Beyond The Classroom

Edition
Letter from the Editors
Dear Readers,

Greetings!
Since the release of our last issue, there have been several changes
in the way we learn, especially with the resumption of extra-
curricular activities and sports events.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Senior School conducted

multiple activities across different subjects to reinforce curricular
concepts beyond the classrooms. These activities have pushed the
boundaries of our learning and have fortified the school’s objectives
of providing opportunities for innovative and holistic learning.
Furthermore, these activities will help students to develop skills to
succeed later in life. Due to the importance of such activities, we felt
that it would be ideal to cover them through our student-led
publication, Gem Chronicles.

The current issue titled, Beyond the Classroom, delves into those
activities conducted in senior school from January of this academic
year. The articles in this publication deal with the work of our
students outside the classroom.

We hope this issue will allow the readers to appreciate the efforts of
the students as they share their experiences of taking part in these
activities.

Yours sincerely,
The Editors of Gem Chronicles
Litfest 2022
Man is a product of his time! From the love in Swann’s Way to
endurance in Anna Karenina and isolation in One Hundred Years of
Solitude, writing has been an unflagging way of human communication
over topics that portray everything from the start of life to life beyond
our knowing.

DGPS Senior LitFest is an annual celebration of the English language

and the talents of our students in speaking, reading and writing. The
seventh edition was not different as the seeds of sprouting and soon to
be flourishing speakers and writers were planted. The platform
required no barriers for age, aptitude or skills - just a love for literature
and a desire to change the world with nothing but an idea and some
very well thought out words. A smorgasbord of events from 21-24
February were possible - thanks to the ever-dedicated English
Department and a team of enthusiastic students.

Carefully planned activities paved the way for a successful and

entertaining week of events. From the competitive energy of the
debate and heartfelt renditions of Anne Frank at the Live your
Character show, to the reminiscent anecdotes of the Speak up
Challenge and the hearty laughs shared while figuring out Pictorial
Idioms and rendering the Tongue Twisters, the LitFest this year outdid
its predecessor with an overwhelming participation and a brilliant share
of ideas.

We are deeply thankful to the student organisers - Shreya Kamath,

Amal Aslam, Trisha Mehta and Varsha Kella and student volunteers of
Yrs 10-12 for their continuous efforts during LitFest throughout the
years, without whom we could not have expressed ourselves and have
realised our newfound appreciation for literature.
TongUe Twisters & Idioms

Challenge
TongUe Twisters
Tongue twisters stretch and 21 February,2022
strengthen one's facial muscles
and have been proven to
clarify pronunciation.

The organising team decided

to include a Tongue Twister
Challenge as part of the LitFest
this year to provide some

entertaining and challenging

experience to the students.
The competition for Years 7-10 was
conducted in individual classrooms
during the form lessons. Students were
challenged with taxing tongue twisters
of varying difficulties. The group that
recited the tongue twister without a
stutter or stammer, would receive a
point. This challenging experience
put students’ pronunciation skills to
the test. Students had an entertaining
experience discovering the whimsical
nature of English Language and
watching each other stumble and
stagger over what seemed to be
effortless sentences.
PICTORIAL IDIoms 22 February,2022
Idioms are particularly useful to
add dynamism and character to
otherwise plain writing. Using
idioms can help your language
and communication become
richer and more robust—and
perhaps, even more human!
Volunteers from Years 10-12
conducted a fun game of

pictorial idioms where students Besides providing entertainment,

were shown some pictorial the activity helped students gain
depictions of a witty idiom and knowledge about where and how
were asked to guess which idioms are used, thereby proving
popular idiom it stood for. If a to be an edutainment.
team answered correctly, they Time flies when you're having
were awarded ten points. fun !
Speak-up challenge 23 February,2022
One of the best ways to instill
confidence in young minds is to
teach them the art of public
speaking. The Speak-Up
Challenge held for Years 7 -10 on
the 23rd of February remained
true to that spirit and helped the
participants to showcase their
speaking skills. The audition
rounds for students who were

interested to participate in the

challenge were conducted in each
section by the English Teachers.
The finalists were asked to write This event gave students a chance to bring
their own original speeches on the their ideas to light, while making
theme Memories and present them connections to the audience. The
in front of an audience in the Hall. speeches were judged by a panel of
teachers chosen from various Departments
including Ms Dincy Daniel(English), Ms.
Pavitra Shivkumar (Science) and Ms.
Vineetha Sasikant (Mathematics). The
winners were chosen based on the criteria
of Content, Structure and Delivery.
Junior Category Winners: Abigail
Mendonca (8C); Simone Makar (8D) &
Sophia Nissi Joshua (7D).
Senior Winners: Advaith Shetty(10A);
Ansh Uchil(10D) & Shams Khan(10B)
Debate 24 February,2022
The annual LitFest Debate is one of the most awaited events by the
Seniors in DGPS. This year, after a rigorous selection process, two
final teams of four from Years 11 and 12 were chosen to debate on
the motion: Stories with immoral characters glorify their misdeeds and
wrong doings.

Kunal Dhirani, Sneha Tandon, Manas Doshi and Vafreen Patel argued for
the motion while Norah Alex, Rhea Hitesh, Aryaan Aman and Bhumika

Motiani argued against it. All the participants got engaged in active
discussions and voiced their opinions vigorously, citing evidence from
various sources apart form their personal viewpoints.

The audience were truly enraptured by the series of arguments by both

the teams. The panel of judges - Ms Ranita Chowdhury, Ms Rebecca
Antony, Ms Marian Jordan and the student judge Shyam Soundararajan
selected the OPPOSITION as winners, unanimously. Norah Alex and
Rhea Hitesh from the winning team shared the Best Speaker Award.
Dubai Gem Private School

Live Your Character

24 February, 2022
Live Your Character is an event hosted annually by the Department of
English, giving students an opportunity to demonstrate their acting skills.
Students come dressed up as their favourite characters and enact a particular
scene on the stage, honing their acting skills.

Organised for Years 7 to 10, this year's Live Your Character event was staged
on the last day of the week , marking the end of a week long activities.
Students could perform individually or in pairs. Ms Charlotte Dias, Ms Maria
Abie, and Ms Caroline Rebello graced the occasion as judges of the event.
Students' favourite literary characters from various books came alive on the
stage, creating a colourful feast to the eyes of the audience.

A wide range of characters from classics

to contemporary books including
Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson,
Anne Frank, Matilda, and Anne of Green Gable came live on the stage
entertaining the audience. All the students thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic
characters and it was a befitting finale to the LitFest week!

Junior Category Winners in order : Olivia Thomas and Jenisha Kanjani (Yr8); Anaya
Malik (Yr8) & Arian Constancio & Reyank Sethi (Yr8)

Senior Category Winners:: Tanushri Mehta and Trisha Moorjani (Yr 10) ; Aamena
Bohra and Mariam HasSan (Yr 9) & Ansh Uchil and Afraaz Khan (Yr10 - both
)secured the second position & Ananya Mallik and Eimaan Fatema (Yr 9) .
Speak-Up Challenge

Live Your Character

Debate

Poster Art
Ohanna Thomas 10B

Jemma Mendes 8 A

Amanda Fernandes 8D
PUPPET STORY TELLING
SENIOR RESOURCE CENTRE

Using a puppet to tell a story is a wonderful technique that can lead

children to discover the joy of Reading. Ms Anju Sharma, the Senior
Resource Centre-in-charge tapped the students' ability to tell stories
and brought them to life during the LitFest week! Students of Yrs 7 and
8 actively participated in this age old tradition quite enthusiastically
and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Mathemagical
Week
Mathematics can be considered as the cradle of all creations,
given its capacity to solve day to day problems in life. To
highlight its significance, this year, DGPS hosted a Math
Week focusing on the analytical and problem solving skills.
The week was jam-packed with creative activities under the
theme 'Mathematics Unites'.

The Week began with the presentations conducted by

student volunteers on the infinite digits of 3.14, to celebrate
the Pi day and the International Math Day. A cross-
curricular Word Challenge Game to make as many words as
possible with the stem pi made the students of Years 7 and 8
think on their feet. They were further challenged with
memorising pi digits which turned out to be exciting
sessions that the students enjoyed immensely. Similarly,
Years 9 and 10 were given a presentation on how
Mathematics Unites. Other competitions included solving
online sudoku puzzles, poster making and gizmos activities.

The Mental-math game Manga High conducted for Years 9

&10 was an intense intergrade math quiz tournament that
consisted of four challenging rounds. The teams
participated enthusiastically in this competition which
provided them an opportunity to showcase their
mathematical skills. The winning team was ‘The Einstein’
consisting of Shams Siddique Khan (10B), Maitrey Telang
(10C), and Ananya Vedavyasa (9D)
$ Business Mania $

SCI-EINSTEIN WEEK

The Secondary Science Department celebrated the Science Week from

March 4 to 10 holding a range of activities focusing on knowledge,
logical thinking and scientific spirit. This year's theme was ‘Innovate
for the Future’.

A Quiz Bee competition launched the celebrations where the students

were tested on their knowledge of engineering, true to the spirit of
World Engineering Day! Each group brainstormed on how engineering
can change the future.

The Science Fun Challenge held on 5th March allowed the students of
Years 7 to 10 to unleash their creativity and scientific thinking. From
designing a roller coaster to creating free energy light bulb, the fun-
filled challenge turned out to be an enjoyable experience to the
students.

The poster-making competition and role play conducted during the

science lessons enabled students to voice their opinions and
perceptions of well-known scientists and their theories through the
medium of art.

In the show stopping event - Science and Engineering Exhibition - that

was organised on March 8 from 8am to 12:30pm, the students
presented projects linked to the theme of ‘Engineering for the future’
by demonstrating their skills in research, observation, and
experimentation.

The whole event proved that students thrive in an environment where

they are encouraged to be curious and dig deeper to look for
innovative solutions to the questions they raise. It was certainly the
most delightful Science Week for the students and the teachers alike!
Science Week
Winners

In the poster making competition, Ayaan Sahotra (7A) & Nabhya

Hotwani (10A) bagged the prizes.

In the essay writting competition that was conducted during the

science week, Nabhya Hotwani secured the first position.

BETTER ENVIRONMENT, BETTER TOMORROW

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on all facets of life.
Environmental education and programmes also faced challenges
during this time. In this scenario, Dubai Gem had to halt a number of
face-to- face events that usually take place in the school premises;
however, the Environmental Group led by our Eco-Warriors and
guided by the staff conducted virtual meetings and awareness
sessions to continue to spread awareness among the students in
adopting sustainable practices to make our planet a better place.
The students across the
secondary responded
overwhelmingly to the DUBAI
CAN initiative launched by
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed,
to helping the UAE achieve the
UN Sustainable Development
Goals and UAE NetZero 2050
initiative.
The Eco- Warriors of the Secondary ran a week long presentations and
activities under the banner Say No! To Plastic. Their call to shift to eco-
friendly water bottles from disposable ones were welcomed with open
arms by majority of students.
Apart from the above mentioned activities, five students from
the Upper Secondary took part in the Inter School
Environmental Public Speaking Competition organised by the
Emirates Environmental Group. They carried out a thorough
research on the topic Water Security and Food Security –
Correlated and won the Second Place in the Sub-Senior
Category.
Congratulations to Chriselle
Varghese, Trisha Mehta,
Versha Kella, Advaith Shetty
and Sham Siddhique Khan
for making DGPS proud!
The efforts of all the students
will definitely contribute to
bring about a positive
change in their attitude and
create a better tomorrow.

Celebrations: The Holy Month of Ramadan

Memories Become
Memoirs
THE UNFORGETTABLE BOY
Jemma Mendes 8 A

‘The easiest way to forget people is to deny they existed.’

“Finally.” George thought as he finished his essay. Despite him being a star
student, sometimes he gets unmotivated. He scanned his room for a
distraction, automatically looking in a forbidden direction. Hesitantly, he
walked over. COUGH! George hacked; the ticklish particles filled his
nostrils as he dragged a tattered box out. Eagerly, he pried open the
painstakingly-taped lid, revealing a well-kept photo album. He traced his
slender fingers all across its edges, absorbing in the scent of old papers,
coloured ink, and… bittersweet memories. Memories that brought him
overflowing warmth, though the same memories filled him with Saudade.
George inhaled deeply, bracing himself, as he opened his fondest
possession.

In the first picture, he saw a tiny George, with a pouty face glaring at his
fallen ice cream scoop. Next to him stood a boy, who was doubling over
with laughter. “That is quite funny.” George chuckled.
Minutes passed by quickly as George continuously flipped through the
pages. The last photograph he saw was of him and the same boy swigging,
grinning gleefully, as a tiny ball descended into the horizon of warm hues.
Then it hit him.

George could not forget.

No amount of knowledge could bury the lost memories of the boy who
was in everlasting slumber... he could feel himself succumbing to his
repressed pent-up emotions, threatening to erupt. As George's eyes began
to well up, he noticed a glimmer of soft light dancing upon the album.
Slowly, George raised his head to see, behind the curtains, a familiar ball
floating in the identical tints.

It was a sign.

George was ready to let go. As he watched the sun sink, he knew that the
memories he made along the way with the boy, will never be forgotten.
A LOST HEART
Hamnah Bukhari 8A

“The heart was made to be broken.”-Oscar Wilde

“Why does it have to be me who’s lost and broken?” Rue whispered. She lay with
her head in her arms, sobbing sorrowfully like she was drowning in despair.
Horrible memories of her eleventh birthday engulfed her mind.

She remembered getting the news that she would be going camping with her
family. Packing her favorite things and stuffing them in the trunk of the car, her
father playfully laughed as they left for the road, “You have a lot of favorite things,
my dear Rue”.

The cool breeze from the lush green trees was revitalising her and making her
blonde hair woosh while cars of colors beyond her imagination zoomed past her
ocean blue eyes at a lightning speed. They laughed and sang. Then the it happened.

It happened so rapidly.

"Rue remembered being aggressively thrown forward as a dark, deep hole

swallowed the car. She had seen her parents forcefully falling forward; however,
they weren’t conscious. Rue took one look at them and started crying helplessly
while she heard the wailing sirens of the ambulance rush to the car. A police officer
got her out of the car. She screamed and shrieked in vain at the large bloody wound
on her head. It was physically and emotionally throbbing.

“Get my parents out of the car!” she yelled thunderously at the officers with all the
strength she could muster. She could see her parents' faces - replicas of hers -
peeking out of the car, their eyes shut.

Next thing she remembered was being in a hospital bed, afraid and alone. It had
been three years since then - three years since her life had fallen apart.
Three years since the happiness from her life was snatched away!
The Weight of Memories
Lydia Girgis Year 11 C

“If we shadows have offended…” Robert recited the last lines of A

Midsummer Night’s Dream. The curtains were drawn and the crowd
erupted in a deafening cheer and tumultuous applause. Robert felt his
blood rush through his veins and for the first time, an ecstatic smile was
materialised across his face. He stepped onto the stage for a final bow as
he watched his friends shout, clap and whistle. “I did it,” Robert thought
as stood there in astonishment. However, out of the corner of his eye,
Robert noticed a stern man standing at the back with his eyebrows
crunched, his nostrils flared and his teeth clenched. Robert witnessed
flames behind his eyes, inundated with fury and despondency. Robert
looked away from the indignant man who happened to be his father.

Robert was an 18-year-old brunette boy who studied at Hearth Storm

Academy. His passion was poetry and literature. He dreamed of one day
standing before an audience and fearlessly reciting the lines to a
Shakespearean play. He lived in a dorm room with his roommate and best
friend Ethan. Abruptly, his father entered the room.

‘Good morning father, what are you doing here?’ Robert asked, as his
father entered the dorm `room. ‘Good morning, Robert, Ethan, I am just
here to tell you that I removed your name from the poetry club. I have
found that you have way too many extracurricular activities on your
shoulders and it will be too much to handle. I do not want anything to
distract you from your career of being a doctor’,said Robert’s father in a
stern voice that echoed whenever he spoke.‘But father I was the captain
of the poetry club this year, I cannot leave it’ pleaded Robert.‘Sorry,
Robert, there is no argument here. This is for your own good.’ Robert’s
father nodded and left the room. The room was in utter silence. All eyes
were evasive and the lack of movement was oppressing.

The day after school, Robert found a flyer hung on the wall about
auditions for A Midsummer Night’s Dream play. He looked at his only
chance of fulfilling his dream dolorously. He knew he was not allowed to
go, but an urging splurge caused him to snatch the flyer and dart to that
audition.
‘I got the part! I got the part!’ Robert said overjoyed when he came back.
‘What is going on Robert?’ asked Ethan ‘I got the part, Ethan! I got it!
I am going to play Puck! Can you believe it?’ Robert said as he
grabbed Ethan’s shoulders and shook them aggressively with enthusiasm.

‘Congratulations Robert!’ replied Ethan. Robert settled down on his

tattered leather chair with a sudden face of sorrow and distress. He
stared at the pristine, pearly white wall in front of him with myriad
thoughts circling his mind.
‘What is wrong Robert? Isn’t this what you wanted?’ asked Ethan.
‘Of course, it is Ethan. This has always been my dream. This is my passion.
I am finally going to be able to do something I love in this world.’ said
Robert.‘ So, what is the problem?’ asked Ethan.

‘Well, what is my dad going to say about all this? He would never allow me
to do something like this that distracts me from my career. ‘Forget about
him, Robert. This is your passion, right? Of course it is’. Then go for it, go
to the play, take the risk! Seize the day!’

Robert went backstage after his unprecedented performance with the

rest of his gratified-faced cast members. A lady working backstage
walked to him and said, “Robert, your father wants to see you.’ Robert’s
heart sank below his feet, his hands turned an indisposed milky white
and he felt lightheaded. As he walked out from backstage, all his friends
greeted him with such bliss and vivacity. Robert heard none of it, his body
shivered in trepidation, he felt his heart pound against his chest and an
intense urge to just run away.
‘You deliberately disobeyed me!’ Robert’ his father screamed, ‘You went
behind my back, auditioned for this so-called play of yours, and did not
even bother to consult me. You risked your entire career for what… a
play? ‘Risked my entire career?
Father, it was just a simple play, calm down.’ ‘No Robert, this is way bigger
than you think it is. You are not to go back to that school; you will serve
ten years military school and after that, you will go straight to Medical
school’ ‘But father, don’t I get a say in this?’ ‘End of discussion!’ his father’s
voice roared louder than a lion.
Robert walked out straight to his room feeling oppressed and
disheartened. He felt like all the doors of his life were closing in on
him. He only had one path to walk on which led to an ominous alley
of stress, anxiety, and misery.

Suddenly, at three in the morning, an ear-splitting sound echoed

from Robert’s room. His father rushed in and found his only son on
the ground, breathless and motionless. His face was as still as stone
and his son lay ever so helpless on the ground - with a pencil sketch
of him dressed as Puck held closely to his heart.
It was too late.

Years later, his father entered the minuscule dorm room that his
beloved son once lived in. Tears steadily rolled down his father’s face
as he carried the weight of his son’s memories on his shoulders. In
every corner of the room, a content image of his son would emerge,
displaying some of the happiest moments of his life.

Robert’s father onerously locked the door but the door to his
memories kept on opening... even against his will.

The weight of memories was too hard for him to bear.

A Precious Old Memory
Shreya Dhirani 9C

A gust of wind blew across my face,

The sunlight caught a piece of glass in the sand,
As I tightly clenched my father’s hand,
I waited,
To go beyond those green gates,
To experience that feeling first-hand
The one I was yearning to understand
Little did I know, why my heart raced.

I didn’t know what to anticipate,

On that first day in school as everything was so unexpected
That it became a memory I could never erase.
The birds chirped unaffected
Comfortable in their own space
In front of them, a 4-year-old stood, seemingly calm and collected.

The fresh morning air was new,

Something I was yet to get used to
But as soon as I went through the door
I was shaken to my core
Cheerful shrieks and screams filled the air.
As I walked in there
I trembled in the doorway warily,
When a woman ushered me in merrily
She had a warm smile and a twinkle in her eyes
That surprisingly made me feel warm and welcomed.

I settled down on my chair,

Hanging my tiny ‘Dora’ bag with care
I didn’t realise that second
How precious I would hold that moment
But to this day I smile,
At how happy I was for a all that while.
Memory Tapes
Christelle Varghese 9A

I remember them all

like waves infrared
the memories I recall
like cassette players in my head.

The memories start to chime

when my demeanour fails to elate
they play off at the right time
new caches I start to create.

Some are stained with tears

smudged rot on the cassette
and sometimes the worst ones
stockpiles I can’t seem to forget.

But the cassettes that play happy songs

sit polished and in their prime
as they play of its tape decks
I transport to its happier time.
All you need - Creating Memories
Navyaa Mallik 10A

If you want to be All you need is courage

Someone’s beautiful memory, To take that leap of faith,
For life is filled with moments For every new path you go to
That are treasured in the heart. A new memory you create.

All you need is a little love All you need is Hope

For a memory to create, For it can change a life,
All you need is an open acceptance And even the gloomiest days
For you to end the hate. Will seem so shining bright.

All you need is kindness All you need is understanding

For its magic unfolds each day, And sometimes bow your head,
Small gestures of goodwill It never hurts to put someone
In a memory will always stay. Up ahead instead.

All you need is a positive attitude All the traits above

To see the good in all, Beautiful memories they personify,
For you will rise above it all And though they dwell inside your
Even if you fall. mind
In your smile and heart, they justify.
All you need is gratitude
Being grateful for each day,
To be alive and live your life
A blessing in every way.
Contributors
Editor-in-cheif: Shyam Soundararajan (12B)
Chief Designer: Ansh Uchil (10D)
Junior Editors:
Senior Editors:
Advaith Shetty (10D)
Kunal Dhirani (12C)
Afraaz Khan (10C)
Albern Agnel (12B)
Sarah Devjiyani (11C)
Khushi Desai (11A)
Nawaal Fathima (10D)
Social Media
Coordinators:
Norah Alex (11D)
Rhea Raygangare (11C)
Brianna DaSilva (11A)

Writers:
Chriselle Varghese (9A)
Samara D'Silva (11B)
Aditi Jayson (11B)
Devnanda Nair (10C)
Devika Malhan (9A)
Ananya Vedavyasa (9D)
Shreya Faraswani (11B)
Aamena Murtuza (9D)
Natasha Bennis (9D)
We extend special thanks to all our teachers for all their support!