The second semester is now well underway with many of the secondary students taking advantage of the extra-curricular activities being offered this quarter.

One of the extra-curricular highlights this term has been the Model United Nations Project hosted by The Sultan's School. This was a massive success with over 100 students from 11 schools within the Sultanate taking part. I know that all of the Grade 11 students from our school that were involved in the event found it very worthwhile. I would like to thank Mr Tom Vignoles in particular for all his hard work and effort in organising this event. A detailed article about the day can be found in this issue of

The majority of our Grade 9 students are taking the Bronze International Award this year. There have been very successful girls' and boys' expeditions to Wadi Sha'ab on different weekends. Congratulations to Mr Seamus O'Hanlon and Ms Rebecca Lodwig who run the International Award Programme for our students. A detailed story of the girls' trip can also be found in this issue.

All of the secondary students have been taking athletics in their PE lessons this term in preparation for their Field Day. This was originally planned for Wednesday, 2 March. Unfortunately, inclement weather conditions meant that this had to be postponed for a week.

The musicians in the secondary school, under the direction of Mr Keith Price, Mr Mouayad Khaldi and Ms Lisa Price, worked hard to prepare for "The Secondary Music Concert". This event took place on Wednesday, 16 March, and was an entertaining evening. Pictures of the event can be seen below and later on in the newsletter.

On the academic side, our Grade 12 students received the first term results in their Al-Thanawiya Al-Amah examinations. There were some outstanding results. An incredible 28 of the 49 students in Grade 12 achieved overall averages of more than 90%, with Bushra Al-Maskary, Awadh Al-Shukaily, Areej Al-Maskari, Mohammed Al-Ma'amari, Murooj Al-Amri, Mohammed Al-Lamki, May Suleiman and Saif Al-Busaidy all scoring overall averages of more than 95%. (see article later)

It may seem early, but we have to start making plans for the next academic year. This quarter, the Grade 10 students and their parents will have to make a provisional choice of the subjects they wish to study in the International Baccalaureate program. A Grade 10 Parents' Options Evening took place Sunday, 27 March, at which the program and the options available to the students were explained in more detail. Teachers were on hand to answer questions about their particular courses. Many of the secondary staff are attending workshops as far away as Kampala and Mumbai, as well as ones in Oman, in preparation for the introduction of the IB program next year.

Grade 8 students and their parents will also have to make some decisions. They will be making provisional choices of subjects for IGCSE level. A Grade 8 Parents' Options Evening is planned for Tuesday, 12 April, at which the various options will be explained in detail, with teachers on hand to answer questions.

'Journey with Your Eyes Open'. That's what it said in our record books about the adventurous journey challenge, but looking at our faces on the Thursday morning, we were doing anything but that.

The hiking trip this year which was part of our International Bronze Award, was a great challenging new experience for everyone taking part, being with friends in a beautiful place in Oman and having a great time was what it was all about. We walked up the beautiful Wadi al-Shab, enjoying the breathtaking view, we went cliff jumping (which was a bit painful at first) and swam in a sinkhole, we gathered around the fire at night with marshmallows and were entertained by the students (and teachers), we slept under a clear sky and full moon and woke up to an amazing sunrise, even having to pack up and hike for 10km with 10kg on our backs was fun!

Every single element of the trip was fulfilling, I learnt a lot about this fascinating country I come from and many of us improved an important skill: teamwork. Truly an amazing experience and I definitely encourage everyone to seize the chance if they ever get the same opportunity!

Ghalia Al-Sharji 9W