WSA TIMES JANUARY 2024 Student Magazine Issue 4– by WSA TIMES Team “Welcome to a joyful January! Immerse yourself in the unique realm of WSA's Authentic Magazine. Delve into intriguing new columns, class revelations, creative works, and other noteworthy content designed to keep you informed (YES, YOU!).”
Introduction: UAE National day Celebrations Achieve 3000 Book Recommendations Movie Recommendations Netflix and Chill Celeb of the Week UAE Trivia Class Experiences Why study at WSA? Fact or Fiction? Poem Short stories Original Jokes Word of the Week Sport Of The Week Tech Bytes Tips for students Ending Facts Empowering Quotes End Credits Table Of Contents
Birthdays Of January! Krishiv Tamore (Year 4 E)- 1st Jan Anabia (Year 7G2) - 1st Jan Zara Aiesha (Year 9 G) - 5th Jan Mr. Carl - 5th Jan Huzaifa (Year 1F) - 5th Jan Ms.Ambily - 6th Jan Madhav Murali (Year 6 A)- 8th Jan Lian Abuegla (Year 4 C) - 12th Jan Mayar Omer (Year 9 G)-13th Jan Inaya Basit ( Year 6 C) - 13th Jan Dmytro ( Year 7 B2) - 15th Jan Manaal Hasan ( Year 8 G2)- 18th Jan Retaj (Year 8 G2) - 18th Jan Arnav (Year 6 B) - 19th Jan Zaina ( Year 7G2) - 20th Jan Aarav ( Year 8 B2) - 21st Jan Maria ( Year 8G2) -24th Jan Lugain ( Year 8G2) - 28th Jan Arhaan Ahmed (Year 6 B) - 29th Jan Shanell (Year 8G2) - 30th Jan Mohammad Khan (Year 8 B1)-30th Jan
Upcoming Events This month we have and had -Sports day: 22nd to 26th January. -Safer Internet Day: Tuesday 6th February. Achieve 3000 Competition for Years 7-9 from 5th Feb till 8th feb 2024 -World Read Aloud Day: Wednesday 7th February -Cultural Day: Friday 16th February -Half Term (School Closed): 19th to 21st February Haniya Iqbal Y9G
Sustainability Naina Shameem 7G2 Beach Clean-up on Hudriyat!
Celebrations at WSA
Celebrations at WSA
Celebrations at WSA
Celebrations at WSA
In this week’s issue of the WSA Times Magazine, we introduce to you the weekly winners and daily toppers. Congrats to all the winners! Achieve 3000
Celebrations at WSA
Celebrations at WSA
Celebrations at WSA "The best motivation always comes from within." - Michael Johnson (Gold Medal Sprinter)
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Book of the month Name : Nancy Drew: Fatal Ransom It is a mystery novel about the kidnapping of a teenage heir and Nancy’s investigation to find him. Nancy Drew suspects that the teenaged heir is being held somewhere in River Heights and that the punk rockers that Hal hangs out with at the mall are responsible By Manasvi Shastri Year 7G1
Book Recommendations :
Movie Recommendations:
Music Column By Amogh 9B1
INTERVIEW: Ms. EXCLUSIVE
Extra Additions: Learning a new language - LANGUAGE
UAE TRIVIA
FACTS
Class Experiences This week's class experience was fantastic! Geometry is a difficult yet interesting subject that we studied in math class! However the progress check we had was incredibly challenging. In English class, we studied how a writer may create a structure and description for impact, as well as how the description of a character in a book can lead us to the notion of that character. This week was sports day! It was much more thrilling and fun than the previous year. The relay race and the ping pong racing competition were extremely fun for me! By Mayar Omer 9g
Class Experiences This week, it was mainly progress check season to test our knowledge for core subjects. This week, we also dived deeper into some topics that we learned in previous years. Other than that, we had sports day where we could cheer for each other and play competitively. It was a memorable experience since it’s my last sports day in WSA. -Althea 9G
Class Experiences
Hasan Shahzad 9B2 Everyone loves Sports Day! It's that thrilling occasion when the whole school comes together for a day of exciting competitions and joyful camaraderie. As our class gathered on the field, anticipation filled the air, knowing that we were in for an action-packed day. The races kicked off the festivities, with teams sprinting with determination. Following the races, we dove into individual events, showcasing our skills in the basket ball goal game. Each participant gave it their all, supported by the cheers and encouragement of their classmates. After a few days, we gathered for the award ceremony, where trophies were handed out to celebrate our achievements. Well our house, macaws, wasn’t that fortunate ( we came last place ). But more than the trophies, what truly mattered was the sense of unity and friendship that filled the day, making it a Sports Day to remember. And with that, we said goodbye to another unforgettable Sports Day, already looking forward to next year's sports day! ( which we won’t be in because we’re leaving the school )
MY CLASS EXPERIENCE!! During our art class, we had a lot of fun creating costumes for our role-play characters. The room was full of energy, with everyone chatting and drawing their ideas on paper. We worked together to turn our thoughts into colorful pictures that would represent our characters. We also did some research to find the right stuff for our props, clothes, and body paint. It was like going on a treasure hunt online to discover the materials we needed. We shared our ideas and helped each other, making the art class feel cozy and fun After finishing our drawings, we got busy figuring out what kind of real things like fabrics and accessories we’d need to make our costumes real. The class was lively, and everyone was excited to see their creations come to life. The art class was not just about drawing; it was about having fun, working together, and turning our ideas into something real. Done by Giovana Y9G
FIDA FATIMA Y6C Museum Of Art Giovana Y9G
Minahil Khan 7G1 Museum Of Art Minahil Khan 7G1 Minahil Khan 7G1
Museum Of Art Tsatsi Y9G Luis 9B1
Museum Of Art Tsatsi Y9G Giovana Y9G Done by Lian Y9G !
Most people often want to start practicing an instrument or seem interested in the subject, perhaps you yourself are unsure what to try. Well in experience, learning an instrument can be incredibly fun and be an awesome learning experience, I myself have learned much more than just music while studying the drums: I’ve learned patience, how to maintain a good work ethic and even teamwork! Along my journey I’ve made worthwhile friendships and unbreakable bonds! By practicing diligently I learned that hard work pays off and by playing with a band I learned how to work together, and by playing drums I really feel in tune with the music being the backbone of the band. Sean Elijah Y9
By: Minahil Khan-7G1
Short Stories The Phoenix’s Redemption Tristan looked over his horse’s mane; they were finally back. Tristan had, once again, defeated an indescribable threat to the kingdom. King Lancelot had ordered him to slay the foul beast that seemed to be heading straight towards the kingdom of Astor. They had first seen it through the observatory, in the highest turret of the Astor Castle. It had one eye and a rather bulbous figure. It looked something like the monster King Midas had described to King Lancelot. King Midas was a Greek king who had visited Astor to renew the peace treaty between Astor and Phrygia. While Tristan was standing guard at the door, he had heard King Midas inform King Lancelot about a one-eyed monster that was seen to be migrating throughout the globe, searching for its newest targets. King Lancelot was, of course, very worried, and he ordered the Observers in the Observatory to keep searching the land. And it was one fateful day when they finally saw it. King Lancelot was trembling when he told Tristan about the monster. Tristan was ordered to take the fastest steed but he took his trusty steed to put a stop to the monster’s terror. Tristan, of course, defeated it as he was the greatest knight in the history of Astor. Now, he was returning home to an eerie kingdom. Tristan walked through the open gates of Astor Kingdom, bewildered that His Majesty allowed them to stay open. King Lancelot was a very cowardly person and didn’t allow even the smallest of threats to be ignored, how come the front gate is open? Tristan’s horse trotted down the cobbled road; Tristan sensed its curiosity. The noble steed was used to being congratulated and praised when it came back from a quest. Tristan looked around; there was not a single living thing in sight. Even the pesky rats had hidden away in their burrows. Something was wrong, and Tristan was about to find out what it was. Suddenly, a villager appeared around a corner. It was a male. He blundered towards Tristan, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, “Sir Tristan Dragonbane! You have come to save us from this torture!” Tristan’s horse reared onto its hind legs and neighed in fear. Tristan understood its fear; the man looked like he was going crazy! Tristan turned the horse around and it galloped through the empty streets of Astor. They kept dashing through the streets of Astor which now seemed to be infested with crazy-looking people. Tristan kept on galloping through the streets until he reached a dead end. Tristan looked around, panicked. The villagers were a little far off but they would come towards him. Then, Tristan heard a small voice calling to him. He looked up at the roof of a nearby building and saw a teenager crouching on top of it. The boy jumped down and pushed some crates to make some kind of stairs for the horse. Tristan got off the horse and quickly helped the boy to make the staircase. After it was done, Tristan looked over his shoulder and saw that the villagers were almost to them!
Short Stories Tristan hurried his horse up the steps and onto the roof. After all of them were on the roof, Tristan took out a small ball made out of wood. Inside it, he had combined a few chemicals he found in some of the monsters he defeated to create a portable bomb that exploded five seconds after it was shaken. Tristan shook it quickly and tossed it down onto the street next to the crates to destroy the staircase. Then, Tristan picked up the boy, put him on the horse and led the horse carefully through the angled roofs of the village, calming it with carrots when the bomb exploded behind them. The boy got off the horse and led the way towards a base of some sort. When they reached it, they saw that the villagers had somehow made it onto the roof and were lighting the base on fire, causing the survivors to run out of their base. Tristan noticed that one of the survivors was King Midas. Tristan didn’t have time to think why King Midas was in Astor but he quickly grabbed him and put him on top of the horse, while Tristan took out his claymore and started slicing the villagers in their path. He directed the horse to the front gate, at which he got on the horse and galloped away from the deadly kingdom. They kept on galloping until they were a far distance from Astor. They stopped the horse next to a tree and let it graze and drink from the pool of water nearby. “Well, Astor’s doomed! What are we going to do? Oh and by the way, my name is Cedric; I never got the chance to introduce myself,” murmured the teenager. Tristan looked at him thoughtfully: he was strong and mature. King Midas didn’t say anything. “Why were you there?” questioned Tristan. “Oh me? I was there to talk to the King when the plague victims started attacking,” Midas replied. Tristan knew that story wasn’t completely true, but he let it go. He just thought of something! Tristan got on the horse with Midas and Cedric and struck the horse to make it go in a certain direction. They both knew where he was going. There was a legend, that a phoenix, deep in the Lost Woods, would grant the person before it, one wish. When they reached the Lost Woods, Midas got off the horse and hit Tristan with a long staff, knocking him off the horse, “It’s my wish! I can finally destroy Astor!” Tristan got up with rage! He took out his claymore and sliced Midas’s head off. Time to do this.Tristan walked up to the phoenix and asked one wish after thinking for a while, “Save Astor and the planet from all evil in the world, in the present and future. ”By: Muhammad Rayyan Noor - 8B1
Short Stories- Moving Away -Ayeka Fulo “Nina!” Mom called me to come downstairs, as breakfast was ready. “We have pasta!” Dad spoke after. As I got out of bed, a sudden sadness filled my heart, for this would be the last meal in my home. The place I grew up in, where all my birthdays were held, the place where all my dreams and hopes for the future came alight. I inhaled deeply, before slowly walking out of my room, and down the stairs. I wanted to absorb the last moments of this place, I want to ensure that it would never be forgotten. Breakfast was just as dad said – my all time favourite – white, creamy, carbonara pasta. Usually, this would make me jump with joy, but this time was different. It was my last time eating my favourite food in my home. And to add, the whole ordeal was devastatingly quiet. Not really something you would want to be in the middle of. Especially when the sound of chewing was the only sound audible. Well, right after, I went to my room to get ready. I dreaded this day; I dreaded this moment. I see no reason on why I should even bother searching for a reason to be happy at a time like this. Wait. I paused. Then in a sudden flash, I jumped in excitement – why? – It hit me, that I would finally be able to be neighbours with my one and only BEST FRIEND! That was the key which made me dress up, and pack my belonging surprisingly fast! I mean – not only was I going to be beside her house – I was going to be in the same school as her! “It’s a dream come true!” I happily skipped out, waiting for my parents by our family car. I was once again flushed by sadness. My mood fluctuated. My parents came about a minute after, my dad carrying the remaining things we had from the house. Next thing I knew, we were speeding off to our new ‘home’. The ride there was not as bad as I expected – probably because I was asleep for almost the entire time – but all of a sudden my excitement in seeing Haley again was all I could think of! And my mom noticed it as well. We had arrived, and I stepped out of the car, feeling like a new person. I saw the silhouette of someone inside of the house. At first, I couldn’t make out who it was - but in a split second – I found myself dashing towards the house, and into the kitchen hall – where I saw Haley. “Oh my!” she screamed, as we both got into a big, tight hug. “Nina! I missed you so much!” we both ended up crying tears of joy in each others arms. “I have so much to tell you!” she happily spoke. The rest of the day was wonderful! We both caught up on our talks, and she ended up having a sleepover with me! I was so happy! I mean, I was – partially. Deep down, my heart still ached. It was the summer break, so we luckily had no school – which lead us to hang out literally everyday! I swore I was happy. I don’t know what happened.. One day I was fine, the next day I wasn’t. You see, it crept up behind me, and before I knew it. Well.. I fell into a spiral of derealisation.
Short Stories- Moving Away -Ayeka Fulo Sometimes nothing felt real, sometimes I didn’t feel real. Sometimes both. This went on for weeks on end. I isolated myself from everyone. I didn’t answer the door when Haley called. I didn’t talk to my parents, no one. I just dwelled within my sadness. I wanted a fresh start – a new beginning. But it turned rotten. I kept recalling my life before; my old home, my old school, my neighbours. I regretted moving. I had no choice – but I just wish I did. This house doesn’t feel the same. It doesn’t have the pretty pink unicorn wallpaper plastered on, nor does it have my height markings on the walls. It doesn’t have my memories. This house holds someone else’s. The bright lights didn’t seem so bright anymore. The sun’s glow didn’t shed happiness on me anymore. Food didn’t taste so delicious anymore. These statements were only a fraction of what went through my mind during this period of time. I couldn’t tell apart real and fake. Was I fake? Do I even exist? One day, I had gotten tired of the constant door banging Haley did, and decided to open it up. “Hey.” She said in a pitiful voice. Does she pity me? Why would she? Does she think of me as weak? “What’s going on? What happened?” she asked in a soft tone. “Nothing.” I said, before attempting to slam the door. Her good reflex fought against it. “Please, tell me what you’re feeling!” she screamed in frustration. “I’m worried about you!” she continued. “I want to help you! Please!” I exhaled, before letting her in. She plopped on the couch, so did I. “How do you feel?” she started. This lead to a fairly deep conversation. “Therapy will help! It helped my mom before..” Haley said. I am so incredibly lucky to having her as my best friend! I don’t know what to do without her. If it weren’t for her, who knows how far I would’ve gone? I opened up more to her, and my family. From then on, a new section of my life emerged. It was slow. Sometimes I fell back in, but not like before. I had the people I loved guiding me! Soon, I was back on my feet again. I was also accepting the fact that I cannot go back. That I shouldn’t be sad that those days are over, but happy that it happened! I’m ready to embrace the new environment, and challenges that may appear in the future. After all, this is only just the beginning..
Esha Azhar 6A
A Journey to The Centre of The Earth It was 6 am sharp: Aarav opened his eyes and his digital assistant announced, “Good Morning Aarav! Today is 28th of February 2323. You have 20 minutes before the school starts. Are you ready?” Aarav unwillingly pulled himself up and said, “Okay.” The assistant sprang into action and a robotic arm with a toothbrush extended towards Aarav. After brushing and having his breakfast, he put on the headgear and started the virtual school. He could see his friends joining in along with his teacher Miss Caribel. After the classes, Miss Caribel announced that everyone is going for a field trip next week and the destination is “THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH!” Aarav’s eyes sparkled with joy and excitement! On the trip day, Aarav quickly got ready and arrived at the pickup point ahead of time. He was delighted to see all his friends after a long time. They kept on giggling until the pod arrived to take them to the destination. The pod was big enough to accommodate all of them – 2 teachers, 14 boys and 12 girls. In a few minutes, they arrived in front of a tunnel where the pod announced that they are starting their descend. The tunnel was a transparent one and they could clearly see the outside. The screens inside the pod flashed the depth they were travelling. It started with the Earth’s crust which was till 70 km, then started the Mantle up to 3000 km. After the Mantle, the outer core started and the temperature read 4000 oC outside however they did not feel any heat inside the pod. After 2000km more, came the Inner Core. When they reached the Center – the reading was 6371 km and temperature 5200 oC! During the journey, the outside was all bright yellow and they could see molten lava floating around. It was an inexplicable experience. It took around 3 hours to reach the center and then it was time to return. When the pod announced that it’s time to start the ascend, everyone exclaimed “Aw, I wish I could stay longer!”. The ascend was going smooth but when they were almost 100km away from the surface, a light started flashing. The pod started shaking vigorously and everyone panicked! Announcement began – “There is a malfunction and the front wall has developed a crack due to air friction.” Aarav ran towards the front and saw a hairline crack on the window. He quickly pulled out a chewing gum from his pocket and applied it on the crack. Thankfully, it reduced the shaking of the pod and it accelerated again. After some time, they reached back to the surface safely. The anxious parents were relieved after seeing them back. A few days later, Miss Caribel mentioned that the government is going to award Aarav for his presence of mind which saved the entire group that day. The award will be a chance to visit the Underwater City! AARAV GHOSHDASTIDAR (Y6A)