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THE BRADENTON BULLETIN 2016—2017 ISSUE 13
Home of the Panther
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Newsletter Editor: Lisa Khoury, PRE
www.facebook.com/BradentonPrepDubai
Twitter & Instagram @BPA_GEMS & the Panthers: @BPA_panthers
Jan. 8 – 9 MAP Testing Grades 7-9; Jan. 10 & Jan 12 Grades 6-7 Mon. Jan. 9th Innovation Awards Night 6-8pm Tues. Jan 10 Sports Day Gr 1-5, Wed. Jan 11 Gr 6-12 Jan. 15-19th Final Exams Week Grades 9-12 Jan. 15-19th MAP Testing Grades 3-5 Jan. 23-26 KHDA Inspections Jan. 29th-Feb. 2 Week Without Walls Trips
January 5, 2017
Dear Parents and Students, As you previously read in our school e-bulletin prior to Winter break, KHDA/DSIB has notified our school that they will conduct the annual government inspection at our school January 23rd -26th. One of the many important parts of this inspection is a survey. It requires parents, students, teachers, and the principal to do a survey of questions prior to the inspection visit. Parent engagement at BPA is partly based on the number of parents providing a response to their survey. We have worked hard to improve student services, academic rigor, learning, school climate, facilities renewal, faculty hire selection, and school leadership that will move our school from an ACCEPTABLE school rating to an overall GOOD/VERY GOOD rating. Your feedback will help support and recognize these efforts. Please click on the online-survey link below. It is for PARENTS only. Students will take their surveys in the computer labs. Please follow the link below to participate in the appropriate survey. It is important you type in BRADENTON PREP ACADEMY to select our school name from a large list of Dubai schools before answering the survey questions. https://khda.gov.ae/Parents Thank you for taking this requested time to complete the questionnaire/survey. Both KHDA as well as your school perception feedback regarding forward movement taken since the last inspection in February 2016 is appreciated. Educationally Yours, Dan Young Kate Vavpetic Head of School Assistant Head of School
REPORTING ABSENCES:
For KG & Elementary students: email Marlee Melendres at [email protected]
Secondary students: email Brett Mason at [email protected]
*Please include the child’s name, grade and section, reason for absence and expected day of return in your correspondence.
MY LEARNING SUPPORT: If you need assistance in learning how to navigate My Learning, Charlotte Dunn will provide training to
parents on week A Tuesday mornings and week B Monday mornings from 8:15-11:00am. Please stop by reception for assistance.
SENIOR TRANSCRIPTS/RECOMMENDATION LETTERS: Register online at Naviance https://connection.naviance.com/bradentonprep
PLUS PORTAL: Program for viewing grades https://www.plusportals.com/Bradentonprep. You can email the receptionists for login
information at [email protected] and if you need assistance in using the program, see Joy Hagelthorn at
BPA WITHDRAWAL: If you are leaving BPA, please be sure to notify the Registrar’s office at least 2 weeks prior to departure to ensure your
child’s documents are available on his/her last day of attendance. The following steps will assist you in this process. 1) Sign in to http://
oasis.gemseducation.com with your username and password. 2) Go to ’Requests.’ 3) Click on ’T/C’ request to start process. 4) Click on ’Click
here’ to apply for TC (Transfer Certificate). You will receive an automatic notification. Transfer Certificates, School Reports and Medical Records
may be picked up from the Admissions Office on the student’s last day of attendance.
Home of the Panther
JANUARY 2017
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
New Year's
Day
NO SCHOOL
STAFF
PROFESSIONAL
DEV. DAY
Final WWW
Meeting 6pm in
the Auditorium
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Girls/Boys
Volleyball
Tryouts 7-8am
or 3:40-4:45pm
MAP Gr 7-9
Middle School
Assembly @
2:15pm
ASA Sign-up
Begins at
8:30am
MAP Gr 7-9
Girls/Boys
Volleyball Tryouts
3:40-4:45pm in the
Gym
ASA External
Providers on
campus for
sign-ups
3:00-4:30pm
Innovation Awards
DECA IDEA
Challenge 6-8pm
(Auditorium)
MAP Gr 6-7
Sports Day Gr 1-5
in Sports City
9:00am-12:30pm
Sports Day
Gr 6-12 in Sports
City
9:00am-2:30pm
MAP Gr 6-7
ASA Sign-ups
close for
registration at
12pm
Paid Provider
Registrations
remain open
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Final Exams
Gr 9-12
MAP Gr 2-3
ASA Term
begins
Final Exams
Gr 9-12
MAP Gr 1-2
Final Exams
Gr 9-12
MAP Gr 1-2
Final Exams
Gr 9-12
MAP Gr 1
Final & Makeup
Exams
Gr 9-12
MAP Makeups
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
KHDA
Inspections
KHDA
Inspections
KHDA
Inspections
KHDA
Inspections
29 30 31
Week Without
Walls Trips
Overseas: Nepal,
Borneo,
Cambodia,
Switzerland
School Gr 9-12
WWW
EcoVenture
WWW Trips
Overseas: Nepal,
Borneo, Cambodia,
Switzerland
Gr 6-12 WWW
EcoVenture
WWW Trips
Overseas: Nepal,
Borneo, Cambodia,
Switzerland
Gr 5-12 WWW
EcoVenture
WWW Trips
Overseas: Nepal,
Borneo, Cambodia,
Switzerland
Gr 5-12 WWW
EcoVenture
WWW Trips
Overseas: Nepal,
Borneo, Cambodia,
Switzerland
Gr 5-12 WWW
EcoVenture
WWW Trips
WWW Trips
Home of the Panther
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ASAs (KG—Grade 12): Sign-ups for ASAs will begin Sunday, Jan. 8th at 8:30am and end Thursday, Jan. 12th at 12pm. Any
registrations received after this time, will be reviewed on a case by case basis by emailing the teacher in charge of the ASA. ASAs
begin Sunday, Jan. 15th. A late bus for students already using STS services will run on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays
leaving at 5pm. An email will be sent with additional details on how to sign-up for ASAs via My Learning.
ASA EXTERNAL PROVIDERS: On Monday, Jan. 9th at 3:00pm Helen O’ Grady Drama Academy, Mad Science, Hamilton
Aquatics, Young Rembrandts, and Boom Diving will all be on campus to provide information, answer questions and take
registrations.
BPA INNOVATION AWARDS (Grades 4-12): Join us Monday, Jan. 9th from 6-8pm in the auditorium as we announce the
winners of the DECA IDEA Challenge.
SPORTS DAY SCHEDULE (Grades 1-12): Tuesday, Jan. 10th Grades 1-5 will have Sports Day in Sports City from
9:00am-12:30pm with normal pick-up time from BPA at 1:30pm. Grades 6-12 will have Sports Day Wednesday, Jan. 11th
9:00am-2:30pm in Sports City with students finishing from BPA at 3:30pm. Parents are welcome to attend, but please note that for
Health and Safety reasons only competitors are allowed on the track. Students should be prepared to be outside and wear their PE
kit, sunscreen and a hat, bring a water bottle and a packed lunch. Vendors will have snacks and drinks available for purchase.
SPORTS TEAM TRYOUTS (Grades 3-12): Boys and Girls JV and Varsity Volleyball tryouts for Grades 6-12 will commence
next week beginning Sunday, Jan. 8th. Students interested in trying out need to come to at least one of the following sessions:
Sunday, Jan. 8 from 7:00-8:00am or after school from 3:40-4:45pm; and/or Monday, Jan. 9 from 3:40-4:45pm. Please note there
is no late bus available for tryouts. Students will need to secure arrangements home. Any students interested in joining the Swim
Squads, need to contact Mr. Kirwan (Advanced Swim) at [email protected] or Ms. Horwell (Dev. Squad) at
[email protected]. Track and Field tryouts will be announced momentarily.
KHDA PARENT SURVEY: KHDA will be coming for their annual inspections beginning Jan. 23rd. As part of their
inspection process, parents are requested to complete a survey providing useful feedback to evaluate our school. There will be
ipads set-up in reception for you to use to complete this survey. The survey link will also be available through My Learning and an
email will be sent requesting your participation. We truly appreciate your feedback!
MAP TESTING (Grades 3-9): Map Testing for grades 6-9 will be conducted next week and grades 3-5 will have testing
commence the week of Jan. 15. Please see the calendar for specific dates.
STU WILLIAMSON STUDENT PHOTOS: The orders received by Stu Williamson by December 15th will be delivered to
students by Tuesday, Jan. 10th. If by that time you do not receive your order, please contact Lisa Khoury, PRE at
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS (Grade 5): On Thursday, Jan. 12th our health clinic will conduct physical examinations for the
Grade 5 students as required by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Dr. Naz Fatima, our BPA Doctor will perform these
examinations.
ECOVENTURE WWW TRIPS (Grades 5-12): We are still seeking students interested in joining the EcoVenture local trip
during our annual Week Without Walls. We are particularly looking to recruit more High School students to join. Last year all the
students had a great time participating and we are certain this year will not disappoint. At this time, new registrants will be required
to pay the full amount. Please see the flyer in the newsletter for more details.
KEITA (Grades 5-12) : Students will be receiving Student ID cards that will allow them to use a cashless option in the
canteen. 5th Grade student IDs will remain with their homeroom teacher and given to students at lunch time. An email was sent
home with instructions on how parents can top-up cards online with Keita. You can also add credit to the card with our BPA cashier
for amounts greater than 50dhs.
BPA SWIMMING SUITS: Threads now has BPA swimming suits available at their Motor City branch. The kit is125dhs and
includes a BPA swimming suit and swimming cap. Beginning next academic year, BPA swimming suits will be required as part of
the BPA PE kit.
Home of the Panther
ELEMENTARY NEWS
Dear Elementary Families,
WE LOVE YOUR EXTREME READING ADVENTURES:
I hope you had a very restful and memorable holiday. From the extreme
reading pictures that have been shared, I think our BPA students and staff
collectively traveled to every continent! Please make sure you have your
child’s pictures emailed to his/her homeroom teacher no later than Thurs.,
Jan. 12th to be considered for the EXTREME READING contest.
BPA CAMPUS UPDATE:
While the kids were away, BPA had a face-lift! New KG and Elementary playground equipment, new gymnasium floors and paint job,
and refreshed spaces throughout our campus. Our refreshed BPA campus is buzzing with happy kids.
7 HABITS OF BPA LEADERS:
We welcomed students back this week with a focus on Habit #3 – Put First Things First. During Community Sharing, this habit was
demonstrated through a Mad Science Lesson. We are excited to host a Mad Science club as an additional offering for Quarter 2 ASAs.
Please see the flyer that went home with your child today.
ELEMENTARY SPORTS DAY (GRADE 1-5):
We have an exciting week ahead of us full of learning, smiles, and team spirit as we get set for our grade 1-5 Sports Day next Tuesday.
KG Sports Day has been rescheduled for the end of the month. I look forward to seeing which house brings home the trophy this year.
We look forward to seeing you at this event.
Warm regards,
Anne
Home of the Panther
ECOVENTURE (GRADES 5-12)
Dear BPA Parents,
We are excited to present Ecoventure, the local desert adventure option for our students during the Week Without Walls. Below is all the information you need to reserve a spot for your child(ren) on this trip. We have matched three groups with age appropriate activities and outlined them below. Please review the options and decide if you wish to reserve your son/daughter ’s place on this fantastic opportunity during Week without Walls that emphasizes community service, fun team building activities and gives our students unforgettable memories with their friends.
Group 1 Grade 5 Jan 31
st – Feb 2
nd 2 nights, 3 day AED 1500
Includes 9 adventure activities. LINK to register online is: https://goo.gl/8gxldo Group 2 Grades 6 – 8 Jan 30
th – Feb 2
nd 3 nights, 4 days AED 2000
Includes adventure activities and the Marina. LINK to register online is: https://goo.gl/ Ywxp8P Group 3 Grades 9 – 12 Jan 29
st – Feb 2
nd 4 nights, 5 days AED 3130
Includes Wadi Adventure,Marina and Dhow Cruise. LINK to register online is: https://goo.gl/uZuizy For students in group three, they need their passport on the day of the trip, but we need two color copies of their passport ID and visa page handed into the Accounts office at the time of payment.
If you want your child(ren) to go on this adventure: 1. Go to the links above (in blue) according to grade and register your child(ren). Students who do not register on-line
will not be covered by the Ecoventure Insurance.
2. Stop by the BPA Accounts office and make payment along with the completed slip below. All payments are due in full at this time.
……………"……………"……………"……………"……………"……………"……………"……"……………"……………
ECOVENTURE 2017 – Week Without Walls
Name of Student: Grade/Class: (please print clearly) I give my child permission to go on the exciting Desert Camping Trip with Ecoventure during the Week Without Walls. Payments are now due in full as we are close to the date of camp commencement The total costs for the trip are reflected below. 1500 AED for Group 1 (5th Grade) 2000 AED for Group 2 (6th– 8th Grades)
3130 AED for Group 3 (9th – 12th Grades)
Parents choosing this option must also submit two color copies of their passport ID and visa page at the time of payment. Parent Signature____________________________________ Date: ___________________
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BPA ASA DIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Diving at BPA – Term 2
In term one, we launched our first scuba diving program at BPA, certifying students as PADI Open Water divers, with the
success of this course and the continued interest in diving at the school, we have developed more diving ASAs in
collaboration with Al Boom Diving, to cater to the wants of all the students who wish to involve themselves in the
wonderful world of scuba diving. From January we will be offering the following courses and ASAs:
PADI SEAL team – Ages 8 - 10:
Students will get their first taste of what it’s like to scuba dive and breathe underwater, in this PADI course, elementary
students will learn how to assemble, disassemble, operate and maintain scuba diving gear. They will work in small teams
with an instructor to complete ‘missions’. These missions are fun, engaging
and educational activities and tests that develop a students’ understanding of
the gear they use while diving while simultaneously teaching them about the
protocols and science behind scuba diving.
This is an 8 week course, which will take place on Thursdays, after school at the
BPA pool, each week students will learn and test a new skill and section of
knowledge. This course is the perfect foundation for those that are interested in
scuba diving but not yet of age to complete the Open Water course, allowing them a taste of what diving is like in a safe,
controlled and fun environment. The course is 1,200dhs for all 8 weeks, all equipment included.
PADI Open Water course – Ages 10+
The basic certification level offered by PADI. This course is an intensive, comprehensive examination of the essentials of
scuba diving. Students will participate in 5 pool sessions at the BPA with a highly qualified instructor. In these sessions,
students will learn how to operate and properly maintain their scuba gear, in addition to all the essential signals,
protocols and procedures involved in diving in open water. Students will also engage in a theory unit, teaching them
about diving safety, theory and good practices, this knowledge will culminate in an exam at the end of the course. Finally,
students will engage in 4 open water dives to cement the skills they have learned, 2 of these will take place in Dubai and 2
will take place in Fujairah. All pool sessions will take place in the BPA pool on Thursdays, theory sessions will likely take
place on Tuesdays at BPA (TBC) and the Dubai open water dives will take place on a Tuesday after school, while the final 2
Fujeirah dives will be completed on a Saturday (transportation provided)
The PADI Open Water certification allows those who hold it, to dive worldwide with a PADI instructor to a depth of 12m.
This is truly an eye opening course, students have loved engaging in the pool and theory sessions and were absolutely
blown away by our final open water dives in Fujairah. We live in a region of the world where there are ample
opportunities and locations for phenomenal scuba diving experiences, don’t miss out, get certified today! The PADI Open
Water course, if completed through BPA, will cost 1880dhs, discounted from 2350dhs, and includes all instructional time
& materials, all equipment rental for the duration of the course, transport to and from dive sites and diving insur-
ance through Al Boom.
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BPA DIVING ASA ADVANCED
Recreational Dive Club / PADI Advanced Diver certification – Open Water certification required
BPA’s recreational dive club is working with Al Boom diving to give students the opportunity to continue their
diving education and continue to experience the best diving that the UAE has to offer. The recreational dive
club has no long term commitment, students will sign up on a dive by dive basis. Students will get to
experience wreck diving, conservation diving, witness the artificial reefs that have been created and have
caused aquatic life off the East coast to blossom. The dive sites we will visit are truly spectacular, with an
incredible array of marine wildlife visible in the clear waters of Fujairah. Students will encounter hundreds of
different species of indigenous fish, alongside turtles, sharks and eels! While this is an incredible experience in
its own right. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about the species they encounter and about the
conservation programmes that occur within the UAE to try and promote growth of our beautiful aquatic
ecosystems. Best of all, this club is going to kick off with a dive in the Dubai Aquarium shark tank!
The PADI Advanced Diver certification is the next step in a students’ diving education, a worldwide recognized
certification, students who obtain this level of certification will be able to dive down to 30m depth with a PADI
instructor, anywhere in the world! The Advanced Open Water course consists of 5 dives, that teach students
more complex skills that are necessary on difficult dives, such as underwater navigation, advanced buoyancy
control, stressed diver rescue and of course there is a wreck dive and deep dive involved.
The Advanced Open Water course can be completed while participating in the same dives as the recreational
dive club, albeit with different instructors who will be teaching the necessary skills. So students can continue
diving with their friends whilst gaining the next level of certification! The Advanced diving course will be
available to our students at the discounted price of 1,550dhs, while the recreational dive club may vary slightly
depending on the dive being completed, the majority of the Fujairah dives will be at the discounted rate of
390dhs for 2 dives, both prices include full equipment rental and transportation required. *Dubai Aquarium
shark dive prices still tbc.
I hope you are as excited as I am about the diving opportunities that are becoming available to our students
this year at BPA and I hope to see our students continue to engage in these courses and dives to learn more
about the aquatic ecosystems around us, while simultaneously enjoying one of the most rewarding, interesting
and enjoyable hobbies out there!
If you are interested in any of these courses, please drop an e-mail to Arran Elmes at
[email protected] for further information / sign up.
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JANUARY KEITA MENUS
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BPA INNOVATION AWARDS NIGHT
PROMOTIONS
Congratulations to the finalists from Elementary, Middle and high school who will be competing for 1st prize in each of their categories.
All of the students that competed in the DECA challenge all worked extremely hard and some great innovations were created from this year’s item, the “Plastic Bottle.” Some of the videos and creations were exemplary and we will be showcasing them at the BPA Innovation Awards Night on Monday, January 9th.
Everyone is welcome to the event and support the finalists and their innovations.