Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Mar 26, 2009 in
What's new?
Congratulations to all our Writing Center Peer Tutors!
We have had over 330 student visits to the Writing Center over the year.
September ‘08: 23 students
October: ‘08: 54 students
November ‘08: 69 students
December ‘08: 31 students
January ‘09: 20 students
February ‘09 & March ‘09: 133 students
so far…!!!
Grand Total: 330 students who have been
helped so far with their writing in English as
well as Arabic, Spanish, and French
PLUS the Writing Center take-out program:
support provided by tutors within the
classrooms.
Tags: peer, tutor
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Jan 12, 2009 in
Uncategorized Nature
It is easier to destroy than to create
Nature is the consummation of thousands of years of growth all leading up to a moment
a view with an invisible meaning conveyed only through experience
an experience leaving words at a loss
a million meanings simultaneously fusing together
such is the poetry of nature
a moment eternal in our minds and memory.
None can compare, none can surpass, nature’s beauty and grace
a timeless force
a force that brings both creation and destruction
a perfect balance
such is its majesty
Life mirrors nature
flourishing
growing
believing
experiencing the worlds wonders
and then ending so that another might do the same,
an eternal cycle
The man Hitler ordered to destroy the Louvre went back and faced execution because he believed the art was more valuable than life
Would you let the greatest masterpiece of all be destroyed?
by Muhammad Yousuf
The Darkest Deal
The Earth
Waning away
Like a child’s castle of sand
Towers crumble
As they reach for the sky
But before they reach it
Blackness cloaks us
The prices constantly rise
Soon it will cost us our lives
We have sold our soul
To this black gold
by Adam Carrillo
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Jan 12, 2009 in
What's new? Poetry Circle
First Meeting: Wednesday, 14th January ’09
Location: The Atrium
• Do you find that scribbling a few lines of poetry is the best way to express your deepest feelings?
• Would you like to share your verses with others who enjoy poetry as much as you do?
Bring in any poems you have written last week, last month or last year to share with the group…serious, scary, soppy, scathing, anything works as long as it is poetry and has been created by you!
Watch out for the Surprise Performance by our special guest star on Wednesday, 14th January ’09
Where Poetry Hides for You…
In the tangle of slippers on the floor of your closet?
In the chatter of voices in the school bus?
In the microwave popcorn?
In avocados, artichokes and asparagus?
In your earring collection– the junky treasures of the years?
In your older brother’s piano playing – like honey in the air?
Look for the objects, the places and the moments where your poems may be hiding.
READ THESE POEMS WRITTEN BY OUR WRITING CENTER STUDENTS:
The Darkest Deal
by Adam Carrillo
The Earth
Waning away
Like a child’s castle of sand
Towers crumble
As they reach for the sky
But before they reach it
Blackness cloaks us
The prices constantly rise
Soon it will cost us our lives
We have sold our soul
To this black gold
Nature
It is easier to destroy than to create
Nature is the consummation of thousands of years of growth all leading up to a moment
a view with an invisible meaning conveyed only through experience
an experience leaving words at a loss
a million meanings simultaneously fusing together
such is the poetry of nature
a moment eternal in our minds and memory.
None can compare, none can surpass, nature’s beauty and grace
a timeless force
a force that brings both creation and destruction
a perfect balance
such is its majesty
Life mirrors nature
flourishing
growing
believing
experiencing the worlds wonders
and then ending so that another might do the same,
an eternal cycle
The man Hitler ordered to destroy the Louvre went back and faced execution because he believed the art was more valuable than life
Would you let the greatest masterpiece of all be destroyed?
written by Muhammad Yousuf
Tags: Add new tag, poetry
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 26, 2008 in
What's new? Juniors and Seniors…are you getting cold feet
before the SAT??
Join our after-school workshop to learn
“The Tricks of the SAT Trade”
One tightly-packed hour of useful tips to help you prepare for the SAT
Critical Reading and Writing Sections
Book a space for yourself
SIGN UP outside the Writing Center for
· Sunday, November 30th: 2:45-4:00 PM
led by Reem Tawfik and Maya Chacko
OR
· Monday , December 1st: 2:45-4:00 PM
led by Jasdeep Singh and Maya Chacko
Price: Dhs 20 per person - includes a scrumptious snack.
The money collected will be donated to support child literacy in under-privileged parts of the world.
Enthusiastic Sophomores also welcome!
Tags: Critical Reading, SAT I, Workshops, Writing
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 23, 2008 in
Short Stories,
What's new? Walking on By
He held his breath and the door for her, then inhaled deeply as she sashayed past, cloaked in clouds of perfume and her aura of perfect superiority.
Short tight skirt, big mink coat, she was big spender with a million dollar smile. The smile that sent the masses swooning. The smile that swept him off his feet, that had caught him – hook, line and sinker.
He held his breath and the door for her, all his hopes shining in his eyes.
He held his breath and the door for her, and she walked through without a glance.
As always.
by Zaneita Pereira
Grade 10
I stared blankly at the options in front of me. The first door, slightly leaning to the right, was a luscious, alluring pink with patterned circles of sky blue. The second door looked aged, a faded copper. It stood tall with rounded silver handles. The final door’s stoutness was greatly exaggerated. It represented a whirlwind of confusing thoughts.
I took a large sip from my Pepsi, to finish it off. This was no place to take any drinks. So, I chucked it into a nearby bin. I took a step forward and went through the third door to ride the rollercoaster.
by Tess Pedeprat
Grade 9
And Life Passed By
It’s 4 in the morning. I lie in bed thinking about what will happen at school. Soon after I start thinking about who I will be when I am a senior. My thoughts soon stray to when I’ll be in college or if I’ll even go to college. My heart begins to beat faster because soon I’ll be an Adult and I’ll have responsibilities… But soon after that I’ll be on my deathbed… and who knows if there is a white light at the end of the tunnel or just secluded isolation. Well, the bus is here it’s time to go
by Adam Zoubi
Grade 9
Staring out into the night at the age of 93, I look back into the past. Loved ones lost, new generations born, changes in the world, all the things I can ponder, sitting on the front porch.
I sigh… This is the very spot my grandfather had laid when he was a young child, watching the stars, the one thing that hasn’t changed. New roads houses and the parks have appeared, destroying all I have grown up with, everything except this farmhouse, and the stars. Here comes my great-granddaughter, I wonder if she will someday look into the stars and remember me.
by Alex Xu
Grade 10
“I can’t do it.”
“Just try!”
“Will you catch me?”
“Of course I will.”
“What if you miss?”
“Then you die.”
“I don’t want to die!”
“Then I won’t miss.”
I jump.
He misses.
by Daksha Vaswani
Grade 9
Vinyl turned.
Afternoon filtered in through blinds. Suspended was golden dust, which turned as the world and the record turned and the musty sheen recalled Sundays gone in a wave of heat which overwhelmed the soul in surreal occurrence like the sticking sweat of dreams engendered by those high fevers powerfully disturbing and yet so common in the weak whom we collectively pity.
From dust he materialized. Music, lo-fi. Tension was supposed to build but it didn’t. He fell with the album. Retro. The Velvet Underground was ready when the spinning record slowed but he was dead.
Later the dust settled.
by Josh Schnessl
Grade 11
In their hands they hold their hearts.
He holds his gently, protecting it yet allowing it freedom. She grips hers tightly, afraid of letting go.
When he sees her, his heart skips a beat. She does not notice him at all. His heart lives for her. Hers belongs to none but herself.
He offers her his heart. She condescends to take it. Yet she knows she does not deserve it, so she decides to return it. But when she gives it back it breaks.
He gathers up the scattered pieces and turns to ask her why, but she is already gone
by Rebecca Hoopman
Grade 9
Pure-living
The girl gracefully walks to the river. She balances a brightly coloured clay pot elegantly on her head. It will soon quench the thirst of her family, and the pouch of berries drooped round her breasts will stay their hunger.
Swaying freely, her long black hair emulates the motion of her full hips. Beads, tightly secured to the ends of her braids, gently brush her smooth lower back.
Beautifully simple and pure-living a beautiful life filled with innocence and joy, she glows with the natural goodness of humankind, and allows it to shine.
by Jade Cass
Grade 11
Time
Time. Slow. Fast. Tick. Tock.
You can just sit there and wait as it trickles by. Or cause turmoil, if you want. Rolls out just like the rush of flood waters. You’re too late. You just missed the mark. What do you do now? Turn it around? How? Things fall down. They don’t fall up. Time moves forward. It does not move back. Now you are stuck. Stuck between the past and the present. The present and the future. Where are you? Look around. Nothing. A silent clock. Smiling. Mocking. Staring at you. So you wait.
Time. Slow. Fast. Tick. Tock.
by Orianne Montaubin
Grade 10
Tags: 101 Words, Contest, Short Stories
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 22, 2008 in
Short Stories,
What's new?
The Last Drop Counts
Your glass is nearly empty. It doesn’t matter though. You drink the last drops carelessly. Then you lie down, looking at the sun. Her bottle is broken, empty and dirty. The sun burns her skin. She walks miles over the dusty, cracked ground. Reaching for a tap in the middle of nowhere, she fills her bottle. Dizzy and in pain, she sheds a tear. It falls into the precious water. You jump into the pool, laughing. She jumps onto her blanket, set on the ground. Her soiled face smiles at her only comfort, a ragdoll. You sigh, and yet, she smiles.
By Lindie Botes
Grade 9
In The Mind
I wish I could live in a town that had no name.
Town would be infested with colors; reds creeping over houses and blues painted into skies. Clouds would be called “Cotton Candy in the sky”.
In the outskirts of Town would be a peach lit road, appearing yellow in the sun.
I would name it the Yellow Brick Road.
“Here comes the sun,” I whisper.
I scamper, then suddenly, I’m flying.
I could no longer feel my legs, just the underbrush beneath my feet. I’d get lost in the sunflowers, furiously race with the wind,
And meet you at horizon
By Dahlia Dandashi
Grade 9
Shadow of my Dreams
Where is she? I know she is here. Somewhere. I glimpsed her hair. Her being is divine. I feel it. Near. My eyes, searching. Where is she? I can taste her lips. Her breath tickles my skin. Her fingers graze my soul. There. Wait. Gone. Again. I sense her happiness. I share her curiosity. Her courage seeps through earth. Her faith exceeds the skies. Where is she?
This exquisitely beautiful person. This image of perfection. …Perfection. It doesn’t exist.
Where is she? Just within the walls of our world. In the darkness where she hides.
In the shadows of my dreams.
By Orianne Montaubin
Grade 11
Tags: 101 Words, Contest, Short Stories
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 20, 2008 in
Short Stories,
What's new? Congratulations to our Grade 11 short story contest winner: Saman Nargund!
Monks. A million specks of stellar contradictions, celestial and pure.
They flock to a razed temple. A woman sweeps the floors with a straw broom, rushing. She does not have the same elegance that the monks possess. They stop to examine the surrounding colors on other beings, walking slowly, their draped clothing heavy on their aged shoulders, disappointed by the lack of vibrancy.
Calm erupts-
an earthquake.
Monks stand solid, their garments bright against the dull, crumbling background.
Rumbling waves threaten to crash against us (snapping bones, bruising tissue?). But the monks-
are aware that our survival is not indefinite.
Tags: 101 Words, Contest, Grade 11, Short Stories, Winners
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 20, 2008 in
Short Stories,
What's new? Congratulations to our Grade 10 winning author: Sonam Ludhani!
Tauntingly Taking
Beneath each sparkle of snow lays a spark of ingenuity; underneath each droplet lays a dormant potential. Nature has given us much, but today I can only see my Vanessa.
Snowflakes whistle past as we admire the gossamer shrubs as delicate as her transparent face. She shudders with the intense cold. Suddenly, she trembles against me in a racking fit while I helplessly cradle her in this burning cold park. Within seconds she is gone.
Behind each sparkle lays a moment of hesitation; underneath each droplet lays an unattainable potential; Mother Nature, the ultimate giver or the eternal taker?
Tags: 101 Words, Contest, Grade 10, Short Stories
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 20, 2008 in
Short Stories,
What's new? CONGRATULATIONS to our Grade 9 winning author: Dahlia Dandashi!
Vanilla Sky
I was at a crossroad.
I was sky high, both mentally and physically. Ever time I looked stories down, I shivered.
He looked at me, utterly puzzled. I twitched.
“Well?” He interrogated.
The sky was a vanilla and blueberry cocktail, the clouds pink cotton candy. The sun was falling asleep, setting on the world, setting on me.
I rotated to see what I wanted. She was staring at me with parted lips, hands outstretched. Even in her misery she was as beautiful as the sun.
But she was a beautiful lie.
I cut through the wind like a train.
I jumped.
Tags: 101 Words, Contest, Grade 9, Short Stories
Posted by Mariam Sandhu on Nov 15, 2008 in
Short Stories,
What's new?
Winners Announced at Assembly, Sunday 23rd November, ‘08!
Let’s get writing…
101-WORDS Short Story Contest
Open to DAA 9th, 10th, 11th graders
Dates: Sunday, 5th October - Sunday, 31st October
Separate categories for each grade level
Great PRIZES for 1 winner and 1 runner-up from each grade level: shopping vouchers for Mall of the Emirates donated by DAAPA!
The Rules
• Stories must be exactly 101 words or less and cannot be poems.
• A maximum of three entries per person will be accepted.
• Titles are optional and are not included within the word count.
• Each entry must have your name, homeroom, and grade and must be submitted by email to: shortstory101@gmail.com
Questions? Ask your 101 Words team:
Reem Tawfik, Kath McAinsh, Adam Carrillo, Dariush Sarrafzadeh, Muhammad Yousef, Kareem Constenoble
The Beginning…August 2008
Great news! DAA has provided an additional resource to improve the learning opportunities of its student body. At the beginning of this school year, the new Writing Center opened its doors to all high school students. Located within the Secondary Library, the Center runs from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM, Sunday to Thursday. Modeled on similar facilities at many Universities today, the Writing Center offers one-on-one support with writing needs to all HS students. Assistance with college personal statements, oral and written commentary, literary analysis essays, history reports, personal narratives, IB Extended essays, research papers and even Science lab reports, is available through the day. Competent peer tutors, carefully selected from amongst the juniors and seniors, are trained to focus on effective writing skills and to create confident writers.
Students who seek assistance are encouraged to sign up on the appointment sheet outside the Center for a private conference with our tutors.
The Writing Center
High School
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tags: 101 Words, Contest, Short Stories, Winners
