JUNE 2016
ISSUE 1
Dear Friends,
In this Issue:
This is our last newsletter for the school year 2015/16.
Each year as we grow, we try our best to make the school a better, healthier
and happier place for your children.
I hope you have enjoyed watching your children learn and grow at our school
over the course of the school year.
To those students and families who are moving on to other places, we say good
bye. We thank you for being part of our journey, we will miss you and we wish
you the very best for the future. For new families joining us for the first time,
welcome to a very special school. I am sure that your children and yourselves
will quickly be made to feel a part of the OurPlanet family. For those families
and students who are staying with us again next year, we thank you for your
support and we look forward to seeing you in August.
A reminder that Sunday 28 August will be the first day of school for new
students. For returning students the first day will be Monday 29 August 29.
Once again, my thanks for all your support. From all the team at OurPlanet we
wish you all a peaceful and restful holdidays.
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Certificates
•
Dragons’ Den
•
Empty Quarter talk
•
Media Resource Centre
•
Performance
•
Sustainability
•
What’s new
Upcoming Events
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Kids Yoga Camp
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End of school year
28
First day of school
JUN Explore a daily theme
through yoga, art and
story.
BloomFamilyYoga
JUN Ramadan hours
Robert Jones
Founding Principal
AUG
KG1 end of year concert
KG2 end of year concert
KG3 end of year concert
Certificates
Ethan McNaught, KG2B, was given an Oxford University Press
pen by his teacher, Ms Jen, after reading 100 books.
Lunaisabella Pineda, KG3A, was presented with an Oman
magnet for finishing 125 books by her teacher Ms Maria.
Ms Noura, Arabic teacher, presented Rihards Kagis, Grade
Two, with a book for reading 275 books. Hiba Al Habsi, Grade
One, was presented with two Arabic books.
Rihards Kagis and Jan Trier, both Grade Two, received a box
of plant pencils in recognition of reading 250 books.
Ilyas Al Nadjali, KG3A, was presented with a box of plant
pencils, as the top reader in KG.
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Photo 18 x 10 cm
Dragons’ Den
The budding entrepreneurs of Grade Three pitched their
business ideas for investment.
As part of their unit on economic activity
Grade Three decided to establish
themselves in business!
Mona Al Lawati and Zara Pereira can be
seen extolling the virtues of their fresh,
iced lemonade. Part of their profits are to
be given to Syrian refugees.
You may have seen them at the end of year
performance, selling colouring books,
lemonade and tin cans.
The colouring books, with pictures of
Omani animals were sold as a relaxing
therapy.
Hamnah Suleman informed customers of
her Unique Selling Point. All the decorated
tin cans are made from 100 percent
recycled materials.
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Crossing the Empty Quarter
British explorer Mark Evans MBE from Outward Bound Oman
inspired OurPlanet students with tales of his adventure.
Mark, who previously kayaked the entire
1,700 km coastline of Oman, recreated the
journey of Bertram Thomas 85 years ago.
He was joined by two Omanis, Mohammed
Al Zadjali and Amour Al Wahaibi, as they
crossed the biggest sand desert on earth!
saw one sand snake and one scorpion.
Mark explained how they woke at 5 am in
temperatures of 0 degrees. During the day
the temperature reached mid twenties.
For more information check out the
website:
http://www.crossingtheemptyquarter.com
He lost sevens kgs over the course of the
trip.
They crossed Saudi Arabia and ended their
journey in Doha, met by the Crown Prince
and British ambassador.
Look out for the film released in September
in Vox cinema. The book will be released in
December.
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said blessed
the journey as part of the 45th anniversary
celebrations of Oman. The journey started
on 10 December 2015 outside the royal
palace in Salalah with four female camels.
During the journey they saw striped
hyenas, sand gazelles and a raven.
Fortunately, in their 49 day trip they only
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Media Resource Centre
A big thank you to six students for their generous donation of
books.
Tania James, KG3, preparing for her travels,
gave eight Polish books.
Islay Benson, KG2B, donated eight books,
including some French titles. Nadine and
Nawfal Al Mughairi donated ten books.
Kawthar Al Mughairi, Grade Two, donated
42 books.
Media Resource Centre
Donations from students in every grade.
Hamnah Suleman, Grade Three, donated
two books including a popular Dr Seuss
title.
Amal Al Lawati, Grade One A, donated eight
books.
Logan Hartley, KG1B, gave nine lovely story
books.
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Sustainability
World Oceans Day is marked
on 8 June to raise awareness
of the impact of plastic
pollution
Ruth Kamnitzer, our sustainability co-ordinator, started the
assembly asking the children why we need the ocean. She
explained half of the world’s oxygen comes from the ocean via
phytoplankton.
The oceans cover 70 percent of the earth and 97 percent of the
water in the world is in oceans.
The students were shown a video highlighting all the amazing
creatures that live in the oceans.
Nil Vaquera, Grade One A, brought in some coral to show.Zidane
Pereira, Grade One B, made a blue-ring octopus from Australia and
shared some facts. Ambra Cosenza, Grade One A, made a jellyfish.
Nicholas Wolseley, KG2A, created an octopus. Dill Baird, KG1A,
showed a cuttle fish.
Robert Baldwin, author of Marine Life of Arabian Seas and founder
and director of Five Oceans Environmental Services, kindly donated
five copies of his book to OurPlanet.
Check out National Geographic Kids for more information:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/nature/world-oceansday/#world-oceans-day-dolphins.jpg
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What’s new
KG3 visited the Turtle Ranger at Shangri La
Grade One student competes in international competition
Muscat: A new eco centre was opened on
Monday 23 May, coinciding with World
Turtle
Day
2016,
at
Shangri-La.
Dirk Salzsieder, Resident Manager, ShangriLa Barr Al Jissah Resort, said the eco centre
is a dedicated area to explore and learn
about the natural eco system in Oman,
which will remain open for guests and
visitors. “This eco centre will create an
awareness among the public,” he noted.
The centre was inaugurated by Najeeb Al
Rawas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of
Environment and Climate Affairs, in the
presence of resort residents, invited guests
and children from Our Planet School in
Madinat Qaboos. Located above the
resort’s Mokha Café, the Eco Centre will
also host “Turtle Talk” and a host of fun
activities for children.
Times of Oman. 24 May 2016.
http://timesofoman.com/article/84485
In June, Grade Two and Three visited the
Centre Franco-Omanais to admire the
wonderful photographic exhibition Arctic
Sentinels by Nicolas Mingasson. It is free
and on until 19 June. Try and catch it!
Congratulations to Sophie Watson, Grade
One B, who travelled to Abu Dhabi to
compete in the second regional artistic
gymastics challenge.
http://www.cfoman.org/en/pages/culturalevents/exhibitions.html
OURPLANET International School Muscat
Al-Inshirah Street, Building No. 205
Plot No. 95, Block No. 221
Muscat, 111, Oman
+968 2200 5642
[email protected]
www.ourplanet-muscat.com
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Nobel Education Network Limited
6 Battery Road, #37-02A
Singapore
049909
+65 6513 0850
[email protected]
www.nobel-education.com
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