1. sports
2. trekking

Akhbarna
Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
MARY POPPINS VISITS
THE IAA
by Sarah Al-Masri G9
The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…
Practically Perfect Nanny is visiting the IAA!
For the people who are not familiar with
Mary Poppins, can you give a brief
background about the story’s plotline?
On the 24th and 25th of March, IAAs secondary
school students are making the Disney classic
come alive! And that is going to be done
under the directorship of Miss Titiana Khoury
(Theatre Arts teacher) and Ban Beiruti (IB
student). We were following them around for
quite a while and at last, in between all of
their work and preparation for the
production, we were able to book an
appointment with them to direct this small
interview:
Based on the classic Disney film (which is itself
based on a series of books), Mary Poppins is a
story of a mysterious nanny who magically
appears at the Banks’ household in Edwardian
London, to take care of Jane and Michael
Banks. Adventure abounds as she whisks
them away to meet shopkeepers and an array
of colourful characters. The play features an
irresistible story, eye-popping sets and
costumes, breath-taking dances numbers and
beloved songs.
What made you chose Mary Poppins for a
middle school production?
What was the criterion you used when
choosing the actors? What can you say about
them?
Honestly, Mary Poppins has dazzled and
delighted millions of theatre audiences and I
was one of them, for my favorite childhood
movie is Mary Poppins. Also, Julie Andrews is
one of my favorite actresses. Moreover, I was
really
inspired
by
the
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious plot. The
plot is sensational. Mary Poppins is a very
challenging play to direct in a school theatre,
and because I have been passionate about
drama my whole life, I really wanted to
challenge myself.
When I first started the auditions I did not put
a certain criteria to measure the students, all
have the right to participate but I chose the
ones who showed commitment. I believe
each and every person in Mary Poppins put
their heart and soul into it and have loved and
lived the moment in order to bring the show
to life. Every student has a hidden talent, and
it is our duty to bring it out.
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What makes Mary Poppins stand out
between all the other performances in the
IAA?
My vision for the future is to develop, through
hard work, the reputation of our school in
both Drama and Productions, across Jordan.
In addition, we aim to produce work and
encourage students to produce work that
goes far and above the expectations and
standards of IAA. Also, to stage exciting and
professional productions that draw in and
bring joy to the audience as this will
encourage all students to want to take part in
the Drama Department’s productions thereby
enhancing confidence and teaching skills for
their future lives. Furthermore, we’d like to
expand the department's wardrobe and props
portfolio to include all types of period
costume and furniture for future productions.
Mary Poppins is universally acclaimed, having
received a total of 13 Academy Awards. It
was always going to be challenging to
replicate this production in the short
timeframe and with the stage limitations, but
that was the joy of the challenge. I believe we
have brought Mary Poppins to life in the IAA
theatre and I truly hope everyone else feels
the same.
What is your vision for the Secondary Drama
Department at the IAA?
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
NEWS
SRC ACCOMPLISMENTS
With IB tasks, SATs, and extracurricular activities, the
SRC has been just the cherry on top during the first
semester. Though it is a lot of hard work, I know that
when I look back at this year as I am about to
graduate, I will cherish every moment.
Throughout the course of December, the event that
stood out was the 4th annual I’MUN, and for the first
time ever, Waleed and I attended as Head Boy and
Head Girl. We were both responsible for organizing
alongside the staff and secretariats, and the sweets
being sold by the grade 11 JA companies. We then
ended off December with an entertaining event that
joined the IAA as one big family. Christmas and the
New Year were celebrated with decorations on
campus, and candy canes! Everyone was able to buy
candy canes for their peers and staff, with lovely
notes, and they were sent around by the SRC. More
than 600 candy canes were bought!
Being part of the SRC has been such a wonderful
experience, one that has taught me and is still
teaching me the meaning of responsibility, leadership,
and teamwork. Even the young members of the team
are regarded as adults. As we mark the point of the
year that means we are halfway through, looking
back, the SRC has achieved a very pleasing amount of
goals.
As we are halfway through the year, we have already
had many guests coming to visit the school, and as the
SRC, we are responsible for representing our school.
Therefore, we did successfully represent it for
international teachers, parents, and future IAA
students.
The school year started off with a wonderful talent
show, one that showcased the breath taking talents of
IAA students. It was believed to be the best one so far,
with judges, the participation of the staff, and three
winners. The SRC was responsible for organizing the
event, decorating the auditorium, and ushering the
guests. Following this event was a theatrical
performance that set new standards for theatre in
Amman, Dracula. While I was part of the makeup and
costume team, the rest of the SRC members were
responsible for selling tickets, and ushering the
audience.
We have already fixed a few issues on campus, such
as installing better heaters, and the process in
ongoing. Additionally, the amount of events that have
happened is nothing compared to the ones coming!
Keep your eyes and ears open for more amazing
events!!
Something we are very keen on is raising money for
the ones in need, and we were able to do that for a
country close to everyone’s heart; Palestine. By
buying balloons, everyone was able to gather up and
release them in the air in unity, where the colours of
the Palestinian flag then roamed all of Amman and
beyond. The balloon money, along with some bake
sale money, was then sent to a Palestinian charity.
I really do hope you are all satisfied with how the
year is going so far, and if you have any issues, please
do address them to me, Waleed, or any SRC
member...We’d LOVE to hear from you!
by Noor Nasser G11 (Head Girl)
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
To Be GraTeful…
By: Sarah Afaneh G9
Smiles glowed on the children’s faces,
filling our hearts with happiness and sadness at
the same time. A bag of chips meant more to the
children than anything else in the world. Our
simple offerings of oil, rice, pasta, and other
foods were beacons of lights for the women and
families we met, as we stood on broken sidewalks
between the blur of colourful houses that were
crammed together.
And in that moment, witnessing their
happiness was enough to light up our world and
fill their life with hope and love. It makes one
realize how much there is to be grateful for, from
family and friends to shelter and water. For from
these children we learnt more about life than we
ever could by ourselves. We learnt to love one
another, and all the things we had, and be
grateful for every second we live. Because even
after all they’ve been through, they still manage
to have hope.
We had pulled into the Palestinian
refugee camp named after the martyr “Azmi
Almofti” in the early on the morning of Tuesday,
the 17th of March 2015, while the sky was still
clear and the weather was still warm. We arrived,
a warm scent welcoming us, reminding us of
home and hospitality, bringing security and safety
with it. The camp had a certain atmosphere to it,
one filled with love, affection, and hope that has
not worn; even now, 48 years after the camp was
founded. The cool breeze that past by us all
however, also carried sadness. Sadness for the
children who suffered under the conditions they
lived in; with closed houses, broken roofs, and
ripped clothes, and sadness for the families
altogether, escaping one battle only to face
others. The two battles were very different yet
similar at the same time. The stories we heard
captured their feelings towards the first battle of
their suffrage under the occupation that polluted
their ground and kicked them out of their homes,
and their current suffrage under their lack of
resources and rights to live.
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
Every Drop
counts
By: Ghada Amer G11
unsustainable
agricultural practices, water theft in water
transport and overpopulation just to name a few.
It was unfortunate to learn that as of November
2014, Jordan has officially become the second
poorest country in terms of water
As part of our Environmental Systems and
Societies syllabus, we have been investigating the
management and availability of resources in
Jordan. Thus, when we were invited to attend a
conference regarding the water crisis in Jordan,
we were excited to participate. On the 14th of
February, Bann, Farah, Haya and I, accompanied
by Ms. Zena, attended Kings
Academy’s
Eco-School
conference. The theme revolved
around the water crisis in Jordan.
Over 25 public and private
schools gathered to discuss
“steps today to confront the
challenges of tomorrow.” The
conference was held in Arabic
and consisted of a variety of
workshops and presentations
that aimed at tackling the
escalating water crisis in our
beloved country.
resources. Thus, the theme of “urgency” has
been established for this conference.
Jordan and all its population is in dire
need of finding
measures to successfully combat the
severe water crisis that we are currently
facing.
Following the initial plenary session, we
worked in groups to discuss the possible
causes and solutions to the existing crisis.
We approached the discussions using the
knowledge we acquired from our ESS
classes, along with our own experiences. The
discussions proved to be fruitful and beneficial in
clarifying the facets of the issue before us.
The conference commenced with an initial
plenary session headed by a representative from
EcoPeace, a non-governmental environmental
organization. During this session, the keynote
speaker, Ms. Yana Abu Taleb, discussed the
current status of the water crisis in Jordan that
stems from over pumping of ground water,
The conference transformed into a physical,
hands-on experience with the final workshop. We
learned how to harvest water and physically
constructed small water collection methods that
we could implement in our households. We also
designed a method of filtration to filter the rain
water that could possibly be harvested by our
small catchment devices.
The date of the conference happened to coincide
with International Divestment Day. This day
celebrates the divestment from non-renewable
energy resources, specifically fossil fuels, and
marks a global movement towards alternative,
clean energy resources.
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
School TRIPS
NEPAL 2015
Sometimes in life, you have to challenge yourself,
and the second the Nepal trip was announced, I
knew it was just the challenge I needed.
by Noor Nasser G11
(Head Girl
upcoming ones, was just a warm up. Walking on
straight roads that went slightly uphill, and
reaching our lodges late at night with torches in
our hands, slightly wet from the rain, and
sweating yet shivering, was a day we would easily
go through ten more times in our sleep now,
after experiencing the challenges following that.
The next day consisted of more than 5,000 steps,
and a lodge in which I felt so cold, I cried. Believe
it or not, though, the scenery in front of us and to
our sides while trekking really did make up for all
of that.
I signed up right away. I definitely did not know
what to expect, and no, I am not an athletic
person, so I most certainly did not sign up
thinking it would be a swift ride. I really did not
know how extreme it would get, but then again,
what is life without a challenge? And only now do
I know the beauty of taking such challenges.
If I had known how hard I would find it before
actually going, I probably would not have gone.
But I did go, and I got through it all, and nothing
went wrong. We always tend to chicken out when
it comes to challenges, thinking we can’t
physically, or emotionally do it. But really, you
can. Don’t let the negative side of your brain do
all the decision making, because if I did it,
alongside more than 20 other people, then so can
you.
The third trekking day started with a steep hourlong hike early in the morning to witness the
sunrise, and no matter what, nothing I will ever
set my eyes on now will compare to the beautiful
rays of pink and orange creeping up from behind
snow-white mountains. And then, I got through
the hardest day of my life, and came out alive.
You might not believe it, but a narrow path
covered in slippery ice is not so easy to walk on.
And when you walk on it for three hours, slip over
and almost fall off the cliff scores of times, and
have an anxiety attack, what do you do? You
keep moving forward.
It’s all psychological. The moment you tell
yourself you can do it, your entire attitude
towards completing whatever you’re in the midst
of doing becomes more positive. Whether
entertaining or not, each and every trekking day
in Nepal was difficult. Without that positive
attitude, there was no chance of reaching the
end.
At the time I was out of breathe, panicking, and
tearing up, but at night? I was laughing about it.
Those horrific experiences really do become the
best of memories. Another thing I learnt was that
physical pain is much easier than emotional pain,
because I would rather repeat the fourth trekking
I would say that each day was highlighted by a
certain event. The first day, compared to the
6
day, in which I felt dizzy as a result of the altitude,
than that ice-filled day. However, if walking over
that ice means going back to Nepal, I would do it
right this second.
the honey, the hot chocolate, gathering together
for each meal, and sharing everything with my
roommate. I miss the feeling I had each morning
after waking up, and before leaving for our trek,
but not as much as I miss the feeling I had at the
finish line of each day. I miss snapping pictures of
the scenery in front of my eyes, falling over,
getting back up and laughing, getting screamed at
as a result of my tardiness in both trekking and
getting ready, and the little shops filled with
antique jewellery.
I also found out that it is possible for the sun to
shine on the same day that it rains, and a bit of
thunder and lightning added in there is definitely
not bizarre. And following that day was the last,
during which, all we thought of while trekking
was going back to a hotel, taking hot showers,
dressing in non-trekking clothes, and having some
free time to walk around and shop. That, though,
was just the start of a whole new type of fun.
This really was the best experience of my life so
far. No trip will ever compare to Nepal’s, as this
one was challenging, nerve wrecking, exciting,
and interesting all at once. It was a trip in which
we experienced a ton of things for the first time,
a once in a lifetime adventure. But most
importantly, it was a trip that brought us all
together, that made one big group of friends,
become like family. The memories we shared
together will forever live in our hearts, and five or
ten years from now, we will still reminisce over
them. I say this on behalf of myself and each and
every person that indulged in this trip, if the
chance was given, we would do it again, in a
heartbeat.
The last few days consisted of an elephant safari,
a canoe ride, cultural shows, and a visit to an
elephant orphanage, and Buddhist Stupas. The
peculiar animals surrounded by rivers and jungles
was one thing, but the spirituality witnessed in a
Buddhist temple that brings you good karma was
a whole other thing. Learning about Buddhism is
beautiful, but actually being in a country that
practices it, and feeling that spirituality, is
incomparable.
Talking about what I miss would fill up ten more
pages, but briefly, I miss the Nepalese breakfast,
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
8
International Academy – Amman
Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
MORE ON NEPAL 2015
by Tala Sabbagh G10
(Head Girl
Before going on the trip, we all seemed
like strangers travelling on the same flight, to the
same place, on an ordinary annual school trip. A
group of twenty-four students and four teachers,
packed and ready for an experience of a lifetime,
filled with mixed emotions, come home as a
family, brothers and sisters, sharing the same
unique memories and adventures.
Most of the time, it felt as though we
were part of a movie. It did not seem real. The
white peaks of the mountains that reflect the rays
of the sun, the waterfalls and rivers with crystal
clear water, the green valleys with trees that had
no end, the old bridges that creaked with every
step, the steep and rocky uphill, followed by the
slippery downhill, the genuine smiles on the faces
of the locals, the countless warm gestures and
welcoming words, the friendliness and innocence
of the children around the villages, the
materialistic free environment that surrounded
us, the local restaurants with fresh meals
prepared by their own sweat and hard work, the
pure and clean air that we inhaled, the panting
and blisters, hunger and stress, laughs and cries,
games and jokes, teamwork and communication,
and mixed emotions, were what made the trip a
memorable one. The experience gave each of us
a chance to think to ourselves, to finally realize
the important things in life. The simplicity and
worry free environment acted as a wakeup call to
all of us to finally realize the beauty of the world
we live in, the beauty of different cultures, the
beauty of accepting different people, and the
beauty of connecting with nature. As we trekked
through God’s marvellous creations, the images
of the scenery were captured in our minds. Like a
painting, with each stroke is an extra detail, with
each detail is a story on its own; an adventure of
its own.
For almost all of us, it was our first
mountain experience. An experience like no
other. Throughout the six trekking days we truly
faced the mountain lives. We trekked in the biting
cold, in the pouring rain, in the freezing snow, on
slippery and glassy ice, in the scorching heat, up
steep steps, and down rocky valleys for countless
hours. It was a week away from the world, away
from our usual everyday lives. It was a week with
the locals, experiencing their simple and
traditional lifestyles. As stressful as it was at
times, we all worked hand in hand and truly saw
the results of our hard work. After completing the
trek, each of us looked back, and didn’t quite
believe what we achieved. Now, we can say we
trekked the Himalayas. It is an unprecedented
accomplishment. We are overflowed with mixed
feelings of pride, happiness, and utter disbelief.
Responsibility, independence, teamwork, and
determination were traits that were evident in
each of us as we pushed past our limits to
accomplish what we once thought was
impossible. We built relationships that will last a
lifetime and we can all say we shared the most
unique experience throughout our journey to the
Himalayas.
After the exhausting trek, we snapped
back to reality. In a short three-day period of
time, we went sightseeing in the cities of Nepal.
We went on an elephant safari through the wild
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jungle, on a canoe ride through the river, and
visited many temples where we witnessed unique
rituals and purchased hand-made souvenirs from
the surrounding shops and shacks. Not only did
we come home with a new perspective on life,
we came home with souvenirs that act as
tangible reminders of our wonderful trip.
different cultures, having a greater insight on new
religions and beliefs, and exploring different
languages and mentalities, made us more
accepting,
open-minded,
cultivated,
and
educated. These are lessons that cannot be
simply taught in schools. They are lessons that
are naturally learnt, and remain with us forever.
Like they say, ‘a picture is worth a thousand
words’, and an experience like this is worth a
thousand pictures.
There is no education like the one we gain
from travelling the world. Learning about
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
SPACE CAMP TURKEY
by: Masa Shakaa and Tia Sakkijha
G7
This February break, some grade 7 students went
on a trip to İzmir, Turkey to a camp called Space
Camp Turkey.
to work as a team.
 We experienced many astronaut-training
simulators like the 5 Degrees of Freedom,
the MAT, the MASTIF, the 3 Walks of the
Moon, the Zero-Gravity Wall, and many
more.
 We launched rockets that we had
constructed.
 We built a robot and programmed it to do
many activities like push rocks into a cave,
carry balls and take them back to the base
without the balls touching the ground.
 We learnt lots of things about the planets,
stars and the Sun.
We travelled to Turkey on February 14th and
although we were supposed to return after five
days, our flight got cancelled because of the
snow. We ended up stuck in Turkey until
February 21st.
We went there as an educational science trip in
order to reinforce our knowledge about space
and astronomy.
We were offered numerous activities that
enriched our understanding of the secrets of
space, such as:
 The space shuttle mission, which was the
highlight of the program. In this mission,
we were assigned special positions such
as, the pilot, the commander, the flight
director, the mission scientist, the payload
specialist, and the flight engineer. We
acted out how an actual space shuttle
mission would work. In the space shuttle
mission, we learned how to effectively
communicate with one another, how to
solve problems together, as well as how
The trip was incredibly fun and exciting; we were
all introduced to many new things and learnt a lot
about astronomy. The most enjoyable part of the
trip would probably be whenever we went on a
space simulator. Space simulators were ‘rides’
that gave us a feel of how it would be like in
space. These included the Zero-Gravity wall, and
a chair that simulated the moon’s gravitational
pull.
With the awesome camp over we embarked on
our next adventure…getting back to Jordan which
due to the snow proved almost as difficult as
getting to the moon!!
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
EVENTS
spring concert
By: Masa Abu-Raghebh G6
The Spring Concert on March 3rd took
place in the auditorium and was a
stupendous event. Various artists played
on the piano, guitar and drums while
others wowed the audience with their
incredible singing performances. Nadine
Cubeisy and I played a piece on the piano
by Mozart which is call Symphony 40. This
was a very great experience that I will
definitely repeat next year. Definitely! I
chose to participate in this event because
Nadine and I love performing pieces on the
piano for the public. I personally like it
because it makes me feel nervous and
shaky all over (I enjoy that feeling).
However, on the other hand, there weren’t
many people there to watch us, so I hope
that next year there will be more
supportive parents and students in the
auditorium being entertained by the IAA’s
amazingly
talented
students!
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
Planting Trees for
Muath Al-Kassasbeh
By: Huda Al-Kurdi G6
Terrible events often lead to different people from different walks of life coming together as one. Early in
the New Year a number of IAA students along with other Jordanian schools had a great opportunity to go
to a public park that was newly named after Jordan’s brave martyr Lt. Muath Al-Kassasbeh, and plant trees
for him as a symbol of life. Many students gave a speech and read a poem as appreciation for Muath. A
total of 2,475 saplings were planted in many different areas around Amman to show respect for him. I had
the privilege to be among those students, which made me feel proud to be Jordanian, and thank you IAA
for letting me be a part of the memorable event.
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International
Academy
–
Amman
The World Scholar’S cup
By: Sara Ziadat G6
th
th
On the 7 and 8 of March the IAA hosted a
regional round of the World Scholars Cup with
participants from both the IAA and other
Jordanian schools including: Bishops, NES, Terra
Santa and Jubliee.
The Amman regional round followed on from a
visit to our school by Daniel Berdichevsky, the
cup’s founder on the 26th January. In Mr.
Berdichevsky’s first visit he gave a lively
presentation on the global competition which he
sees as a celebration of learning more than an
academic competition. By the time he’d left he
had students from Grades 6-8 chomping at the bit
to join in!
The next day started with the very LOUD Scholars
Bowl in the theatre. Every team was equipped
with a virtual clicker and every question, be it
watching a video, listening, or visual stimuli, was
harder than the one before. However, relief was
at hand when after all this brain-numbing work,
came the talent show. Many different talents
were on display, including communicating like a
sheep!! Subsequently the closing ceremony was
held where many teams received different
awards and a number of our teams were invited
onto the next round in Kuala Lumpur!! Notably
During the opening ceremony of Amman’s round
of the cup scholars were warmly welcomed by
the rapping of Birch and the alpaca-throwing
Daniel. After being informed of the gruelling twoday schedule scholars began with the debate
rounds. Each three-member team had to
participate in three debates. After the breathtaking debates, scholars had to debate again but
this time with the power of their pens during the
collaborative writing round. Later came the
petrifying Scholars’ Challenge, a rather strange
multiple choice test that had nothing to do with
smartness, but with how much scholars had
studied from the cup’s website.
top three teams and top
four individuals were all IAA
the
students!!
This event has shown us that getting high marks
isn’t about being smart, it’s about how hard you
are willing to work. “A winner is a dreamer who
never gives up!” and we all learnt that, “We learn
from failure not from success.”
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
World Scholar’S cup
Results
Well, to say that the IAA swept the board in the junior division would be an understatement, so we only
have room for the top awards here. All the teams and participants performed outstandingly and
CONGRATULATIONS go out to ALL of you!!
Division
Top Teams
Top Individuals
Debate (Team)
IAA Position
1st: Emanuel Shomali, Walid Al-Nabilsi & Tara Al-Shawwa
2nd: Michael Sabbagh, Ramzi Homsi & Mohammed Said
3rd: Nadine Cubeisy, Masa Abu-Ragheb & Sara Ziadat
4th: Basem Tash, Abdullah Madanat & Siraj Abu Namous
1st: Emanuel Shomali
2nd: Nadine Cubeisy
3rd: Haya Al-Fayez
1st: Emanuel Shomali, Walid Al-Nabilsi & Tara Al-Shawwa
2nd: Michael Sabbagh, Ramzi Homsi & Mohammed Said
(top 4th, 5th & 6th teams were also IAA)
Debate (individuals)
BOWL (Team)
Writing (Team)
Writing (Individuals)
1st: Emanuel Shomali
2nd: Nadine Cubeisy
3rd: Haya Al-Fayez
1st: Michael Sabbagh, Ramzi Homsi & Mohammed Said
2nd: Haya Al-Fayez & Leen Al-Qatarneh
1st: Nadine Cubeisy, Masa Abu-Ragheb & Sara Ziadat
3rd: Emanuel Shomali, Walid Al-Nabilsi & Tara Al-Shawwa
1st: Nadine Cubeisy
3rd: Sara Ziadat
5th: Haya Al-Fayez
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Challenge (Team)
Challenge (Individuals)
1st: Basem Tash, Abdullah Madanat & Siraj Abu Namous
1st: Yasmine Srouji
2nd: Abdullah Madanat & Haya al-Fayez
3rd: Leen Al-Qatarneh
Challenge Subject Winners:
Arts
Social Studies
Science
Special Subject
1st: Haya Al-Fayez
1st: Jumana Taji Farouki
1st: Leen Al-Qatarneh
1st: Yasmine Srouji
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International
Academy
–
Amman
Robotics – First lego
league competition!
By Emanuel Shomali and Aisha Ben-Halim G7
Robotics, what goes through your head is this
complicated study which requires learning coding
and all that difficult work, but in reality robotics
was a really fun, great activity that we gained a
lot from. In a nutshell “what is the future of
learning? FIRST LEGO League teams will find the
answers. In the 2014 FLL WORLD CLASS℠
Challenge, over 265,000 children from 80
countries will redesign how we gather
knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Teams
will teach adults about the ways that kids need
and want to learn”.
And part two which is core value:
We entered the Jubilee school on a bright
Saturday and Sunday, only to find an eccentric
crowd of fellow robotic learners there to greet us,
me and my co-author Aisha along with the rest of
the robotics team consisting of: Walid, Saad,
Zainab, Khaled, Mohammed, Hikmat, and Karim
went head to head on an experience that really
got to us.
2. Core value is what holds the team
together, it is teamwork. We as a team
have grown to treasure each other’s
friendships throughout the course of the
experience, and having only robotics in
common greatly strengthened our team
work, because now we are friends with
people who we would never have met
without robotics.
There were three parts of the FLL tournament
that we experienced and the first is a project
which is basically:
Finally the table which is:
1. A product which consists of a mat, cars,
and an application. Via Bluetooth,
questions are sent to a smart device
which is held by players who are
controlling the cars. The players must
correctly answer questions to move on
the race-track.
3. Consisting of a table with a flexible mat on
which the robot must move around the
track and solve missions to gain points,
the team with the most points wins. We
created the robots by designing the robot
and putting it together, and finally
programing it.
Maybe we didn’t win first place but we won
much more than that, new friendships and
strengthened relationships, and an experience
that we will treasure and live by for the rest of
our
educational
lives.
17
Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International
Twelve students from grades 10 & 11
accompanied by two faculty advisors participated
in the twenty sixth Harvard Model Congress
Model Europe – Spain /Madrid during the 14th16th of March 2015.
Academy
–
Amman
HMCE sets itself apart from other conferences
through its commitment to challenging, inspiring,
and teaching students via an informed, intimate,
and lively forum for debate. During this
conference our students had the opportunity to
debate and issue bills and resolutions in their
different committees. IAA students proved to be
competitive delegates in oral discussions and in
submitting the final resolutions.
Harvard Model Congress Europe is a non-profit
Harvard University student organization, run
entirely by undergraduate volunteers who are
dedicated to sharing their knowledge of
international relations and American government
with high school students from across the globe.
Since their first conference in 1988, held in
Luxembourg with around 100 student delegates,
HMCA has emerged as the leading international
and American government simulation for
international high school students. The annual
conference now boasts over 500 students from
all corners of the world and programmatic
options ranging from domestic programs like the
US House of Representatives, Senate and
Supreme Court to international programs that
include the G8, G15, International Monetary Fund
and the World Trade Organization.
This conference has certainly developed the
students’ knowledge in various aspects of
government and decision making, and enriched
their critical and intellectual thinking.
I am proud to announce that this year four out of
the twelve students were among the best
candidates in their committees and were
awarded the “award of excellence” and two
other
students
got
the “honourable
mention” award. IAA was the best among the
Middle East schools and one of the best among
the international schools. Congratulation to
HARVARDERS and to the IAA!
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
Poetry corner
Stapler
The Timepiece
Waiting for its prey it sits and waits and waits
A wise man,
With a distorted visage
With shining, piercing, bloody, beady eyes
Each like rubies it looks for its next prey
And hands that are out of proportion
With fangs as sharp as knives it sinks into its
bloodless victims
Warns the people and reminds them
Of their promises, in language no one can speak
Infinitely bonding in a
But everyone can understand.
Single bite
by Ramzi Homsi G7
by Zaynab Shanti G7
Posters
Paper
Bright rainbow birds,
Tick Tock
In the lush forests of
Tick Tock
Gliding freely in the air,
our earth,
Creativity flows through their colours,
a cold swollen wave
A ticking bomb
A digital disrupter
devours nature
Informing people,
one word at a time
As they hang.
A destroyer of dreams
By Tara Tarawneh G7
And the power-hungry machine
The Clock
Pencil Case
slowly,
Pencils and pens
yet coldly,
Tick Tock
tortures the forest trees.
Glue sticks and scissors
All so lonely in a dark cave
By Lara Khouri G7
Every so often do they see the light,
The demon in the dark
they have to be chosen, the only
During their English Language & Literature unit on
Always moving on
poetry Grade 7 had a go at writing metaphorical
poems
on everyday
Never looking
backobjects they see in school. The
results are superb...well done Grade 7!!
way of escape.
by Suhaib Hamadeh G7
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Tick Tock
Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
A salad bowl, varied with many.
SILENCE
A table spoon of sadness, a pinch of joy.
Silence
Mask
I’m tired of waking up
I feel for others, hatred and love.
A ghostly trait
A taste of fear, a sprinkle of trust.
Embarrassing moments
Mask shall I wear today?
Noises with no sounds or
whispers
While having a second
I could be your worst nightmare or your delight.
What am I? Emotions…..
Thinking to myself, what
Deadly
By Faisal Al-Matar G7
Have been worn. Maybe I
By Tara Al-Shawwa G7
Ink
Thought, that all my masks
Should just give up, take
It off and show the world
Showering on sheets.
The beautiful face under
A crimson coloured catastrophe,
This fake artificial mask.
a slowly seeping solution that’s
drying up, never to be meddled with again.
By Anthony Awad G7
Perpetual, forever.
By Emanuel Shomali G7
The Heart
Time
A red room with no padlock.
A crimson portal that opens to forbidden feelings.
As time goes by
A passageway that bares endless secrets beyond it.
A clock casually counts,
Beating maroon walls adorned with bursting colours of infinite moments
from the past.
Spinning round and round.
Time is a trap
And its ambushes people in
A black chamber filled with regrets.
an infinite cycle.
Now the colour of ebony with misuse.
It is endless and unstoppable
Red rushing rivers replaced with charcoal voids of emptiness.
A vacant heart.
By Mona Salah G7
By Laila Kayyali G7
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
Sports
Oman trip “middle eaST uniTy cup”
By Sami Vidal and Zuhair Khouri - Grade 6, Under 12 IAA Hawks Football Team
On the 5th of March, the brilliant IAA Hawks
Football Academy began their incredible journey
to Muscat, Oman to compete in the Middle East
Unity Cup with schools from all over the Arabian
Gulf. After a long flight to Oman via Dubai, the
Under 11 and Under 12 Hawks arrived in the
sandy, yet beautiful country. We had practiced
intensely in preparation for the tournament,
building our skills and developing our teamwork.
With our brand new team kits tucked away in our
bags, we were ready to go!
The first morning in Oman, the team boarded the
bus to a local school called The Sultan School. It
had two large football fields. The Under 12 team
and the Under 11 team each played four eventful
matches on the first day. Tired from the long
flight, we started off a little bit shaky, but with
each game we improved, scoring more and more
goals and blocking our opponents’ attempts on
our goal. We dominated possession of the ball,
and our passing game was outstanding. We also
played as a team, with every player contributing
equally to the team victories. The last game of
the day resulted in a score of 5-0, IAA Hawks!
Later, in the evening, we spent time relaxing and
shopping at the City Centre Mall.
The following day, the team woke up to a sand
storm. Temperatures were warm, and we knew
that the weather was not on our side. Thankfully,
as the hot sun beat down all of us, we had plenty
of water and energy snacks to get us through the
day. Again, the first game helped us to warm up
and build our focus. Our Coach reminded us that
we were not simply there to win, but to have fun
and learn about good sportsmanship. While we
kept this in mind, we still really wanted to bring
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home the Cup - not only for our school, but our
country too.
impressive, also placing first in their age group.
We all received gold medals and two large, shiny
trophies. We took photos and celebrated our
victory with great excitement and pride.
At the airport in Amman the next night, when
leaving the terminal, we were greeted with heartwarming chants and loud applause from our fans.
This was a very memorable experience for our
team. Our coaches made a great effort to
organize and take care of us on this trip. We
could not have achieved these results without the
guidance and support of our awesome coaches.
We will always remember the encouragement
they gave us, and always give us. Thank you,
Coach Samer, Coach Saeed, Coach Eyad, Coach
Mohammad, Mr. Mahmoud and Mr. Walid, for
being part of our team. #Wewon! #IAAHawks!
After a challenging day of passing, kicking,
shooting, blocking and running, we managed to
fight our way to the top. We had scored the most
goals and conceded the fewest. The IAA Hawks
were spectacular, pulling together like a real
team. In addition, the Under 11 team was just as
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Volume 2: Issue 3
February/March 2015
International Academy – Amman
fun page
Riddle
Sudoku
Word Search

Spot the Difference?
     
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