The Show

For everything that begins has to end, so did the 9th graders' projects. Both projects, Raising Funds for Gambian Orphans and the Poetry Jam were combined to become a stage show in the school theatre last Tuesday March 13th, 2012.
Fifty minutes to present the work of about forty teenagers to an audience eager to see what all the buzz was about.
The Show was written and directed with clear guidelines, namely it had to send a moral message, be music free (sound effects allowed), use authentic story lines and be entertaining at the same time! A tall order if one considers the context as well as the history of shows and presentations in our school!
My message from the word go was, 'It can be done; we just need to be a bit more creative.' But creative requires a lot more work and I'm not sure everyone was as confident as I was! Well, as confident as I tried to be!

So, with that all set, scriptwriters got working, some students took charge of decor and props, the more computer savvy ones put together visual background with authentic sound-effects, one girl even appealed to her father to supply us with a professional spot light, laser and smoke machine! The poets got busy making venitian masks whose purpose was to look good, entertain, unify the look of each poet but also enable the more shy girls not to be recognised should everything go pear-shape on the day! And the added point to that, was the creative and artistic aspect of this, as each had to create her own mask.

We recruited a couple of council members who acted as directors. Reem was coached to become the voice of a narrator and everyone else embraced their part with so much commitment that we could feel a sense of order even during the chaos.

And The Show began....

Act I

Esma and Sarah appeared on the stage with a school playground backdrop and the sound of children playing, discussing the Gambian fundraiser and what they could do to raise funds. They discussed putting together a band as that seemed to be the thing most people do when it came to raising money for the needy.
On came a couple of characters, dressed in professional outfits, Sammer and Maie, speaking on the phone to Esma who asked them to help them put on a charity event for their cause. The two directors agreed and the auditions began.
One after the other, groups of girls stumble onto the stage to perform their song - a pitiful attempt by each one of them leaves the directors desperate and clearly unable to put on a show for the school girls.
Keen to hear good news, Esma calls the directors who admit it was a total failure so have no other choice but to step down.
Unshaken, Esma addresses the audience and reminds them that singing and music isn't the way - that she and her mates have better ideas which she lists (the ribbons, calendars, bracelets, etc.) and then goes on to ask them if they've ever thought about what a Gambian child's life is really like compared to the life they lead everyday. 'Well, let us show you,' she exclaims as she walks off the stage.

The stage goes dark. End of Act I

Act II

We hear the voice of a narrator focussing us on one half of the stage set up as a typical teenage girl's bedroom, pink and furnished with all the gadgets and toys a middle class girl enjoys at that age.
In stomps Menna - the spoiled and ungrateful girl  - shouting about having lost her Blackberry cover. A humble mum tries to calm her down, to no avail. The scene continues to display the arrogant and ungrateful behaviour of the privileged girl.
This half of the stage goes dark as the spot light draws us to the other half of the stage, set up with a tent and a young girl, Fatimah, dressed in oversized pyjamas.
Fatimah stands up and begins to speak of her daily plight - finding food. The scene continues as she chatters on with her friends and we see the joy on her face when the girls share a bowl of rice.

Both girls wish for a different life, yet, as the narrator points out, 'Be careful what you wish for.'

A bright flashing green light, smoke and the sound of a heart beat blind the stage.
End of Act II

Act III

Silence. Lights.

We see Menna waking up and asking, 'Where am I? What is this place? I think I'm going crazy...' But she isn't. She is now living Fatimah's life - her worst nightmare. She meets her 'new friends' and slowly has to accept that this is her new life. She then misses what she had and appreciates how ungrateful she used to be. She now sympathises with the girls and thus becomes a better person.
Fatimah wakes up in a house - a real house, with 'a bedroom, a bathroom, stairs...and a mum!' Her own mum. Her best dream.
An emotional scene takes place as the narrator talks us through this last part and we see mother and daughter enjoy a long embrace.

End of Act III

And Esma appears asking the audience if 'they'd got it.' The importance of gratitude and understanding others' plights reminding us that as the world has become smaller, everyone is now our neighbour, and that looking after and caring for our neighbour is our Islamic duty. She is then joined by her classmates who present the cheque to Al-Atharee Association of the Gambia.

Then on rush the two directors we'd forgotten about who are still trying to find a way of making themselves useful and invite the group of students to a Poetry Jam of Consciousness.

The stage is cleared and the narrator introduces the poets one by one. Strong words with touching messages of hope and truth are shared with the audience by these young masked girls who manage to further capture our attention from the beginning to the end.

                                            THE END

And The Show drew to its end. The audience was clearly touched as many rushed towards the stage thanking the girls and asking us all how they could help.

The answer is simple, and still the same...please donate and keep donating to help make a difference in the life of the children of the Gambia.

What a beautiful journey this has been and what a shame we weren't able to film any of it to share it with those we were doing it for. I hope these words will give them a sense of how close to them we tried to get, and how deep in all our hearts they have got.

Does your Motivation need Shaking Up?

Motivation is a great thing! It's like a motor that drives you and things get done without you realising it but every so often it all slows down and you feel sluggish, as though the drive had gone - and it probably has!
Just like anything else, motivation needs to be fed, shaken up and kick-started every so often.

So how can we do that?

I was just thinking about it this morning, and realised that what I do is:

• Remember what my objective is - so literally re-state it to myself and why I'm doing it. Be as clear as possible as Objective and Intention (why/what and who for?) can make the whole difference as to how much motivation we'll have.
• If I've run out of ideas, or I'm bored with the way I do things, I need inspiration so I read or speak to those around me about it, and generally, ideas begin to flow. Another plus towards Motivation.
• Sometimes I realise that the goal I set for myself seems to stand like a mountain in front of me, which is a bit scary! I feel as though I'll never get over it. So, I break down the steps towards the final BIG goal and set myself smaller ones, more achievable steps to achieve the final objective. That usually also brings on more motivation.

Goal setting is really exciting and achieving them is even more rewarding. On the other hand, giving up can give us a real sense of failing and have a negative impact on may other things. It's important to understand that achieving a goal is not easy, and that help is always somewhere near - so, the first goal to set oneself should be to NOT GIVE UP! With that goal in  mind, anything is possible by Allaah's Will.


Today's short video is the speech of a 13 year old girl at a United Nations conference and she totally motivated me! Watch it and and let me know what you think.

Until next time...peace x

What New Year?

Why should I be passed as weird just because I don't want to celebrate this day - January 1st? Who dictates this day to be special? Every day is special to me. Every day, another opportunity to be better, a chance to make up, to improve, to rectify, to prepare for a better Hereafter.

To me, singling out today as a special day, or the beginning of a new term (or year in this case) would deny the idea that every other day can also be a beginning, and just as this isn't a beginning, December 31st isn't an end either. This is only so because of the Gregorian calendar which was only adopted from the 16th century onwards. If you're interested to find out more about it, here's an interesting summary http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0002061.html

As for now, it's business as usual, and if I were to celebrate right now, I'd celebrate my Creator who's given me another day. To me, nothing's certain, and I wouldn't want to celebrate a new year not knowing what it has in store for me! Do you?

Persistence is Key!

Last week was eventful to say the least!

Our Gambian project was succesfully launched and the students managed to have a couple of great presentations in the theatre - not without difficulty but what counts is that the result was fun, organised, 'professional-looking' and, most importantly, productive. Congratulations girls on a brilliant beginning.
We're meeting unexpected hurdles but Alhamdulillaah, the team's been really creative and contingency plans often turn out to be better than the ones originally opted for.

The School administration cancelled our Bake Sale, claiming it conflicted with the contract with the 'Canteen' owner - I must admit Canteen hardly besuits the 'sweets and fizzy drinks selling corner' in the playground but I guess it clearly shows that previous Bake Sales must have had an impact on someone's revenue!
The girls were super creative and came up with various alternatives overnight! Bookmarkers, origami games, bracelets and more will all be on sale next week to raise funds for the project.

The Poetry Jam preparation is also going great - the poems are all meaningful and I think the girls are more surprised about what they can do than I am! It's always the case isn't it? We underestimate our potential until someone pushes us to achieve something they believe we can - and once we've done it, it opens a whole new level of confidence that may be life-changing. I'm really looking forward to the show and will post more on this soon.

Lots more is scheduled to happen at the Club this week; the Survey starts on Saturday, so expect to see someone come to you in the next few days, to ask you a few questions about Bullying. The Costume Contest is on Wednesday - that should be fun! Read carpet, judges, sashes and tiaras are almost ready!! The next newsletter deadline is also at the end of this week, so if you want to submit an article, make sure it's in before Wednesday inshaa'Allaah.

And finally, the prezzy of the day! Since the exams are looming, I thought I'd post a short video I really like about Flashcards, how to make them and how helpful they can be when there seems to be too much to remember! Watch it and take notes so you too can use this proven technique and inshaa'Allaah perform better in your next exams. Enjoy it and until next time...

Peace x

Anyone Can!

I just read the story of a 10 year old, Eden Eskaros, who had a life-changing experience while on a visit in Mexico. She noticed that many kids didn't have any shoes so she returned home (to the US) and with the help of her community, was able to send those kids over 1,000 pairs of shoes! Absolutely remarkable! 

Will this benefit Eden at all? Absolutely! This shows that she's already aware that if she sets her mind to do something, it can be done by Allaah's Will. Children who grow up feeling responsible for themselves and others around them, can only become productive citizens and in turn, productive citizens can only add value to their community, and the world. They become problem solvers - for they understand that a problem is only a problem when you can't solve it! Once you've solved it, it becomes a success, right?

Many societies are in turmoil at the moment and we find that too many people tend to point the finger at a leader (of some sort!). Although I don't think that leaders shouldn't bear any of the responsibility - on the contrary as with leadership comes accountability - I believe that if we, citizens looked toward ourselves a little more, and stopped trying to find someone to blame for whatever's happening to us, then perhaps, we would find solutions to, at least some, if not all, of our problems. Eden shows this by her action. She didn't go back and start a campaign against the Mexican government, she appealed to her own community, and with cooperation and goodwill, she and her community did it! 

I feel it's the responsibility of every adult, parents and teachers alike, to instill compassion and confidence in the children in their care as this skill is/will be way more valuable to them and their community, than many other skills. They will become more responsible and active citizens - isn't that a great characteristic to have?

According to the article I read, 'Students reported six main ways adults helped. They:

1) supported and encouraged, 

2) listened, 

3) set high expectations, 

4) showed interest in them as individuals separate from academics or civic activities, 

5) fostered self-decision making, and 

6) provided another perspective during problem-solving.'

Clearly, a little can go such a long way - no matter how old you are.

I hope by now you're thinking, 'I want to read the article about Eden', so to make it easier, here's the link ;):

http://rootsofaction.com/blog/youth-profile-eden-eskaros-helps-children-living-in-poverty/

Have a great weekend!

Stand Up for What's Right

This year we've had a couple of incidents involving students being bullied for their looks or their race. This prompted our decision to launch the Anti-Bullying Campaign and create awareness about this issue.
I think a lot of people either don't realise it's happening, don't empathise enough with the victims or are just simply afraid to step in and help the person being abused.
Without realising it, we develop the 'turning a blind eye' habit to, first bullying at school, and then, racism and discrimination as an adult.
Whether bullied, victim of racism or, discrimination of any other form, it's important to understand that remaining silent as the victim, or the witness, is WRONG!
The Campaign at school will start soon, so make sure you participate as much as you can so we can ensure this doesn't take place in our school and/or our community.

Please watch this very interesting short video of an experiment on Racism. What would you do if it were you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kg4DTssWTQ&feature=related

Islamic Inventions

Blogging is really amazing when you really think about it. You're at home, sharing some thoughts and there's someone 10,000 kms away who'll read and share the thought with you. It struck me when I checked the Stats of my blog a little while ago, and it said that today 5 people from Russia viewed my blog! I thought that was amazing! I mean, what is the likelihood of me sharing an idea with one person, let alone five, in Russia from the comfort of my home? Pretty slim I'd say! I set out writing this to motivate my students as, on one hand, I believe that it'll help improve their writing skills in a fun way, but on the other hand, it also gives me a chance to check their writing progress in a more informal way - and also gives me a chance to share links and ideas that I stumble across, almost everyday! I never anticipated that these words could/would be read so far out.

Saying this, we must also appreciate that with such a public exposure of our thoughts, it's important to be aware of what we say and how we say it. We should remember that this is a public place, therefore, we should behave (or express ourselves) in the same way we would do if we were in public.

Apart from that, on the school front, things are going well I'd say, Alhamdulillaah! Well at least with some of my classes - I think that you're all realising that work pays off and this in itself is a great lesson maashaa'Allaah. Today's Writing results for Gr9 girls were generally very positive - and those of you who didn't achieve what you'd expected, I hope you understand what you need to do next time.

A little glimpse at where our Global Club (aka the English Club) members gather during breaks and free periods. Looks a bit different now so I'll try and post a more recent picture in the future.

At the English Club, things are busy too. All the clubs and campaigns are in full swing so we should see lots happening before the January break - that's really exciting.

• Tomorrow is the first presentation Gr9A will give to raise awareness about their campaign to sponsor the education of Gambian orphans. Their presentation will be given in the school theatre  and that will be followed by a Bake Sale next Wednesday. They're sticking maps all around the school asking students to mark the Gambia on the map - I really liked this idea to generate interest and create an awareness of the Gambia early on in the Campaign. Well done girls!
• Gr9B had an initial display of their first draft poetry for the Poetry Jam they are preparing. Some very interesting material was written so this should also be an interesting show.
• The Anti-Bullying campaign will begin on Saturday (I think) with the leaders of that club going round the school interviewing their peers with a questionnaire.
• The Book Club has almost completed their first book this term -  today I received the proposal for the 2nd title - still in my bag...I won't say too much about that just yet.
• The Costume competition is also in full preparation - girls will parade on a catwalk and judges will decide on the most creative outfit/s. I wonder who the judges will be.

Well, that's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I've probably forgotten something so keep checking this blog for more of 'not the same!' in the life of Ms Hada xx

Oh, and the link of the day is a document I stumble across highlighting more than 30 inventions inspired by Muslims - each one of them is commonly used today and who really knows that we owe it to a Muslim? Check it out; the document is a bit long but you can scroll down and skim read to get the gist. However, I really advise you to read it thoroughly as it's well worth knowing. http://www.ummahedinburgh.co.uk/radio/files/Muslim-Invention-Article.pdf

Let me know how many you recognised as being of Muslim heritage... and until next time, take care x

Teacher Student - Who's Who?

I believe that everyone can be a teacher by definition as each one of us, no matter how old we are, can teach someone something. Personally, I can definitely say that I'm a lifelong student and that if I stopped learning, this would probably mean that I am in a critical state - physical or mental!
I learn through reading of course, but I mostly learn from those around me. Those who surround me are my family, my friends and my students.
My students have an ongoing impact on me and I'm not sure if they realise this. By being who they are, that's to say all so different from year to year and from class to class, they draw my research path and lead my learning/teaching direction. Both their knowledge and their 'ignorance' are of benefit to me (and to them) as they often take me in directions I wouldn't have ventured into if it weren't for them. That's probably why I so take my job to heart, and find it difficult to fit in the category of teachers that just teach the syllabus and are satisfied. I appreciate that their learning is mine, their failures are mine but most enjoyably, their successes are also mine! It's a partnership that we enter into for the time of a course, and that should enrich us both equally.

Link of the day is a reminder that developing listening skills is as important as developing writing skills so I'm posting a link to BBC radio4 which is a talk radio - everything on there might not be interesting to you, but scroll through the site and you're bound to find something up your street. Enjoy listening http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ 


Thank you girls for being such great teachers xoxo

Awakening - Read to Freedom

Today was marked by an awakening - a new beginning and a realisation that just as time doesn't stand still, man shouldn't stagnate.

While the news has been dominated by the Arab Revolution, I just want to focus on our evolution. Sticking to one single source of information, whether a channel, a textbook or a person just cannot suffice (= be enough). If each one of us took the responsibility of her own education, without relying solely on the input of our teachers and mentors, then we would become a better educated society, better equipped to face the abundance of misinformation we are targetted with daily.

Wake up and give your brain its right - Knowledge is freedom, and Reading, its path so read, read and read some more.

There's light at the end of the tunnel, and confidence in that, makes the journey a lot easier.

And the link of the day is a must on your favourite bar - National Geographic - a great site for general knowledge and beautiful pictures and videos of world wonders. Enjoy the journey around the world - click and add to your favourites http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Have fun on your trip tomorrow xx

Techie all the Way!

I love technology!

I had a eureka moment today when I was about to send a Publisher file and thought I should 'lock' it in order to protect it. That took me back to about three years ago when I had to do the same thing and ended up calling my husband (the computer man aka Mr Yusuf) to the rescue. Publisher to PDF seemed a task only an expert could handle!

Today, thanks to Windows 2010 (I promise I'm not getting paid for this!), I was able to do it at the click of a button (literally) and more importantly, all alone - simply amazing! I love technology - never thought I'd hear myself say this!

And as always, the link of the day is a fun 10 minute animation on the history of English - interesting and informative - a must watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSRIKoDybvs&feature=related 

Naseef of the Past

Why is it that when a day's busy it always seems to fly by? I woke up for fajr at dawn, didn't sleep except for a nap after lunch; it's half past midnight now, and, it's the first time I get a moment to myself - a moment to write!
The highlight of today was a visit to Naseef House in the Balad. This is one of the oldest houses in Jeddah but what's particularly special about this one, is that King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the founder of the Kingdom, spent some time there. I'd visited the house a couple of times before, but today was, again, most special, because we got an exclusive guided tour by one of the heads of the Office of Jeddah's Heritage Mr Sami. I was with a friend of mine and a couple of other people. The tour was unforgettable! It began in Mr Sami's office where he showed us historical pictures of Jeddah and told us about its history and then, we walked around the balad and saw various important sites, including a 900 years old mosque and the original water cistern of the city! Finally, we made our way to the Naseef House to catch the Adhaan (call to prayer) from the roof where we heard over 100 callers calling Muslims to the Maghrib prayer all at the same time - absolutely priceless! (Below is a picture of the minaret of the 900 year-old mosque)

After prayer we had mint tea, millet bread and honey - a traditional food of the region and we then proceeded to a tour of the house and viewing of the artefacts and pictures displayed there, including crockery dating from before the Ottoman empire, a letter from King Abdul Aziz to the people of Jeddah, and lots of other historical bits and pieces.
I really encourage anyone to experience the sunset on the roof at the time of prayer - and if you can do what I did, pray outdoors on the roof, you'll enjoy the experience even better! 

Apart from that, I'm really excited about the three blogs I've read so far. Both Farah(s) and Esma have launched their blogs and all three did a great job. Esma has managed to post quite a few times already and is now using her blog to support the 9A campaign for the Gambian orphans - brilliant idea Esma!

Just before I go, here's the link of the day, Edublog (Education Blogs) has just released the list of winning blogs for this year and although most of you are new at this, I thought you might enjoy reading through some of the winning pages - especially those written by students - http://edublogawards.com/announcing-the-2011-winners-congrats-to-all/
Happy read... xx

Wednesday Piece

Last day of the week - what a great feeling! For those who're not in the Middle East, Wednesday is the West's Friday as our weekends are Thursday and Friday.

Today was unusually peaceful for a Wednesday. I'm not sure why but unlike in England when Friday would be the 'wind-down' day, meaning everyone was already thinking 'weekend' and would even leave work a little early at times, here Wednesday seems to be the day when it all comes to a head! As though issues brew for the entire week and blow on the last day before the weekend. And although I say that today was rather peaceful, something did actually happen as all the teachers were gathered in the school theatre and Ms Abeer made an announcement. It turned out that the Police of Islamic Affairs had been keeping an eye on our school for a few days this week and they took pictures of girls 'inappropriately' dressed and mixing with boys. Again, for those who don't know, in Saudi Arabia, the law states that women should wear an abaya when outdoors and free-mixing is forbidden. So clearly, some teenagers were breaking the law and this has now been recorded by the police with photographs. Now, what this means is that the school is in danger of being reprimanded as well as the teenagers involved in this. Some may disapprove of this legislation, but the point is that this is the law of the land so as residents here, we must abide by it.

Otherwise, nothing else was quite as dramatic! Good things happened too. 11th graders had their first Bake Sale to fundraise for the improvement of their Common Room. Ms Noha promised to double the figure so that was a great incentive for the girls.

9A have completed the design of their leaflet for their Campaign and spent some time in the G-Club doing this and that - hopefully we'll read about their activities in their own blogs...soon!

Lara and Sana have completed the questionnaires for the Anti-Bullying Campaign which should be launched next week. Leaflets are also on the way.

I think the Council girls are due an outing as they really deserve it after all their hard work. Their efforst are making such a difference around the school. Speaking of outing, I heard that grades 7-12 were going to Atallah (amusement park) next Monday - I think I migh just join them! It's been a while since I last went on a rollercoaster - that should be fun.

Well that's it for today - as promised let me tell you about the link of the day - Earthships. Earthships are a type of home which are 100% environmentally friendly and one of my dreams in life is to own one. I'd like you to browse through the site and watch videos showing you the different types that've been built so far. The material used to build them, the way they use and recycle energy and everything else about them is just amazing. Enjoy the journey... http://earthship.com/

Until next time, have a great weekend.

Day Dot!

Well, it had to be done! Since I've been going on so much about it with my students, I had to walk the talk and give us all something to share - especially since I'm hoping loads of you will come on board. Well done to Farah Rashdan for being ahead of us all maashaa'Allaah! You never fail to surprise me - please make sure the surprises remain pleasant; I enjoy it so much more that way ;)

Today was constructive - discussing 'title writing' with grade 10 brought out some interesting pieces from the net. The students had to read through various online publications and collect 10 to 12 titles. We went through some of them and discussed whether they were 'dull' or 'interesting' and that was really funny at times. The objective was to recognise what made them effective and engaging to reader.

With grade 9, I had to go over the reasons we learn the way we do as I'm still facing (some - albeit few!) negative comments about the 'research' and 'peer correction' approaches. Most students are generally happy with it but understandably, in a region where learning is approached totally differently, these methods are not necessarily understood. But it's okay, I'm sure in time, they'll all recognise the positive effects they have on their overall learning skills and results.

Grade 9A are all fired up by their projects - and I must admit I am too! They've started a fundraising campaign 'Sponsor the education of a Gambian Orphan' which seems to be going great already. More on that as it develops.
Grade 9B are also excited about their project - a Poetry Jam to be performed in the school theatre in a few weeks. Again, more about this in later posts.

I'm going to try and post a link of random information on every entry/post ('post' is the correct Blogging term!) - today I came across this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1hqHo6lyUU&feature=share - please let me know what you think!!

Well until next time, take care and... don't forget to do your homework!