our diversity and inclusiveness, it was a fabulous success.

At SES we value the importance of social responsibility. We are delighted to share that our whole school community raised over 5000 aed for Dubai Cares in our recent 'Walk for Education'.

The event allowed us to stand together as one school to highlight children across the world who do not have access to education. The student leaders would like to pass on their thanks to all who contributed.

SES will be undergoing an accreditation visit / inspection by BSO in three weeks time. The inspection team, from the UK and international schools, will be assessing our school against the standards applied to independent schools in the UK. This updates our accreditation previously obtained in 2013 and 2016.

Head of Secondary Tracy Morley with conference presenter Pauline Taylor-Guy, at a session on Continuous School Improvement. All members of the Senior Management Team last week attended the Sharjah Private Education Authority organised event. SPEA is working closely with outstanding Sharjah schools in order to lead and foster real educational progress within the emirate.

Under 16 Netball Team played against Emirates International School Jumeirah on Sunday. The team played really well and saw rewards of their hard work in training. Final score was 29-3 with Lara Parsons as player of the match.

Thursday February 21st

This year, Sharjah English School will celebrate International Mother Language Day and its translation into more than 19 languages. SES recognises that linguistic diversity and multilingualism are a vital contribution to global citizenship as they promote intercultural connections and tolerance.

ex-SES Student Meets Pope

Chaica Al Qasimi, a graduate of Sharjah English School, met with Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi today.

Chaica has become a distinguished medal-winner at international karate competitions, and will represent the UAE as torch-bearer at the World Games, scheduled for Abu Dhabi in March.

Having graduated from SES with GCSEs, Chaica is a leading advocate for people of determination in the country and abroad.

"We congratulate her on her achievements," said Mr. Nolan, "which have led to Chaica being selected to meet the pope on this historic occasion; a day marking tolerance and amity between people of different cultures and faiths. Her participation and the event itself represent so many of the ideas and values which the school tries to promote."

A record 22 SES students attended the annual YMOG competition in Bahrain. Congratulations to Patrick O'Connell who finished first in the composition category, and Anneketrien VanWassenhove who made the Gala Final and won Best Female Vocalist.

The school's extraordinary record in this competition, a fiercely competitive and prestigious international event, is enhanced by Anneketrien and Patrick's achievements; both are repeat winners, having been top male and female vocalist last year.

To celebrate the diversity of our SES family the Primary school celebrated the Chinese New Year last week. Our F2 pupils who had recently chosen to investigate China led us through the story of the Zodiac and a wonderful dragon Dance. Our pupils who celebrate the Chinese New Year led us in song with the traditional New Years song of 'Gong Xi, Gong Xi' Thanks to Miss Harrison and Mrs Morley for their work in preparing the children.

Secondary students are working hard to ensure they are ready for the school show West Side Story. Show your support on the 12th or 13th of February, tickets are 25AED and available from the Secondary reception.

Our Year 6 pupils explored the Heart of Sharjah on a recent school excursion. The pupils had the opportunity to investigate the passage of time by visiting key heritage sites within the city as well as a modern art installation. If you get the chance do ask our Y6 pupils about their experience..

Cross Country Achievement: Last week the Primary pupils competed in the Primary Cross Country event at Rashid School in Dubai.
The pupils ran a magnificent race and overall we had winners and celebrations in the following categories.
Y3 & 4 Girls - 1st place
Y5 & 4 Girls - 1st place
Y3 & 4 Boys - 2nd place

Perseverance was the theme of the Primary assemblies this week. Our PE team discussed the importance of being persistent in all aspects of our lives! We are delighted to share with you the winners of the Perseverance awards from F1 to Y6. These awards were given to pupils who continuously try their best!

December's Board of Governors' meeting saw the departure of Fiona Nicholas. Fiona has spent a remarkable 26 years as a selfless and dedicated SES governor.

She was for many years our Honorary Treasurer, and can be credited with guiding the school through a number of financial tempests, including securing and overseeing the finances for the move to our current site, and the several phases of building which have occurred since. Her advice to SES principals and bursars over the years has been astute and patient; her impact on the school has been immense, though often under-acknowledged.

The students participated in two exercise sessions led by the Sharjah Womens College students, the first was a High Intensity Workout, followed by a zumba class.

Afterwards, some students had the opportunity to 'earn their smoothie' by peddling as fast as they could on a bicycle which powered a smoothie maker.

Mrs Stuart, Deputy Head Primary congratulating Kareem Moufti in Year 5. Kareem recently took part in the Kenken International Championship where he placed 2nd in Sharjah and 8th overall in the UAE. Well done Kareem, a great achievement!

Yesterday as part of Anti Bullying and Tolerance week we wore odd socks to highlight to our primary pupils that being different is perfectly OK! In addition we explored the...
• The definition of respect
• That bullying is a behaviour choice
• That we can respectfully disagree with each other i.e. we don't have to be best friends or always agree with each other but we do have to respect each other
• That we all need to choose to respect each other, both face to face and online

Diwali is a special celebration and festival for many of our families. Miss Burman helped the primary pupils to understand a little more about this festival of light, in our assembly last Thursday. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the start of tolerance week!

A few photographs from our 'Spooks and Sparkles' Day . The day proved to a wonderful opportunity for pupils and staff to have a fun filled experience outside of the traditional curriculum. A big thanks to the PSG who provided beautiful spooky themed treats for the pupils, it really enhanced their experience of the day!

Students of GCSE and A Level drama have presented a series of pieces as part of their courses. These were performed in the old Foundation Building, which has now been converted into an intimate performance space.

An audience of their parents and teachers saw the students offer their responses to various stimulus materials. These devised pieces are very much the students' own work, and showed a variety of interpretations of ideas associated with identity, racism and other contemporary concerns.

All of the SES Netball teams have had some great success this week in the final matches of the Sharjah Schools Netball League season.

Under 10
A fantastic first season for the girls in the Under 10 team, they have developed so much. They played their first competitive game in the Sharjah Schools league and were rewarded with a second place finish. Well Done to all players and Coach Mrs Price.

Our students recently visited the ME Fit Pro Conference at the Hamdan Sports Complex where they worked with top performance coaches to develop their knowledge and understanding of elite performance. Aligning both their curriculum understanding and practical work, they also learned about the importance of preparing both mentally and physically to become a successful athlete.

In recognition of the reputation which the school now enjoys, SES leaders were invited to make a presentation to over 120 other Sharjah schools at the Radisson Hotel this week.

The topic was "Self-Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Schools", and the event was organised and hosted by Sharjah Education Council. SEC feel that Sharjah English embodies many aspects of good practice in this area, and that sharing our experiences would enhance education provision among the emirate's private schools.

Having won the Emirates Environmental Group Public Speaking Competition last year, five of our students were invited to make a presentation at the ENOC Energy Awards ceremony today at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dubai. They spoke about digital disruption in the oil and gas industry, giving a presentation which was very well received by the audience. Many came over to personally congratulate the students on their well-researched and professionally delivered address; one even offered to hire them now!

WhichScoolAdvisor Young Musician of the Year Competition 2018

Your Votes are Required!

SES is happy to introduce videos of our three competitors in the WSA Young Musician of the Year Competition. All are from Year 11.

Kris Fade and his team of presenters from Virgin Radio visited the school on Wednesday 17th as part of the station's 20 Schools in 20 Days promotion.

After arriving in the Virgin Double Decker Bus, a lively and noisy session in the school auditorium saw the famed DJ answer question from the audience, give away prizes for a series of quizzes and physical feats, and celebrate the talent of our SES students. Kris was accompanied by fellow presenters Priti Malik and Big Rossi.
Performances by our rock musicians and Singing Ensemble were complemented by a massed percussion session involving Years 7 to 9; well done to all of them – radio stardom awaits!
Amongst the many prize winners Alexei Kettell of Year 12 won a Dell laptop, and Mrs. Christensen won a trip to Warner Brothers in Abu Dhabi for her whole class in the 'planking' physical challenge. There were also goody-bags galore from the various sponsors.
Thanks to all students and parents who voted SES into the list of participating schools.

Head of Maths, Mr Whitaker has been delivering Math Calculation workshops for our primary parents in Year 3 to 6. The workshops were very well attended and allowed parents to experience how the school teaches calculations. More workshops to follow...

Our swimming squad performed excellently in Gala 2 of the DASSA swimming league. This swimming Gala was ALL relays so for a school as small as ours to have a full squad is achievement. Outstanding performances from the SES Swim Team came from Francesca McCreadie - year 7, Mark Jafarov - year 7 and Lucas Brown - year 11. SES placed sixth overall.

Year 11 student Thendral Kamal has been announced as one of the winners of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre / UAE Space Agency 'Zero Gravity' competition. Her prize was a trip to Florida to experience weightlessness on a parabolic flight during which she conducted an experiment in zero gravity surroundings!

Thendral, who has a passionate interest in astronomy and all things related to space, submitted her proposal for an experiment early in the summer. The experiment had to be conducted to fit the 22 second timeframe of weightlessness which the zero gravity flights achieve.

The competition required a two minute video presentation outlining her idea and why she should be chosen to try her experiment in zero gravity. Thendral then had to submit herself for an interview with the project leaders, before being announced as one of the winners.

Congratulations to Thendral on this tremendous out-of-this world achievement. Many thanks also to physics teachers Mrs. Eirini Sotiropoulou and Mr. John Winstanley for their support. "My Eureka moment came when we debated how buoyancy would operate in zero gravity," Thendral explained. "The question was: how would a buoyant object floating in water behave in the absence of gravity?"

The video submission is linked below. Prior to her zero gravity flight, Thendral had to engineer an improved apparatus for her experiment to take with her on the flight.

"We congratulate Thendral on this most impressive achievement," said Mr. John Nolan, SES Principal. "Her fascination with astronomy and her interest in space has always been coupled with an infectious enthusiasm in sharing her ideas. She is an inspiration to us all!"

Thendral's Winning Video Submission https://youtu.be/zzt41bgTphA

Dear Parents, Please do come along to the 'Welcome Tea' PSG meeting and see how you can help to support our school, everyone is welcome!

To celebrate World Yoga Day at SES, Mrs. Raji Menon who is both a parent and a Yoga Teacher, led Year 10 girls in a yoga session.

World Yoga Day unites people from across the world in trying out and celebrating the physical benefits of yoga. Participants also can explore the wellbeing and mental benefits of yoga as a de-stressing activity.