JPGS Newsletter, Issue no. 16, 2022-23

Jeddah Prep and Grammar School






Newsletter






th
Founded in 1967 Thursday 20 October 2022
Issue no. 16
A Busy Sense of Purpose



Contents

2 New Beginnings and Exam Success
4 Year 6 Class Activities
6 EYFS
9 Prep School Leaders
10 Business and Economics Society
12 Meet Our New School Council
14 To Infinite and Beyond
15 Music from around the World
16 Enrichment
17 Let's Read
16 Eco Council
23 Saudi National Day
24 The Next Half Term Calendar


Schools are incredibly busy organ- portant aim, that of being a place I would like to thank you for your
isations. The logistical planning of of teaching. The core purpose of a support throughout my first half
getting the right pupils to the right school is to teach. term as your Headmistress. Quali-
teacher, in the correct location, at ty of teaching, through everything
least five times a day is no mean That teaching must start from the we do at JPGS, will always be my
feat. The detail required to ensure time when a pupil walks through priority. The outcome of teaching
that the correct resources are avail- the gate. What are our young peo- is learning and the evidence of
able to support the curriculum de- ple being taught as they are greet- learning is progress.
livery, is a complicated process in ed each morning? What messages
an international setting. are being sent through the way we A key feature of our school de-
organise our classrooms, the way velopment this coming year, will
The coordination of the facilities we respond to situations as the be the way we communicate aca-
teams, support staff and HR ser- day unfolds? demic progress to you as parents.
vices during the hottest months of Alongside that will be the evidence
the year needs very careful man- It is incredibly important that of progress in areas which are not
agement. These are just a few ex- we celebrate the successes of our quantifiable through data. For ex-
amples of the necessary distrac- older pupils as they achieve out- ample, confidence, politeness, em-
tions that can easily take focus standing public examination re- pathy and resilience. These are
away from what our core purpose sults and that we identify the val- attributes that will be noticeable
is as a school. ue we add to academic potential. through our interactions and will
However, beyond that, I believe it define us as a school community.
Yes, schools should be places filled is the well-honed learning skills,
with activity and have a busy LEARNER PROFILE that will set Mrs Zoe Woolley
sense of purpose. However, run- a JPGS pupil apart. As I work Headmistress
ning through everything that we with all members of the communi-
do at JPGS, must be our most im- ty to ensure our aims are aligned,

New Beginnings and Exam Success




Student Leadership Team
















Our new Head Team and Senior
Prefects were announced earlier
this term and they have been busy
working with our Year 11, 12 and
It has been a pleasure seeing all Our Careers and University guid- 13 prefects in planning upcom-
our new pupils across the Gram- ance programme has started with ing events. The Sixth Form Social
mar school starting their life in a busy programme of university Committee has already held a
the school, making new friends, fairs with over twenty one US uni- move night as the first social event
settling into lessons, learning rou- versities visiting the school for our of the year and we look forward to
tines very quickly. They have be- Undergraduate Fair on Thursday more being organised.
gun to grow in confidence and en- 6 October 2022. We were also de-
th
thusiasm for their subjects and the lighted to welcome over twenty We are very proud that they will
wider activities on offer. I hope to Canadian universities who visited spearhead an active and dynamic
see more engagement with extra the school on Sunday 9 October. group of senior prefects and pre-
th
activities and projects linked to the fects as they embark on a number
wider community, eco-schools, of projects including fundraising
fundraising and charity events. for the recent flood victims in Pa-
kistan.
Revision Workshops
In our preparation for examina- IGCSE and A Level Options
tions both at IGCSE and A Level Process
we have organised a range of re- Year 9 and Year 11 will soon be ap-
vision workshops to highlight the proaching the point at which they
importance of planning, revision begin looking at both their IGCSE
timetables, health and wellbeing Parents, teachers, and pupils also and A Level subject choices and
and managing stress. We have participated in the UK Higher Ed- the range of pathways and sub-
shared practical strategies sup- ucation Fair and Russell Univer- jects available to them. There will
ported by research in improving sity Webinars in the first week of be some key dates coming up that
revision techniques and talked October. are important for both parents and
about the importance of sleep and pupils in order to assist them in
eating correctly. Parents and pupils learnt about this process.
how to apply to Russell Group
US and Canadian University University, researching universi- At IGCSE level the pupils will all
Fairs ty options, preparing for a Russell study English Language, English
Group University, and personal Literature, Maths and Science as
statements. compulsory subjects and also fol-
low PE and Personal Social and
This was an incredible opportuni- Health Education and Arabic.
ty for students considering apply- Pupils will then choose four addi-
ing for Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, tional subjects, and we aim to en-
Bristol or any of the twenty four sure that their curriculum choices

Russell Group Universities. are broad and balanced.

2

There will be ‘Guided Choices’ stimulating, multi-cultural envi-
assemblies and a Parents Infor- ronment, whilst promoting toler-
mation afternoon for both Year 9 ance and respect towards one an-
and Year 11 pupils in the coming other.
weeks where pupils will be given
an introduction into the process IGCSE and A Level Exam Success
of choosing their subjects, as well Our IGCSE and Sixth Form pu-
as information from Heads of De- pils celebrated success in August!
partment about the subjects of- This year’s results showed how
fered at IGCSE and A Level. well pupils were prepared for fur-
ther education with 44.75% pupils
Punctuality achieving A*-A grades at A Level
We are seeing a slight increase compared to the English National
in the number of pupils arriving Average of 35.95%.
late for school. This impacts on
the start of their day as they miss At IGCSE, pupils achieved 49.75%
important information from form A*-A grades and 89% A*-C grades
time, assemblies and the PSHE in comparison to the English Na-
programme that runs during form tional Average of 26% A*-A and
time throughout the week. 73% respectively.


Please support your child with This year the school achieved a re-
their organisation in the evening cord number of A and A* grades
and morning to ensure they can at both IGCSE and A Level. This
depart for school on time and are success has opened the door for
prepared for their day of learning. pupils to attend Oxbridge and Ivy
League universities and also for
If you would like to talk to a mem- our pupils to gain admission into
ber of staff regarding supporting Russell Group universities.
improved punctuality and attend-
ance for your child, please con- We are delighted with the results
tact their respective Head of Key of our pupils who thoroughly de-
Stage. serve their success following near-
ly two years of absence and uncer-
International United Nation Day tainty.
Jeddah Prep and Grammar school
will also be celebrating its rich cul- With this year’s excellent grades,
tural diversity through our UN/ JPGS can have confidence that the
International Day on Thursday intervention and classroom work
20 October 2022. The day will in place will lead to excellence in
th
involve a number of parades and the years to come. Our pupils are
celebration events. determined to succeed and have
high aspirations. We wish all our
The festivities will celebrate the pupils every success in the forth-
diversity of our community that coming academic year.
boasts more than 55 nationalities.
The day will provide an opportu- Finally, I would like to wish our
nity for pupils to dress in their na- pupils and families a safe and hap-
tional dress and share food, hear py October Half Term holiday and
about each other’s culture, and look forward to welcoming you
learn about why the United Na- back on Sunday 30th October 2022.
tions was founded and what role
it plays in today’s world. Mr Khalil Ahmed FCCT
MA, NPQH, FRAS
The event aims also reinforces the Deputy Headmaster /
school’s philosophy of offering a Head of Grammar School

1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3

Year 6 Class Activities























Year 6 have got off to a flying start
in Science this year. Our opening
topic is the respiratory system
and to demonstrate their under-
standing, the children worked to
make a model of the respiratory
system which demonstrates how
the movement of the diaphragm
forces air in and out of the lungs.
Year 6 are thrilled to learn science
through practical means and they
are all showing a wonderful un-
derstanding of this topic. Vegetarians, look away now! As
part of the Year 6 science topic on
the human body, the pupils have
been learning about the heart and
the circulatory system. To sup-
port their learning, they dissected
hearts from a sheep and a chicken
to see how they compared to a hu-
man heart. Here they are, identify-
ing the main features of the heart.



Pupils have also been using maps
and secondary source materials
to investigate time zones. They
learned that Sir Stamford Flem-
img first developed this concept
and they looked for patterns and
aberrations in the system.


Ms Jade Widocks
Upper Key Stage 2
Coordinator












4 4 4 4

Prep School Inter-House Event FIFA 23

Charity


Tournament













We started the FIFA competition
with many pupils eager to par-
ticipate in the charity event. The
scenes were exhilarating as the
cheers of pupils echoed through
the common room.


Brave Year 7s took on and defeated
'Starting as we mean to go at JPGS', house points from both Grammar the Goliath Sixth Form pupils in a
we successfully celebrated our and Prep competitions have been match for the ages; knocking the
first Inter-House event of the aca- added up and the winning house Sixth Form pupils out of the tour-
demic year. Pupils from the Prep will be announced during the as- nament. Mr Ayub and Mr Ibrahim
school were selected to perform sembly on Thursday. These events won a nail biting match seeing
various challenges, representing will continue next half term and them progress to the semi-finals.
their House colours, going against throughout the year, so stay tuned
their peers from other Houses and for the next one!' All money raised will be donated
a special guest teacher. All pupils to the victims of the recent floods
represented their house excep- Mr Matt Hunt in Pakistan.
tionally well, whether they were Physical Education Teacher
supporting or taking part. The Mr Hasnain Ayub
History Teacher




learning and a commitment to the derstanding, identifying learning
secondary school experience. I am styles and uncovering knowledge
dedicated to teaching students gaps, modifying the curriculum,
the principles of secondary-level and creating lessons plans accord-
New Staff mathematics. ingly and using a variety of teach-
Biography ing methods to engage and inspire
Additionally, I have outstanding students to learn.
Uzair Lamba knowledge of teaching with tech-
BSc (Hons), PGCE, QTS nology and empowering students As shown by my experience in
Mathematics Teacher to use valuable resources, as well schools, I am enthusiastic about
as an excellent understanding of education and always strive to
With my extensive background curriculum development and as- do the best for my students. I am
in mathematical studies, as well sessment methods based on both able to take on responsibility for
as my teaching certification in research and practice. learning and have experience in
mathematics, it is my pleasure to successfully managing classes of
be working for Jeddah Prep and Some of the skills I can offer to varying abilities. I also have the
Grammar as their new mathemat- students are: Facilitating and enthusiasm and determination to
ics teacher. I am a highly qualified teaching students difficult con- ensure that I am successful in this
and professional mathematics cepts, including breaking themes, role.
teacher with a focus on student scaffolding, re-teaching, and un-

1 1 1 1
5 5 5 5

PE Key Dates subjects as they become experts
in cross-examining and analys-
ing, preparing them for highly
The PE schedule starts to get busy competitive career fields. I believe
at the beginning of the next half everything starts with reading; it
term. We are currently in the pro- New Staff is at the heart of their success.
cess of finalising squads and teams Biography
as our tournaments will begin in In relation to English as a subject,
the last week of October. Mr Shahid Hussain I think it is particularly impor-
BA Hons, PGCE, University College tant for students to read diverse
Some key dates for the next half London texts, and in my classes, they are
term are: Grammar School English Teacher enriched by great writers from
October around the world. I fervently be-
• Fri 28 (JPGS) U16 Girls Vol- I believe proficiency in English lieve English has the power to
leyball opens the path to success for stu- equip pupils with the tools to
• Fri 28 (BISJ) U16 Boys Volley- dents. It allows them to see who move into a dynamic world of
ball they can be. The power to organ- work, allowing each individual to
• Fri 28 (TKS) U14 Girls Volley- ise one’s thoughts and effectively create their own, great adventure.
ball communicate, discuss and debate
• Sat 29 BISJ U14 Boys Volley- is a distinct advantage. This is At JPGS, my classes will develop
ball why I focus on teaching learners the best in every pupil and en-
to self-evaluate, adapt, innovate, hance their reading, thinking and
November and truly reach excellence inde- writing skills.
• Thurs 3- Fri 4 (JPGS) U14 pendently.
Boys Volleyball It’s an honour to be at JPGS!
• Thurs 3- Fri 4 (BISR) U14 Thus, my teaching philosophy
Girls Volleyball boost students’ prospects for
• Fri 4 (TWA) U19 Girls Volley- higher education, even in STEM
ball
• Fri 4 (AISJ) U19 Boys Volley-
ball
• Thurs 10-Fri 11 (ASD / BSD)
U16 Boys Volleyball
• Thurs 10-Fri 11 (BISJ) U16
Girls Volleyball EYFS
• Sat (TKS) Golf Invitational
• Thurs 17-Fri 18 (AISJ) U19
Boys Volleyball
• Thurs 17-Fri 18 AISR U19
Girls Volleyball
• Thurs 24-Fri 25 (TWA) MS
MUN

December
• Thurs 1-Fri 2 (TWA) HS MUN
• Fri 2 AISJ Swimming


















6 6 6 6

Mathematics



During a Maths lesson on a Sep-
tember Tuesday morning just be-
fore lunch, we were handed with
some coloured laminated cards.

Each pupil paired up with a part-
ner and received a pack contain-
ing many different cards. The
class was so happy to have a fun
revision lesson where we can so-
cialise and compete. I teamed up
with Leen and both of us got to the
task and put on our competition
faces, we were ready to win!


The activity involved quadrat-
ic equations, in which we had
to then factorize each quadratic
equation into two brackets, cal-
culate the roots of each quadratic
equation, then express the quad-
ratic in complete square form,
find the minimum or maximum
turning point and match the given
graphs to each quadratic equation,
thus there were six cards for each
quadratic.

Salma Moumena
Year 11


















What an amazing start our pendence and play within small have also been busy developing
youngest learners have made at groups, creating and developing their ability to write through
JPGS! The children have settled friendships. mark-making activities. Learn-
in really well and have been ex- ing to write requires a lot of re-
tremely busy exploring the new Our topic “1,2,3, It’s good to hearsal, in many forms, includ-
nursery environment both in- be me!” is underway where we ing pens, paints, foam, cornflour,

side and outside the classroom. have discussed our likes and dis- and pencils! We will be tuning
Our main focus has been on fol- likes and what makes us all the into the sounds all around us
lowing the daily routines of the same and different. We want all in the environment to begin our
nursery, taking turns, sharing, the children to develop favourite phonics journey next term.
and being kind and considerate. stories and rhymes in the nurs-

Children are also learning to ery, and join in with rhymes and Mrs Nargas Gulzar
build self-confidence, and inde- repeated refrains. The children Head of EYFS

1 1 1 1
7 7 7 7

Author’s Spotlight at the Library



tion is changed every month and Our junior librarians are using
different authors are on display their break time once a week to
for pupils to learn from their life help the library grow and devel-
stories. op. I am very thankful to them for
their hard work.
The reading challenge at the li-
brary continues this year to en- Nusayba Ahsan 12
courage pupils to read more books Maryam Javeed 11Z
and enjoy reading. After reading Saisha Lalchandani 8Y
10 books and answering all the Abeer Shaikh 8X
questions, pupils will receive a Aisha Soorty 8X
house point for each book and a Ayra Kashif 8X
gift voucher. The challenge will Leyana Hamdan 8X
make reading a good habit which Areej Shaikh 11
will stay with pupils forever. Jun- Maria Racho 11
This month, we introduce Agatha ior librarians have been recruited Sara Shariq 11
Christie in the author spotlight and they have been instrumental
section and her books are dis- in keeping the library in order and Mrs Humeyra Izhar
played to be borrowed. This sec- developing the collection. Librarian



Science Experiments in Year 8




























Healthy Children Learn Better



ular physical activity has a posi- ty of our community.
tive effect on educational success • Food that has a large amount
and encourages pupils to stay in of trans fats, salt and sugar,
the school. will negatively affect your
health and the readiness to
• Healthy eating, drink plenty of learn; Pack a nutrients-rich
water combined with physical lunch box each day.
Young people’s health, well-being activity has a positive effect on
and educational success are close- young people’s health. Mrs Ayah Malkawi
ly related. Combining a healthy, • Nuts are not allowed in our Mrs Mirasol Cepe
balanced and varied diet with reg- school for the health and safe- School Nurse

8 8 8 8

Prep School Leaders



A very warm welcome to our new- The Prep Prefects will play an important
ly appointed Prep School Leaders. role throughout the entire Prep School
At Jeddah Prep and Grammar community. They are responsible for
School, we are proud to have our helping to set the atmosphere amongst the
Year 6 pupils represent and lead pupils and for maintaining and enhancing
the Prep School as Prep School the ethos of Jeddah Prep and Grammar
Prefects and House Captains. School.
















Prep School

Prefects


The position of Prep School Pre-
fect is a position of responsibility
and one which provides an impor-
tant connection between pupils
and staff. Our main objective is to
provide pupils with an opportu-
nity to develop lifelong leadership
skills.


House Captains



















Haneen Hamid Omar Atta Kenda Elesily Umar Saad Mohsin Celena Berjaoui Omar Aly
6A 6B 6C 6A 6B 6C
The position of a House Captain pearance expected at our school. to working with you in assisting
is an important role at bringing The house captains will also help us all to maintain the high expec-
together everyone in each of the to organise teams for the various tations we have for ourselves and
houses in school. The house cap- house competitions. others at JPGS.
tains will support pupils in their
house and encourage them to Being given these leadership po- Mrs Saira Ali
work hard, attend regularly, be sitions is an honour and privilege Year 5 Teacher
punctual, well-mannered and and the school is very proud of Assistant Head of Prep
maintain the high standard of ap- those selected. We look forward

9 9 9 9
1 1 1 1

The Business and Economics Society 2022-23










































The Business and Economics So- life. We also invited several capa- Our team is also working extreme-
ciety is an acclaimed group of ex- ble and experienced guest speak- ly hard to raise the profile of the
ceptionally talented individuals ers to aid with their journey to school in the Middle East through
from Years 11, 12 and 13. We aim finding a suitable career. participating in external compe-
to create an enhanced experience titions and organising residential
of everyday school life, not with- We also planned events like in- trips.
out incorporating the fundamen- ter-house competitions which
tal aspects of the real world, those foster teamwork and allow pu- In addition, the members of BES
aspects being business and eco- pils to work together and invent have decided to build their very
nomics, the two subjects that run strategies to gain the best possible own BES website that is accessible
the world. outcome for the team, which not to everyone in the school. Mem-
only is a vital skill to learn but also bers of the BES will post week-
They are the key to opening the gives a chance for them to build- ly entertaining activities such as
doors of opportunity currently. stronger connections with each quizzes and debates on fascinat-
We believe these skills are im- other. ing topics and much more.
portant to succeed and everyone
should have at least one of them, We plan on soaring new heights Written by:
which is why we strive to spread this year, with even more exciting Sofia Burhan
this knowledge to the rest of the plans, more trips and possibly an Humairaa Sharol
school through various engaging upcoming website.
activities. Meet Manaal Hassan:
The BES plans to continue what She is the president
Last year, we had success in var- we do best, helping pupils with of the society. Her
ious endeavours, such as hosting their career choices as well as role is to oversee the
career planning workshops to holding more career lunches. Just BES events and sup-
guide pupils to choose a career as we did before, this year we plan port the rest of the team.
path that is most beneficial and to invite more guest speakers to
works best for them, allowing JPGS to inform the school about Meet Humairaa Sharol:
them to understand the environ- the qualities and important as- Humairaa is the society’s PR pres-
ments of workplaces in the real pects of certain topics. ident. She oversees the PR depart-

10
10
10
10

ment of the society as charities,
and guides them with i n te r n a l
their tasks and duties. and exter-
Her job is to commu- nal com-
nicate successes, chal- petitions, New Staff
lenges and enhance the reputation bake sales, and movie nights and Biography
of the BES. run the enterprise club.
Mrs Naseerah Valli
Meet Sofia Burhan, Inaya Pervez The business and economics so- BA(Hons), PGCE, QTS
and Aly Ebied: ciety is a great asset to the school, Geography Teacher
our trips and events allow pupils
a break from the hectic school life It is a pleasure to introduce myself
and enjoy the simpler things in as Teacher of Geography at Jed-
life, as work-life balance too is a dah Prep and Grammar School.
mandatory skill to live a fulfilling
They are our public relations coor- life and have a prosperous career. I believe that all children are
dinators. They work closely with unique and have something spe-
Humairaa. Some of their jobs are Our guest speakers can offer in- cial that they can bring to their
to design logos, publish articles sight and inspirational words own education. All children must
and newsletters and engage with which help and motivate pupils have a stimulating educational en-
the whole school to raise aware- to explore their passions. Career vironment where they can grow
ness of society. lunches allow pupils to find them- physically, mentally, emotionally,
selves. Increasing the overall sat- and socially. It is my desire to cre-
Meet Nael khalid: isfaction of the school experience ate this type of atmosphere where
Nael Khalid is our for the pupils. students can meet their full poten-
Careers Lunch coor- tial. I will provide a safe environ-
dinator. He is respon- As for the benefits of joining, ex- ment where students are invited
sible for inviting guest speakers perience in the society helps you to share their ideas and take risks.
and promoting the events through gain knowledge about the corpo-
designing the posters and on so- rate world and how to act appro- My passion for teaching Geogra-
cial media platforms. priately within it. We also enable phy stems from the fascinating
great teamwork as we have a very and beautiful world in which we
Meet Hadi Faisal: diverse group of members of all live. The Earth and all its inhab-
Hadi is the president ages and backgrounds within our itants are part of a complex, ever
of Enterprise and society. changing story line that lies at
works closely with the heart of physical and human
the Head of Enter- It also generates innovation as geography. I find myself drawn
prise. His job is to come up with it allows the members to freely as much to the study of the nat-
innovative ideas, organize events express and integrate new ideas ural environment and physical
and uphold the BES reputation within the school and gives expe- landscapes as I am to the study
as well as chair weekly meetings rience in managing and hosting of people, places and cultures. As
with Manaal. events. Lastly, it boosts your state- geographers we hold the keys to
ment for your UCAS application the world’s problems. Geography
Meet Areej Shaikh: as it proves to universities that encompasses many things from
Areej Shaikh is the you have the skill and knowledge natural disasters, eco-systems, to
Head of the Enter- for real-life challenges. It displays globalisation and development.
prise. Her role is to your qualities and how you adapt
organize events and to real work experiences thus de- With over four years of teaching
support her enterprise coordina- veloping you as a holistic individ- experience in the United King-
tors. ual. dom, I am looking forward to my
fifth year in teaching here in Sau-
Meet Maria Racho and Mariam Mr Abdul Aziz Qayum di Arabia! I am truly looking for-
Ahmed: Head of Humanities and Social ward to working with and getting
Maria Racho and Mariam Ahmed Science to know each one of my students
are the enterprise coordinators, and their families this year.
they organize and run events such

1 1 1 1
11
11
11
11

Meet Our New School Council



A warm welcome to the Jeddah share ideas and take part in dis- • School Council Meetings are
Prep School Council cussions that involve all of their held monthly.
classmates in reaching a dem-
At Jeddah Prep and Grammar ocratic solution. Pupils at JPGS • Discussions are then reported
School we are proud to have pu- know that this is their school and back to each class/tutor by the
pil representatives from each class their thoughts and ideas matter. representatives and discus-
in the Prep school and each tutor sions/ideas brought back to
group in the Grammar School that • School Council Representa- the next School Council Meet-
take part in School Council meet- tives are voted in by pupils in ing.
ings. their class/tutor – they are not
chosen by their teachers. Mr Munsoor Shahzad
The School Council is in place so Designated Safeguarding Lead/
that pupils have a voice and are • Each class/ tutor will commu- Assistant Headteacher
involved in the decisions about the nicate issues, concerns, wor-
school that affect them. Through ries or ideas that they wish to Ms Ayesha Riaz
the School Council all pupils have discuss at the School Council Year 1 Teacher
the opportunity to raise issues, meeting.

















Musa Ahmed
1A


















Seif Alesayi Youssef Aly Faizaan Javed Mehreen Khan Klara El Halabi
1B 2A 2B 3A 3B
















Seif Al Zubaidi Sara Shaheen M. Nadeem Memon Layan Hanoun Ryan Sumainah
4A 4B 4C 5A 5B
12
12
12
12

Shifa Bhatti M. Azlaan Butt Yehia Eid Hamna Shekhani Angelina Bou Chakra
5C 6A 6B 6C 7X
















Mustafa Idris Karen Halaby Anaya Khan Shazil Pervez Roshan Kazi
7Y 7Z 8X 8Y 8Z















M. Ibraheem Asad M. Ehsan Aminuddin Ilham Memon Joud Alboulad Yasmeen Khalifa
9X 9Y 9Z 10X 10Y
















Zainah Ali Abdullah Binladen Leen Bakhsh Ziad Kandiel Jassem Khlouf
10Z 11X 11Y 11Z 12X
















Farhan Malik Jordan Mathew Kareem Abdulhadi Abdelrahman Saleh Hadiah Al Haddad
12Y 12Z 13X 13Y 13Z

13
1 1 1 1
13
13
13

To Infinity and Beyond!



Infinity is endless and therefore
cannot be reached. Thus the ex-
pression “To infinity and be-
yond!” would simply represent
limitless possibilities.


This is the world that we are pre-
paring our pupils for. Think of
stars as a stand-alone career. The
universe is filled with over 12 000
career choices. Thankfully, these
careers can be clustered into gal-
axies as comparable skills and
subject choices are required for
similar roles. As young learners provides a compass for the pupil, ‘Knowledge is fundamental to all
mature, they will gravitate to are- teachers and parents to ensure that human achievements and pro-
as of interest as they develop their the pupil’s journey to the stars is gress.’
skills, knowledge and passions. kept on course, and pupils can be Neil Armstrong
confident in themselves and con-
Progress is the underlying and tinue to challenge themselves ap- Personal growth is about progress
essential influencer to a pupil as- propriately as they become inde- and not perfection and a little pro-
piring to reach for the stars. Meas- pendent learners. gress each day ends up in big re-
uring progress in school is simply sults.
a ‘snapshot’ of how a pupil is per- ‘Your mind is like a parachute: if it
forming in key units of work, rath- isn’t open, it doesn’t work.’ Mr Raymond Garnett
er than against the whole curricu- Buzz Aldrin Head of Prep School
lum in each learning area. It





have always held ECA Art Clubs but to build off the potential of pu-
for pupils with a passion and de- pils through experiences and good
sire for further self-development. relationships.

I strive to inspire the pupils I teach Art is a diverse subject and can
New Staff to observe and question the world lead to a wide variety of careers
Biography around them and to have a sense in the 21st century. It is also a su-

of awe and wonder in this world per subject, which can be used in
Mrs Olga Refaee we live in. free time and as a therapy for the
BEd Hons stresses of our modern day life.
Art teacher My ethos is about creating a stim-
ulating environment where every- Many of the skills I teach are
I have always been personally and one feels comfortable and confi- transferable to other areas of the
professionally passionate about dent to learn, extend their skills curriculum, which enhance the
my subject of Art. I have taught and challenge themselves. understanding and enthusiasm of
Art as a Specialist subject in sev- pupils.
eral schools and always as a part I also believe that school is not just
of a balanced curriculum while a about exam success and aim to I look forward to teaching every
class teacher. I have been an art see each of my pupils as unique day at JPGS and watching the pro-
coordinator in every school I have individuals with their skills and gress that the pupils are making.
worked in, to support staff devel- talents. Every child matters. I be-
opment and ensure a high stand- lieve that education is not only the
ard of learning for the pupils. I transfer of knowledge to pupils


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Music from Around the World



This term each of our Prep School
Tuesday Assemblies will be end-
ing with a ‘Song of the Week’,
which will feature songs and
music from different countries
around the world. Many of these
songs will be chosen by the stu-
dents themselves, who have been
invited to share some of their fa-
vourite music from their home
countries. Countries featured so
far have been Australia, Scotland,
Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and New
Zealand with many more to come.
‘Music from Around the World’
will also be the theme of our ‘Win-
ter Concert’, which is planned for
December.

Mr Shane Porter
Music Teacher











Lego Architects





Lego therapy is a proven “A tall rain-
form of play which helps bow tower.
children learn skills like You can go
turn-taking, sharing, listen- up to the
ing, conversation, teamwork, roof in the
shared attention and prob- elevator!”
lem-solving. Subhan
Ahmed
The children have had lots of Year 2
fun planning mini projects to
build a model either individ-
ually or as a group.


“We made a rainbow
house. It was so much fun! “I made ice and fire drag-
We planned it together and on. It can breathe ice and
built it together” fire! I used red and blue
Kinda Saad and Joumana Lego pieces. I liked mak-
Bouziane ing it with my friend”
Omar Obaid
Year 1


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Enrichment



Enrichment has commenced for
Term 1 with the usual wide-rang-
ing variety of activities emphasis-
ing the need for cross-correlation
between academic, physical and
social education and part of truly
holistic development.




Astronomy has begun the key skills of identifying and introducing
themselves to the wide world of stars outside of our own. This will
culminate in the extremely exciting and long-awaited star, planet and
comet sightings in which our resident astronomers, Mr Azzam and Mr
Kip set up their professional telescopes in the evening on the field to let
pupils and parents alike take that once-in-a-lifetime picture.















There have been record turnouts
and membership counts for clubs
such as Athletics, Astronomy,
Duke of Edinburgh and Origami.
The variety within these very few
mentioned clubs in itself epitomis-
es the various key life skills that
are indeed as important as the ac-
ademic lessons.
















Athletics are focusing on Track
Sports and have begun with Duke of Edinburgh has com- must prepare a journey, camp site
running, during these very hot menced their 2 year-long course and target for which they wish to
months this will surely train the to supplement their academic CVs journey out into the Arabian De-
young learners’ stamina to be with the four key sections, Char- sert and Wadi.
able to run many laps around the ity, Adventurous Journey, Skill
sports JPGS field, all the while em- and Physical. All of these lead to Mr Eric Mason
phasising the need to stay safely the Bronze Adventurous one night Head of Key Stage 3
hydrated and shaded. camping trip in which members Teacher of Humanities


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Let’s Read



At JPGS we love to read and have
decided to take the opportuni-
ty to share some of our favourite
books with you to help everyone
find books they will love. We have
asked teachers and pupils to write
some reviews so take a look and
see if there’s a book you would
like to get your hands on. All
books are shared with a guide to
the stage they are best suited to so
hopefully you will be able to find
the perfect fit for you.

Do you have a book you have dis-
covered that you really love and
think others might not have heard reached the UK, it is getting clos-
of? Is it a classic story or is it hot er. Willa’s parents aren’t getting
off the press? Let your teacher along and Willa is angry and
know if you would like to have confused. Furthermore, there’s a
your chosen book considered for new kid in school, Manny, who
the next newsletter. has been through a string of fos-
ter homes and they become firm
Happy reading! friends.


In this story for children from year
6 upwards, strange creatures start
appearing in Willa’s and Manny’s
sleepy seaside town. One night,
they decide to follow one of them
and end up travelling through a
portal that leads to another world
– one strangely familiar while
oddly different.
Reviewed by
In this strange ‘sideways world’, Haneen Hamid
they discover something that 6A
could bring an end to the war in
our own world, but can they do My favourite book is
what it takes in time? Will they get Treasure Island. It is the best as
trapped in the sideways world? the author had a wide imagina-
tion. Robert Louis Stevenson was a
I really enjoyed this story as Wel- very bright man as he could think
ford has a lovely way of writing up the craziest of situations. This
and he doesn’t take himself too se-
Into the Sideways World riously. At the same time, the sto- book is a literal classic as it was
Ross Welford ry deals with some relevant issues written and published in 1883!
but in light-hearted, fast-paced
Reviewed by way, with lots of twists and turns The book tells the story of an ad-
Mr David Millar and a few moral dilemmas. It is venturous young boy named Jim

a good reminder that there is al- Hawkins who comes across a
In the near future, ways a better way to solve conflict. treasure map. He goes on a jour-
war has broken out ney to try and recover the treas-
on Earth and while it hasn’t yet ure, which once belonged to the

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famous Captain Flint. On his jour-
ney, he meets Long John Silver,
a one-legged cook who ends up
becoming Captain of the whole
crew....

What I like about the book is that
it breaks the rule of order. E.g. for
regular stories: There is a person,
and there is another, one goes
about his daily duties and the oth-
er is plotting something injustice.
The first person figures it out and
stops him at the end. But when
reading Treasure Island, it is a dif-
ferent sequence:

There is a person who is original-
ly good and another good person,
person number 1 is actually bad
and you only discover that in the humorous with an element of wit. thology and Rick Riordan forms
very last chapter, although you It is filled with adventures and it an action-packed story with his
see it mainly from the good per- can give you mild shivers but will spectacular words.
sons point of view, a segment of make you laugh in the very next
the book is from the bad person’s moment. The story is narrated by Percy,
point of view. So in summary I who likes to make a lot of jokes
like the book because it is diverse. It’s a Science Fiction Thriller with and observations about the char-
terrific laughter. People who enjoy acters. He has a lot of attitude and
In my opinion the genre of this reading comedy will like it and tells funny jokes along the way,
book is adventure fiction as it re- also those who like reading Sci- which made me laugh out loud on
calls of the stories of a 12-year-old ence Fantasy but those who like many occasions. Being the son of
boy. If reading this book, I sug- reading the mix of both will enjoy the Sea God, Poseidon he has in-
gest you are a patient person as it to bits. credible sea navigating skills and
the book is quite big. I also rec- understands longitude and lati-
ommend that book for those who tude. When he travels on a ship,
enjoy adventure stories that keeps he uses these skills to find his
you amused as there are cliff hang- Percy Jackson and the Sea of friend Grover.
ers in the least expected times. Monsters
I would recommend this book to a
The Last Kids on Earth Reviewed by lot of people who like action and
Zachariah Ahmed adventure mixed with mythology.
Reviewed by 6C The way the story describes the
Haamim Khan Greek gods and myths has made
6A This series of books has been my me want to research the myths fur-
favourite series of Rick Riordan. ther to find out more about them.
The Last Kids on The characters and the action
Earth by Max Brallier is a book scenes are so thrilling and en- This series is suitable for Year 5
about four kids who were living an joyable and have made me want and over, however many adults I
uneventful life but then it was to- to read this book over and over know have also loved the stories
tal “Monster and Zombie Chaos” again! too (including my mother!)
and they had to battle those beasts
on a daily basis to make it through To enjoy this story, you should be- In summary this book is one of my
the “Zombie Apocalypse”. gin with the Lightning Thief which favourite in the series and I would
sets the scene in Camp Halfblood. give it 5 stars!
I enjoyed that there was a lot of Without giving you too many
thrilling events and it was very spoilers, this story uses Greek my-

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Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble The Lion The witch and the ward- Title: Fortunately, the milk
Magnet robe or Narnia
Reviewed by
Reviewed by Reviewed by Abdullah Khan
Faris Sherkoh Abdulelah Zahran 5C
6B 5A
Genre:
The book is about a boy called Book genre: Fantasy Fiction Fiction, Humour
Omar, who is going to move house
and he is trying to settle into his Brief Description of book: Fortunately, the milk is a humor-
new school with a big bully right All the siblings get sent away be- ous and exciting story about a dad
behind him everywhere he goes. cause of WW2 in Lucy new house who goes out to get milk for his
He has a huge imagination. Lucy ventures into a closet that led kids but gets into a lot of funny
to Narnia. in Narnia Lucy saw was situations. He is caught by aliens
The book shares the profound the Faun But when she came back and is trapped in time.
message of tolerance, kindness to tell her siblings they didn’t be-
and acceptance. Omar is rather lieve her. I liked the book as its very exciting
good at imagining things, some- and humorous. There are many
thing he uses as a security blan- A few things I liked about the interesting characters in the book
ket to keep himself happy during book: What I like about this book that make me laugh every time I
stressful times is that in this amazing book there read it. This book can be enjoyed
are lots of dramatic moments such by people of all ages.
What I liked about this book is as when nobody believed Lucy, so
how Omar and his friends en- she cried in pain. Title: Dog man a tale of two kit-
counter various situations and ties
always find a solution to it along Who I think would enjoy reading
with the funny and silly attitude this book: People that like fantasy Reviewed by
of Omar and his friends. or fiction. Ghina Alzagha 5C


This book belongs to the adven- MC’s In this book: Lucy, Ed- Genre: Comic
ture type genre. It is meant for all mund, Peter, Susan, The witch
the children who ever felt that be- and the Faun A police dog with a human body
ing different is a negative thing. is a hero and catching an evil cat
I would give it 5 stars! and breaking the law. The things
I would give it 5 stars! I like is animals with clothes, it's
humour and action.

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JPGS ECO Council



We have been working extremely sumption and to teach them ways
hard to make this year’s Eco Coun- in which they can be more sustain-
cil have the most significant im- able. Secondly, we are planning a
pact it has ever had on the school. beach clean-up day, this inspires
creating a sustainability audit, we pupils to be more hands-on in the
We are truly committed to ensur- can confirm that we are certainly way they contribute to helping the
ing a successful and productive on the right track. environment.
year, as we have already come up
with various ideas and ways to We will soon begin our action It does not end there, we are truly
make the school a more eco-friend- plan, which is the third step, this looking forward to helping fulfil
ly and green space. is where everything we have long-term sustainability goals, re-
planned starts to be put into ac- taining the school’s progress and
With the eco committee’s help, we tion. pushing towards a promising per-
can guarantee that we will most manent green school community.
definitely achieve our goals and Not only that but we have also
exceed our current expectations, planned to carry out two major
leading to progress and resulting events this year: the first one being
in success. To achieve the Eco Flag a visit to an orphanage, where we
accreditation, we must follow the will donate second-hand toys and
seven steps towards it, with the books, this not only encourages Yasmeen Al Sharif and Manal
first one being forming the com- pupils to help those in need, but Hussain
mittee itself and the second one also to be more aware of their con- Heads of Eco Council
Year 13














Miriam Whyte Lynn Al Arab Talia Wishah Aakif Gani Adam Bou Ezzeddine Basma Hamid
1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B














Nazar Abdelhalim Ariana Calleja-Basey Rayan Al Samarah Julie Azzam Lama Qudus Essa Abdul Karim
4A 4B 4C 5A 5B 5C














Samer Shouman Elias Kurdi Kenda Elesily Maryam Imran Ata Sayar Talah Ostaz
6A 6B 6C 7X 7Y 7Z

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Caitlin Calleja-Basey Joud Al Sayyaf Ibaad Raquim Dawoud Bokhari Yara Shouman Ifrah Khan
8X 8Y 8Z 9X 9Y 9Z














Imaan Zuberi Jaannani Sethuraman Sandra Bekhit Rayan Din Hala Alzagha Mariam Javed
10X 10Y 10Z 11X 11Y 11Z














Ahmed Azzam Mubashir Ur-Rehman Waniya Saqib Khadija Malik Humairaa Sharol
12X 12Y 12Z 13X 13Y



Meeting the University Challenge


At JPGS we are rightly proud of posure to visiting universities.
our pupil’s attainment in high- Recently we have hosted visits
er education. It was lovely to see from Boston University, and two
some of our former pupils, includ- mini-university fairs, arranged
ing Andulrahman Moumena ear- by Mr Mahmood, with a range of
lier this year. Abdulrahman left us universities from Canada and the
three years ago and since then has US in attendance.
graduated from the University of
Durham after studying Law. He On October 12 , we hosted an af-
th
is progressing in his postgraduate ternoon session for parents on the
studies at University College Lon- University Application Process to
don. help them understand and navi-
gate the process. We look forward
Many of our current cohorts are to many future events and many
preparing to meet the challenge more rewarding conversations
of university admission with pu- with members of the successful
pils applying to Oxford, Cam- JPGS alumni.
bridge and applying for medicine
across the UK. We attempt to as- Mr Thomas Mcgarry
sist pupils in this process through English Teacher /
dedicated sessions on university Head of Sixth Form
preparation, workshops and ex-

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Head Team 2022-23



























I am honoured to be this I am honoured to have During my seven years Allow me to introduce
year’s Head Girl. I am been selected as this in JPGS, the school has myself, my name is Athar,
currently in Year 13 and year’s Head Boy. I study taught me more than and I am your JPGS Dep-
studying Maths, Sociol- Maths, Physics and what lies in books and uty Head Boy studying
ogy and English Litera- Chemistry as A-level sub- within classrooms, allow- in Year 13. My subjects
ture, hoping to specialise jects and aspire to become ing me to applicate those include Mathematics,
in Law. an engineer one day. lessons and give back to Sociology, Biology and
the community. Hon- Chemistry, looking to
We hope to be able to As part of the head team oured to be part of this pursue a career in medi-
plan several events this and the leader of the pu- year’s head team, we aim cine.
year involving all year pil council, I am looking to make school not only
groups, to make this year forward to the pupils ex- a learning hub for pupils As a member of the Head
better for every individu- periencing the events that but a place where they Team, I must represent
al in school! we have in store for them. feel heard and seen. the pupil body of our
school at the highest lev-
Since this is our last year Events, ranging from We plan on fostering the el. It is my goal to make
at JPGS, we hope to in- charity fundraisers to creative minds of our pu- this the best school year
corporate all your ideas something fun and casual pils, representing their for both myself and your
to leave JPGS with mem- like the staff v pupil voices and overall acting school lives, particularly
ories for you all, raising cricket match which was as role models for them since it will be my last
money for different caus- recently held. through a multitude of year.
es, whether for charity roles such as: chairing
or funding for a greater I hope to collaborate school council meetings, My job involves several
cause. with my team, faculty, planning interactive fun responsibilities, such as
and pupils to make this days, hosting charities, organizing school-wide
For instance, when our year fun and productive presenting assemblies events, working with
school was able to raise and would do my best to etc. those in leadership roles,
enough money to foster bring your ideas to come and empowering pupils’
orphans for the month. to fruition. The Head Team is always voices.
Do not hesitate to ap- around to listen to your
proach me or any head suggestions, so never Lastly, I would like to
team members at any hesitate to pull us away say do not hesitate to ask
time to suggest anything to talk about whatever is me or anyone else in the
you wish to see around on your mind. Head Team if you have
your school, or simply to any ideas or simply want
chat. We may look intimidat- someone to talk to, we
ing, but we are definitely would all be open for a
on YOUR team. chat.



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Saudi National Day







































The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
was once known as the kingdom
of Nejd and Hejaz. On Septem-
ber 23rd, 1932, by virtue of a roy-
al decree from king Abdul Aziz
Ibn Saud, the name – change took
place.

It makes the unification of the
modern-day kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. Saudi Arabia National
Day only became a public holiday and the school is decorated with
in 2007. In 2005, Saudi Arabia’s Saudi flags.
late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
announced that from the 75 Na- This year we celebrated with a
th
tional Day, the occasion will be- whole school assembly, beginning
come an annual national holiday. by singing the Saudi national an-
them, explaining the history of the
The Kingdom marks National Day Saudi flag and the history of this
with folk dances, songs and tra- wonderful country. There were
ditional festivals. The roads and many activities, food and stalls for
buildings are decorated with Sau- the pupils to enjoy during the day.
di flags.
Mrs Rehab Mohamed
Every year in JPGS we celebrate Arabic Teacher
this day at the school with special
events and treats for all pupils and
teachers. Pupils wear Saudi Na-
tional Dress. Boys wear: a thobe
and a ghutrah and girls wear: a
traditional jalabiya. Saudi Nation-
al cuisine is served in the cafeteria

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The next Half Term at JPGS…


Tuesday 1 Cancer Awareness Month / Year 8, 12, 13 Parent Teacher Conference (3.00pm -
6.00pm) / Prep School PTC
Wednesday 2 Prep School PTC
Thursday 3 Key Stage 3 Film Night / SAIKAC U14 Boys Volleyball - JPGS / SAIKAC U14
Girls Volleyball - BISR
November 2022 Tuesday 8 Year 9, 10 Parent Conference, 3.00pm - 6.00pm Sports Hall /
RSAC U19 Girls Volleyball – TWA / RSAC U19 Boys Volleyball - AISJ
Friday 4
Years 7-9 Assessment Week 1
Sunday 6

Year 9 Options Information Evening
Thursday 10
Remembrance Assembly 11.00am
SAIKAC U16 Boys Volleyball - ASD/BSD / SAIKAC U16 Girls Volleyball – BISJ
Thursday 10-Friday 11
Sunday 13
International Anti Bullying Week / Years 7-9 Assessment Week 2/ Prep School
Assessment Week
Monday 14
Tuesday 15
Year 11 Parent Teacher Conference / Post 16 Options Information Evening
Thursday 17-Friday 18
SAIKAC U19 Boys Volleyball - AISJ SAIKAC U19 Girls Volleyball - AISR
Open Day
Saturday 19 Odd Socks Day
Sunday 20 Years 7-9 Assessment Week 3 / Photograph Week
Monday 21 GCSE / AS Level Certificate Presentation
Thursday 24 -Friday 25 SAIKAC MS MUN - TWA
Tuesday 29 Whole School Photograph




Thursday 1 Deadline for all University applications / SAIKAC HS MUN - TWA/
December 2022 Sunday 4 Key Stage 3 Science Fair
Photograph Week
RSAC Swimming – AISJ – TBC / SAIKAC HS MUN - TWA
Friday 2

Wednesday 7
Grammar School Winter Concert
ECA Programme finishes for Term 1/ End of Term Report deadline
Thursday 8
Saturday 10-Sunday 18 December Ski Trip
Sunday 11
School Reports Issued: EYFS - Year 10
Tuesday 13
Prep Reports Issued
Wednesday 14
Prep Winter Concert / Year 7-10 End of Term 1 Reports Issued
Thursday 15
Sunday 18 EYFS Concert th th
Winter Break - 18 December 2022 to 5 January 2023 inclusive
Term 2 commences Sunday 8 January 2023
th




End of Term






Reduce Reuse


Recycle Jeddah Prep and Grammar School
Tel: +966 (12) 654 2354 Email: [email protected]
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