Newsletter2 Final SF

NOVEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 1 | VOLUME 3
Highlights
Newly recruited in UPS
Mr Abdul Aziz Al-Rawahi

Dr Jalal Al-Garci
One-Step Forward to Success
Mrs Azza Al-Ismaili, MyEduZone CEO

earned her 2nd Masters Degree
An Omani Flavour
Featuring 2 Outstanding Omani Teachers

(Ms Amal & Ms Bushra)
Our Foundation and Principles:

Originality, Authenticity, Decency,
Heritage and Legacy
Congratulations to
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos
bin Said for his reigning
succesfully for 43 years,
leading Oman in prosperity,
progress and remarkable
changes.
-MyEduZone Admin & Teaching Staff
HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said

Sultanate of Oman
November 2013
Issue 1 | Volume 3
Contents
05
MESSAGE
CEO/Chairmans Message
ARTICLES
06
UPS Reviews the General Strategic Plan
Emphasizing the importance of the vision of the school, which states that it should
be a leading educational institution in the region.
08
Abdul Aziz Al-Rawahi joins UPS
10
Dr. Jalal Al-Qarsi Establishes a New Department
12
An Omani Flavour
Find out how former Deputy Director for Administration and Finance in the Ministry of Education was encouraged to join UPS.
Meet our newly recruited professor from SQU, Dr Jalal Al-Garci, who is assigned
as Head of Learning Support in UPS.
A highlighting three outstanding Omani teaching staff

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013
Contents
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18
20
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24
26
Forward Thinking
An article from The Guide to Excellence 2013 Edition, Global

Education & Opportunities - by Cambridge University Students
Union
Working Together to Raise the Standard
MoE director, Mrs Fatma, and her delegates were invited by UPS
to attend an Introductory Presentation held in Rikaz Global
Building New Business in Established Organisation

Mrs. Azza Al-Ismaili, MyEduZone CEO, attended a one-week
training course conducted at Harvard Business School
Congratulations to our CEO
Another great achievement obtained by Mrs Azza Al-Ismaili, a

second masters degree-Executive, Management, Business and
Administration (EMBA)
Performing Prayers in Different Branches of

UPS
EVENTS
UPS Students Practiced Al Hajj

UPS Induction Programme
A Special Start to the 2013-14 School Year
Bus Drivers Annual Road Safety Lecture
UPS Students Enjoy Go Green Seminar
Technical College Students Hold a Workshop at UPS
UPS Summer Training Programme for Teachers
Hooping National Record Attempt
Students Writings
NEWSLETTER STAFF
FOUNDER & CEO
Engr. Azza Al Ismaily
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kawthar Al-Harthi
CONSULTANTS
Dr Peter Mason
Hanan Maraqa
EDITORS
Hadiya Al-Amor
Jackie Noel
Mark Southwell
ARTICLES EDITORS
Kawthar Al-Harthi
Hanan Maraqa
Miko Garcia
Duncan Stewart
ART DIRECTOR
Miko Garcia
TRANSLATOR
Kawthar Al-Harthi
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Hafsa Al-Tamimi
Amal Al-Ibri
Maryam Al-Alawi
Amna Al-Balushi
Faisal Al-Awfi
CONTACT ADDRESS
UNITED PRIVATE SCHOOLS
P.O. Box 471 PC 130
Sultanate of Oman
Website: www.myeduzone.org
E-mail: info@myeduzone.org
Tel #: +968 2455 1288
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4
UPS - A School with Solid Values
Our aim is to provide a superior education with an Omani flavour

by designing a programme incorporating the solid values of the
Omani traditions and heritage.
Follow us on:
/MyEduZone
/MyEduZone
/MyEduZoneChannel
MESSAGE
From the CEO
Educating the mind without educating

the heart is no education at all.
- Aristotle
Azza Al-Ismaili
Chairman and CEO
(1) For more info, visit : Improving School

Leadership
VOLUME 2: CASE STUDIES ON SYSTEM LEADERSHIP
Edited by Beatriz Pont, Deborah Nusche, David Hopkins
Across the globe, the 21st century is seeing rapid economic and social change. Social
and population mobility allied with technological advances and an increased focus on
schools to perform mean that students today face very different challenges from their
predecessors.
Together, these factors fundamentally alter the role of schools and school leaders and
the challenges they face. In many countries school leaders now have more independence,
but it is coupled with greater accountability. They must not only prepare all their students
to participate successfully in the new global economy and society. They must take
increasing responsibility for helping to develop other schools, their local communities and
other public services. This means that school leaders must become system leaders.(1)
Developed countries have had to reform their educational systems in order to maintain
their high standards and keep abreast with technological development.
Studies showed that we, in Oman, are below the regular educational level, therefore we
really need to take seriously the reforming of the Omani Educational System. In 2010, the
population growth in Oman showed the number of children born to be around 150,000
children. This number of children to be educated in the near future stresses the need for
many reforms to be implemented.
Last year His Majesty expressed the necessity to reform the educational system in
Oman to bring it in line with worldwide standards.
At UPS, we understand that we will have to rise to meet these challenges, by working
together to enhance the educational system and be active participants in developing the
Omani curriculum to meet the required criteria.
It has been seen throughout history that the continuation and growth of any civilisation
is linked to commitment to its values and morals as well as pride in its religious and
cultural heritage. This is our policy, message and vision.
Our aim is to nurture a generation that believes in itself, pursues knowledge and
participates in building the nations glory and pride.
ARTICLE
UPS REVIEWS THE GENERAL STRATEGIC PLAN
Review
UPS Reviews
the General Strategic Plan
www.MyEduZone.org
Dr Peter Mason,
new Director of Schools
PS conducted a general review process of all the administrative and academic staff and departments to create
a strategic plan for future development. The review
committee emphasized the importance of the vision of
the school, which states that it should be a leading educational institution in the region. The committee explained that to
achieve this aim the academic approach must be to concentrate
on the students as part of the learning process and create a
student-centred learning environment.
Dr. Peter, UPS Director, who is a specialist in strategic
planning, reviewed the structure of the school and made some
refinements and improvements to the message, mission and
vision statements. He has formed different committees for
reviewing areas of concern.
Moreover, training meetings were held, which included most
of the UPS faculty and staff. Additionally, the administrative
team took a full international global training program (KPIS)
which is related to the evaluation processes, and it was followed
by several training programs on the new strategic plan. Presentations were given by Dr. Peter. The training was also given
to all coordinators by an elite, professional supervisor. Finally,
another program was given to train the teachers and orientate
them to the new English curriculum.
While reforming the organisational structure of schools, it
was decided to add two departments, the Learning Support
Department, managed by Dr. Jalal Al-Garci, and the Administrative Affairs Department, managed by Mr. AbdulAziz
Al-Rawahi. In the following two interviews we are highlighting
the new departments.
ARTICLE
MR ABDUL AZIZ AL-RAWAHI JOINS UPS
Administrative Affairs
Mr AbdulAziz Al-Rawahi Joins UPS
t the beginning of this academic year UPS

was pleased to welcome Mr AbdulAziz
Al-Rawahi to the school. Mr AbdulAziz
Al-Rawahi was the Deputy Director of
Administration and Finance at the Ministry of
Education.
In a brief meeting, he said, I graduated
from the College of Education in Muscat in
1993. I started as a primary teacher and after
five years I was sent to Leeds University to
continue my college studies. I then worked as
a Supervisor from 2000 to 2004. I was select-
ed to be involved in the Research and Studies

Department for six months and then worked
as an assistant manager in the Directorate of
Private Schools in 2005. In 2006 I started doing my MA at New York University until I became the Deputy Director of Administration
and Finance at the Ministry of Education and
in 2013 I decided to join UPS.
I have attended several courses such as,
Leaders Seminars and Achieving Quality in
Governmental and Private Institutions. I was
also head of the Omani group who participat-
www.MyEduZone.org
Mr Ahmed Al-Ismaili, Deputy CEO, and Mr Abdul Aziz Al-Rawahi
ed in the Youth Day Celebrations in the Seychelles. Oman was the only Middle Eastern
country represented.
Mr. AbdulAziz pointed out that his first
practical step to advance development at UPS
was by opening the doors of communication
with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Manpower.
He began by reviewing the Human Resources Document and the Administrative Affairs
Procedures. He also analyzed and determined
how departmental procedures could be carried
out by utilizing the new school software, which
was bought to provide for improved communication throughout the organisation.
In addition, Mr. AbdulAziz spoke about the
positive interaction and response which he has
experienced in all the UPS schools.
He explained the current steps to prepare
the general strategic plan for the organisation.
He emphasized that implementing the plan is a
crucial step towards improving the educational
system in Oman.
To have a high quality in any educational institution, you must consider several things:
good primary planning

recruiting qualified staff
honesty
We cannot become a successful institution
without having all of these things. There has to
be team work and without it the institution will
fail.
He expressed his reasons for joining UPS
by saying, The first reason is, I feel that UPS
has a clear message to deliver to everyone, so
as Omanis I think that we need to work closely
together make the schools message clear.
The second reason is that this school is a
well-structured organisation which inspires me
to give more and to gain new experiences.
The third reason is to share my experience
to benefit the future development of UPS.
Finally, my advice to all academic staff is to
be honest with their work and constantly update their knowledge.
I would also advise all students to make a
plan, to know their goals so they find a way to
fulfil them and to read as much as they can.
ARTICLE
DR JALAL JOINS UPS ESTABLISHING A NEW DEPARTMENT
Learning Support
Dr Jalal joins UPS
Establishing a New
Department
t UPS we endeavour to provide every opportunity for our students to succeed, therefore,
in order to provide extra support for some
of our students Dr Jalal Al-Garci was recruited
as Head of Learning Support and to establish the
Learning Support Department.
In a brief meeting with Dr. Jalal, he said, I was
10 MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013
born in the capital city of Tunis in Tunisia. My father had memorised The Holy Quran by the time
he was five years old and later taught the Quran.
Arabic is my first language and French is my
second language. I became interested in childrens
special education issues when I started teaching
in a primary school. I thought that I should learn
www.MyEduZone.org
Dr Jalal during the meeting with MoE
more about special education so I decided to do

my MA in Psychology and Special Education at
the Burdo University in France.
I then did my PhD in Special Education. I
made a comparative study between children with
moderate mental retardation and children with
learning difficulties, cross-culturally between
France and Tunisia.
I worked as an assistant professor and coordinator in the SQU, College of Education. I have
written several books covering various subjects
such as, a special needs dictionary, anthropology
of disability, family and the society, some short
stories and practical applications in educating
children with intellectual and sensory disabilities.
I participated in the first conference for parents and families of children with special educational needs, presenting a paper entitled, Music
Therapy: a case for autism, at The Sultan Qaboos
University. I have also contributed to the development of teaching methods by using auditory
and visual tools in teaching, connecting theories
with real life. I have studied different cases and
programs on individual learning.
Dr. Jalal mentioned that he has started working on creating a general plan his department
which supports all the branches by providing the

required staff. He also explained that they have
done assessments in both Arabic and English for
students at UPS in order to determine and assign
the right levels to each student. He has finalized
the list of students who will have special care in
the Learning Support Department.
Ravens Test to diagnose learning needs, has
been administered to 50 students so far, and these
tests are at present being marked and the results
analysed.
Learning support sessions have started at the
Al Hail and Al Muna branches. However, the final design and implementation of English testing
for students is still being formalised.
At the end of the discussion, Dr. Jalal expressed his intention to complete his planning
and arrangements. Communication with parents
and their support is also vital in order to achieve
the aim of improving the students ability in an
effort to ensure their continued success.
11
ARTICLE
AN OMANI FLAVOUR
Omanisation
An Omani Flavour
U
PS values its Omani teachers and

their ability to compete in the international arena, UPS is proud to
showcase successful hardworking
nationals who spare no effort to provide
the best. We are proud to have many Omani teachers on our staff and this month
we are featuring two of our Arabic teachers, Ms Amal Al-Abri, Ms Bushra AlSawafi, who we are very proud to have in
our team. They joined us in 2009 and our
first interview was with Ms Amal Al Ibri.
We asked her the following questions:

Could you give us a quick overview of
your professional career?
I started my professional career with UPS
in 2009. That year was the same year that
I started my MA programme. Engaging in
work and studying was very important for
me. In order to achieve my aims and goals,
I worked hard. I started as an elementary
teacher. A year later, I was given the task
of supervising elementary and preparatory

grades.
What is your view of education nowdays
considering your experience in the field?
The educational system has developed
remarkably partly due to the IT revolution.
Education nowadays aims at creating a
suitable learning environment that encourages students to improve their capabilities
in critical and creative thinking and to use
www.MyEduZone.org
their skills in the field of knowledge and

its application. Teachers must, therefore,
change traditional teaching methods that
are based on obsolete systems. A teacher
must also deliver lessons to the students
using contemporary methods and should
create an environment of joy, excitement
and learning at the same time.
What are the foundations of success of
any school?
In my opinion, the most important factors to achieving success are precision in
planning, setting goals, distribution of roles
and clarity of vision among all the personnel in the institution. Moreover, having
dialogue between different departments
in that institution has a significant role towards progress and development.

What is your advice to the UPS staff and
students?
My advice to the staff is to be devoted to
God and focus on knowledge and the message of Islam among the citizens as deeds
are bound by intentions. Teachers should
be optimistic in their professional life and
enthusiastic.
As of my students, they should set their
goals high, strive to achieve them and
manage their time meticulously so their
time is not wasted on trivial things. They
should devote time each day for reading
especially reading and memorising the
Holy Quran.
Activities:
- Participating in a Youth Vision Organization that aims at investing youths intellectual capacity in beneficial projects
of charity and education
- Organising various events in the Al Hail
Secondary School branch
- Organising chorus festival for the educational year 2012/2013
- Organising the First Arabic Teachers
Gathering 2011/2012
- Developing Beginners Arabic programme
Training Courses:
Speaking in Standard Arabic by Abdullah Al-Danan
Professional Career
In 2009, I started teaching Arabic to
Arabic speakers and non-Arabic speakersand to different grades. Currently, I
am a senior Arabic teacher for non-Arabic speakers in all UPS branches.
The teaching situation and educational
development:
Schools nowdays face challenging situations like the surrounding social conditions that hinder students growth and
make them unable to transfer skills and
concepts that they have learnt the classroom to the practical life.
This requires the implementation of
modern strategies for Omans next generation of workers and leaders. This is
Name: Bushra Naser Mohammed AlSawafi

Profession: Arabic Teacher
Qualification: MA in Arabic Language,
Specialty: Linguistic Studies
Hobbies: Reading
13
ARTICLE
AN OMANI FLAVOUR
based on adopting ideas and concepts that

enable teachers to take responsibility for
their own learning. This adds new values
to the classrooms.
Basis of achieving success for the institution:
Clear vision, a stated mission and working groups are the basis of success for the
institution.
Why did you join UPS?
I joined UPS because it has a vision to
ensure that the next Omani generation
preserves its Islamic and national values
and to contribute to the renaissance of the
country by implementing Omanisation in
the institution.
A piece of advice
To Staff:
Make sure that students understand
what they are asked to do and that you
provide them with the tools that will help
them reach their goals. Always provide examples of how to use concepts, skills and
values that touch the real world outside the
boundary of the school.
To Students:
I would whisper to them saying:
You deserve to excel so, be vigilant.
An Omani Flavour
Name: Hafsa Abdullah Salim Al-Tamimi
Profession: Fine Arts Teacher
Hobbies: painting and photography
Activities: a member of the Omani Fine
Arts Society.
I participated in many exhibitions at local and international levels.
Courses: various courses in fine arts such
as painting, sculpting, photograph, etc. I

have held many workshops in the Omani
Fine Arts Society.
When did you start your professional career?
Arts are an important field in our life

because it is connected to appreciation of
the beauty around us. It makes students
think about the nature and colours, which
surround us.
I started teaching my creative students at

UPS in 2009.
In your experience, have you faced obstacles in your career?
What value did you add to the subject as

an artist?
I think that arts and sports teachers

should be more flexible compared to other
teachers. Each field has its own obstacles
and challenges but it is very important to
overcome these obstacles and challenges
and establish a creative environment with
students.
As an artist, what has inspired me the

most is seeing the improvement in my students skills and knowledge of the subject
not just as a mere subject but also as a
means of entertainment and as a recreational subject. I teach them how to use different methods and techniques. As I teach
my students, who act intuitively, and explain to them the lesson, I became amazed
to discover students surprising results that
add value to my own knowledge and inspire me to work on new concepts for my
paintings.
What is the importance of focusing on
the artistic side of the students?
How do you manage between work, activities and home?

I plan and set priorities as a mother, a
teacher and an artist. I love my children,
students, art work and paintings. Time
planning and management is the most important thing.
What is your advice to our staff and students?
www.MyEduZone.org
www.MyEduZone.org
A Healthy Mind,
A Healthy Body
I acknowledge the fact that teachers care

for their subjects and this helps students to
love the subject as well. Teachers should
consider the different skills and abilities
among their students and look for the positive aspects, which should strengthen the
bond between them. Teachers should use
captivating methods in teaching. These are
all part of good planning which produces
positive results.
At UPS, we are constantly aware of quality concerning all

aspects of our students education and welfare, with respect to
developing both their mental and physical skills.
Therefore, the school signed a contract with Lo Chef
Restaurant to provide healthy food to our students from the
beginning of this year. This will help our students to be more
aware of their diet.
In order to ensure that the Lo Chef Restaurant was clear on
the standards required by the school a meeting was arranged
with Chef Abdul Fattah who gave the assurance that the food
would be fresh and prepared every morning. The school also
required that the meals be healthy, rich in nutritional elements
and should be balanced in order to sustain the student during
their day and facilitate their learning.
As for the preparation of meals, Chef said that we start
making meals in early morning hours. We actually want to
make sure that students are getting fresh food every day.
15
ARTICLE
FORWARD THINKING
The Guide to Excellence
FORWARD THINKING
commitment to modern teaching methods has seen Omans United Private

Schools establish a reputation as one
of the most innovative educators in the
Gulf region.
Despite having opened its door as recently
as 2007, United Private Schools a network of
co-educational schools in Oman has already
made considerable progress. This is due in no
small part to an educational approach that is
all but unique in the Gulf region, one that gives
teachers the freedom to do much more than just
deliver the syllabus in a dry, didactic fashion.
INTERACTIVE TEACHING
Many of the classrooms at United Private
Schools are equipped with interactive whiteboards, and teachers and students alike make
extensive use of laptops. Teachers engage
with their students using various interactive
methods, explains Director of Schools Mr Nigel Melen. The teachers use their laptops and
internet facilities to connect to the classroom
whiteboards. In this way, old-fashioned teaching methods, such as delivering from the front
of the class, are being left behind. The next step
of the plan is to equip the students with tablet
computers.
The curriculum at United Private Schools
has benefited significantly from the adoption
of three major educational initiatives. Math
Genius is a Malaysian programme that focuses on alertness of mental response, through
the accurate and rapid reaction to flashcard
and abacus mathematical problems. Mad Science is a Canadian scheme based on a handson experimental approach to science learning.
And Fast Track Kids which is an American
initiative that delivers an English-language programme to promote cross-curricular learning.
www.MyEduZone.org
- This article was taken from The Guide to Excellence
2013 Edition, Global Education & Opportunities - by
Cambridge University Students Union
Photo of Classroom equipped with interactive whiteboard
These are programmes which, as part of the dayto-day timetable of all our students, complement
the mainstream maths, science and English programmes that already exist at the school, explains
Mr Nigel.
1 onwards is by application, placement evaluation and/or interview. Academic and behavioural

reports from previous schools are a prerequisite.
United Private Schools is also a centre for Cambridge International Examinations or IGCSE level.
WE HOPE TO EXPORT OUR EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE ACROSS FUTURE EXPANSION

THE REGION
The majority of the students at United Private
Schools are Omani nationals, but there are also
pupils from more than 30 different countries.
The teaching staff is equally multicultural, with
representatives from the UK, Ireland, the USA,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, to name a few. All the teachers are able to
contribute their own techniques and experiences
to the schools evolution. In this way, we can develop best practice from around the world, which
enriches practice and the cultural climate of our
schools, says Mr Nigel.
Every student has access to the whole of the
curriculum. However, non-Arab students have
the opportunity to take Beginners Arabic, and
non-Arabic speakers are able to take their social
studies programme in English.
At present, United Private Schools educate almost 3,000 students, from Early Years through to
Grade 11. Admission for all children from Grade
The ambition at United Private Schools is now

to develop an exemplary educational model for
the future and export it across the Middle East.
With demand set to grow, particularly in the capital city of Muscat, Grade 12 will be added next
year. We need to respond to the fact that roughly
50 per cent of the Omani population is under the
age of 16, says Mr Nigel. Its a remarkable demographic.
We anticipate that within five years, we will
have set up several more schools in the Muscat
area. We hope to be in a position to export our
educational initiative across the region at large,
and to project upwards into tertiary provision.
Mr Nigel Melen
Former Director of Schools
17
ARTICLE
WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD OUR COUNTRY
MoE Presentation
Working
Together to
Raise the
Standard
ased on the important role of communication and integration between educational institutions in Oman, UPS
invited Mrs Fatima,to attend the UPS
Introduction Presentation on the 21st of Sep
2013 held at Rikaz International Centre. Mrs
Fatima is the MOE Director of Private Education and the Department Supervisory Team.
School plans, curriculum, teaching and learn-
ing strategies were presented. In addition, areas of mutual interest were discussed and it
was agreed to continue the cooperation and
coordination between MOE and UPS for the
benefit of the two parties.
It is also worth noting that MOE has recently approved the UPS Assessment policy
for the academic year 2013/2014.
www.MyEduZone.org
Mrs Azza, MyEduZone CEO, introduces the presentation
MoE delegates
19
ARTICLE
BUILDING NEW BUSINESS IN ESTABLISHED ORGANISATION
New Milestone
Building New Business in

Established Organisation
Harvard Business School
www.MyEduZone.org
Group Photo of all Participants in the Training Course at Harvard Business School
July 7 - 12, 2013
MyEduZone CEO, Mrs Azza Al-Ismaili, attended a

one-week training on Building New Business in
Established Organisation at Harvard Business School
n effort to improve our overall performance,

Mrs.Azza Al Ismaili, the group CEO, attended a one-week training on Building New
Businesses in Established Organisation at
Harvard Business School.
The training focused on how to develop an
effective strategy that will ensure sustaining superior competitive performance. In addition,
the training shed light on how Strategy involves
gaining continuous insights about the external
market, weighing alternatives, developing strategic imperatives and ensuring the excitability
of that design by orchestrating and developing
the firms capabilities. Further more, the following topics were covered and discussed:
Themes
Why established businesses have difficulty
innovating.
Ambidexterity how to exploit the core
AND explore the future
Evolving the Business Model and Metrics.
Where to put new businesses and how to
manage them.
Building coalitions for success. Managing
up, across, and down.
Culture what it is and how can it be
quickly changed.
We believe that the knowledge gained during
the training, will help us improve all aspects of
our business.
21
ARTICLE
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CEO...
Achievement
Congratulations to our CEO, Mrs

Azza Al-Ismaili, on earning 2nd
Masters Degree
September 2013 MBA Graduates
www.MyEduZone.org
Mrs. Azza Al-Ismaili with Dr. Ken Blanchard, Author of The Situational Leadership concept, and over forty bestsellers books,
including the One Minute Manager.
he school family would like to extend

congratulation to our CEO Mrs.Azza Al
Ismaili on earning her second masters degree - with distinction-, Executive, Management, Business and Administrative EMBAprogram with the Ken Blanchard companies in
association with the Grand Canyon University,
Arizona, US.
Unlike other Executive MBA programs, the Ken
Blanchard EMBA begins and ends with leadership. Its a highly innovative program that has
been designed to combine Ken Blanchards renowned research on values-based leadership
with the rigor of a challenging executive-level
graduate business education.
EMBA curriculum was divided into 9 modules

that combine in-person residencies with online
instruction that enable students to develop the
critical thinking skills necessary to make the
right decisions that create value for customers,
keep employees fully engaged, and ensure profitability and sustainability for shareholders.
The program offered excellent opportunity for
direct interaction with great leaders includes
Ken Blanchard, Colleen Barrett, President
Emeritus from Southwest Airlines, Sheldon Harris responsible for the growth and development
of Cold Stone Creamery and bestselling author
Harvey Mackay.
The program lasted for thirteen months and the
23
ARTICLE
PRAYERS
Faith and Religion
Performing Prayers in Different

Branches of UPS
Al Muna Branch
Al Muna Branch
Al Athaiba Branch
Al Athaiba Branch
www.MyEduZone.org
Worship at fixed times hath been enjoined on

the believers. (103)
Chapter 4 Al-Nisa
And enjoin upon thy people worship, and be
constant therein. We ask not of thee a provision:
We provided for thee. And the sequel is for righteousness. (132)
Chapter 20 Taha
rayer is the second pillar of Islam, and it

is very important for us because of the
positive effect which comes through
prayer. Through prayer we become renewed with energy. It is a responsibility that
has been passed down throughout history
and was taught by the prophets. It makes
sense then, that prayer is one of the priorities
at UPS as this school seeks to graduate students with solid values.
Recognising that prayer is of critical importance, we have dedicated a set time for all
of the students to perform ritual purification,
pray together, read and study Islamic texts.
Prayer as part of the daily routine must be
fostered by teachers in order to help students
develop Islamic habits with commitment. At
UPS we want our students to develop moral

and ethical values.
Education and Islam go hand-in-hand
in developing conscientious and well-mannered students who will promote and develop a healthy society.
25
ARTICLE
EVENTS
UPS STUDENTS PRACTICED AL HAJJ
Islamic Pilgrimage
UPS students Practiced
AL-HAJJ
www.MyEduZone.org
ut of our concern for UPS students development of ethical values, we teach Islamic actions on a daily basis. UPS teaches students how to perform the rites of
Hajj in the proper order using experiential classes and teaching methods. The school has celebrated the enactment of the Islamic pilgrimage
since the establishment of the institution. Since
that time we have been teaching students to experience the journey through role play and a final performance in which they present all of the
steps in front of an audience. All UPS branches
train and teach students to perform all the rites
of Hajj in an amazing way so that they can carry
this important knowledge into practice in real
life in the future and become skilfully educated
citizens. The final performance includes students pronouncing Talbiah and Takbeer (Allah
is the greatest) together in unison. It is a beautiful scene to witness.

Students wear the dress of Hajj, recite and
perform the rites and bring a peaceful feeling
of awe to all who behold. This year, and every
year since the beginning of these performances, the audience has commented that while
watching the students perform they can feel the
life-changing experience of religious pilgrimage for the sake of Allah. It is through the students, teachers and staff members hard work
and dedication, along with the administrations
unwavering support, that such a powerful and
meaningful event can take place. We express
our gratitude to all who take part in making the
annual Hajj performance a success.
27
EVENTS
Annual Event
UPS Staff Induction Programme
he Schools Director, Dr Peter Mason,

and his deputies Mr Mitchell Jones
and Mrs Hanan Maraqa, had discussions with the UPS staff during the
Induction Day in all school branches between 25 and 27 Aug 2013.
All topics were discussed openly, freely
and were aimed at building cooperation and
effective working systems between staff in
all areas of the school and, also, to ensure
that all new teaching and support staff understood what would be expected of them,
their teams and their roles, and how to gain
support in achieving those expectations.
Teaching staff of Al Hail Lower branch
www.MyEduZone.org
Staff Training
UPS Summer Training

Programme for Teachers
A
A
s part of the Action Plan to improve

the schools performance and prepare the Strategic Plan for the beginning of the 2013-2014 school
year, workshops were held for the teachers
at UPS.
The Professional Coordinator Programme This programme was developed
for all coordinators and first rolled out over
two weeks when all the Arabic language
department coordinators participated. It
was presented by Mrs.Hanan Maraqa and
was presented as both an interactive and
practical course. It concluded with the coordinators completing various projects.
The Islamic program was presented by

Ms.Nadiya, the Tajweed teacher. This programme was presented to all Islamic and
elementary teachers.
Curriculum plans were prepared for use
by coordinators and teachers across all
branches of the organisation.
In addition many of our teachers actively
participated in the summer programme,
delivering summer school classes to many
students.
29
EVENTS
Lecture
Bus Drivers
Annual
Road Safety
Lecture
UPS drivers seminar
he safety and security of our students is of the utmost importance

to the Management and staff of
UPS, therefore, a workshop was
organised for the bus drivers.
The workshop was delivered by Mr
Ahmed Al-Ismaili, Deputy CEO of UPS
and focussed on the safety of the students as well as the drivers themselves.
The drivers were reminded to be aware
of the rules of the road and to abide by
them at all times. It was stressed that
the students be made aware of the seat
belts and that these must be worn. The
students must be told to remain in their
seats and must not jump around in the
bus.
The drivers were reminded that the

use of cell phones is not allowed when
driving and that the speed limit is not to
be exceeded.
The workshop was successful and the
drivers benefited from the experience.
www.MyEduZone.org
Special Event
A Special
Start to the
2013-2014
School
Year
his year the Academic and Administrative staff decided to welcome

the students to the new academic
year in a different way.
The differing ages of the students were
taken into consideration and the welcome
arranged appropriately.
For the older students motivational
phrases were posted around the school
which were aimed at helping them to
think about their goals for the year ahead.
The younger students were greeted by
cartoon characters who welcomed the students to the school. Each student was given a badge with their name, their teachers
name, class, contact numbers and transport information.

First Grade students were helped to
memorise the National Anthem and the
Arabic teachers were a great asset in helping them to learn the correct pronunciation.
All in all UPS aims to foster good

relations between the students
and their teachers thus creating a
positive attitude towards learning.
31
EVENTS
Protecting Environment
UPS Students Enjoy

'Go Green' Seminar
he students of United Private

Schools are well informed about
global warming. We teach and encourage our students to respect
mother earth by minimising waste, recycling and conserving water. That is why
UPS invited a well-known international
organisation, Association International
des tudiants en Sciences Economics et
Commercials (AIESEC) or International
Association of Students in Economic and
Commercial Sciences (in English), to conduct a seminar for our students to help become more aware of the key issues.
AIESEC, an international organisation located in France, is the sponsor of
the Omani Go Green campaign; a campaign to encourage recycling. Their local
organisation in Oman visited our school
www.MyEduZone.org
branches during the 3rd week

of September to conduct seminars. Their staff included: Bart
van Lidth de Jeude from Netherland, Faiza Guechi from Algeria, Ms Inga from Germany
and our national local representative, Amna Al-Hooti from
Sultan Qaboos University.
They were surprised by the knowledge
of our students on recycling issues. The
programme included a question and answer time and a painting session where
the students were encouraged by the organisers to express their thoughts on the
subject in a creative manner.
The organisers were impressed with the
response from our students and enjoyed
their enthusiastic interaction and involve-
ment.
After the seminar, Ms Kawthar AlHarthi, our Public Relations Manager,
interviewed the visitors and asked them
about their thoughts on our students and
Oman. They said they enjoyed visiting
UPS and would like more seminars to be
conducted. One of the reasons they enjoy
working in Oman is because of the friendly local residents and the traditional infrastructure. They also noticed that Omanis
are very committed as Muslims and commented on the many beautiful mosques in
and around Muscat.
33
EVENTS
Protecting Environment
Technical
College Students
Hold a
Workshop at
UPS
PS spares no effort in keeping our

students aware of environmental issues through education. On 19 September 2013, UPS, Atheiba Branch
received a group of three college students
who delivered a lecture to Grade 6 students on recycling and using Eco-friendly
products. The aim of the lecture was to
help the students understand the importance of recycling.
The workshop was most successful and
our students were encouraged to think of
ways to recycle unwanted products.
The visiting students were most impressed with our students and their lively
and enthusiastic response to the activities
which they provided.
In a meeting with Khalfan Al-Ismaili, Maria Ali and Marwa Al-Riyami the
owners of Green Kashkool Company they
said, We are participants in the Injaz
competition which encourages college
students to start their own business in a
professional way.
We thought about the Green Kashkool
Company which produces Greenkashkool

Eco-friendly products. Greenkashkool is
a service and a product which helps students to organise themselves and motivates them to go eco-friendly for a green
future. We have learned so much from
this project which has taught the process
of starting a business. We came to give
a lecture on recycling and to share our
experience with school students. Were
hoping that we will be a good influence
in helping to keep the world safe and with
less pollution. We would like to inspire
UPS students to have creative ideas to decreasing environmental problems starting
with the products we use, Maria added.
Marwa said, I am amazed at the UPS
students and their understanding of environmental issues.
Khalfan Al-Ismaili said , I think it is
really important to educate young students about recycling and show them the
importance of keeping the world green
and all the different ways in which we can
help to save the environment.
Khalfan Al-Ismaili, one of the organisers and Technical College student, guides the UPS student on how
to colour the artwork about recycling.
www.MyEduZone.org
National Record Attempt
he children at Athaiba took part in

an exciting, healthy and active record attempt. All the children from
grade
three to six hooped continuously for three minutes. They were
allowed breaks of no more than 10 seconds. The children pracitised really hard
prior to the attempt. They were incredibly
excited on the day of the event. They left
their classrooms at 9.35am

accompanied by their teacher (who acted as a recorder)
and moved into position.
The horn was sounded at precisely 10.00am and 159 hoopers
began hooping! Three minutes later a
new national hooping record had been
set. 147 Athaiba students successfully
hooped continuously for 3 minutes. Well
done!
35
ACTIVITY
Students Health Care

GRADE 3s AT AL HAIL LOWER HAVE
SPEEDY DENTAL CHECK-UPS
A
A
s part of the Grade 3 topic on Teeth and

Eating, a dentist Dr. Layla and her dental
nurse from Harub Dental Surgery visited
the school on 22 October. The children
were given a quick dental check-up as well as advice on how to keep their teeth healthy. This visit
was very successful and hopefully Grade 3s will
be able to put into practice everything they have
learned. Thank you to Ms. Danni for making the
arrangements.
www.MyEduZone.org
Farewell to Mr. Nigel

and a Warm Welcome
to Dr. Peter
www.MyEduZone.org
Our New Books in

Arabic Department
r. Nigel made a great contribution to the development of UPS,

establishing new educational
systems to ensure the continued
progression of the company. We are sorry to see Mr. Nigel leave as he continues
with his own personal development in
education in the UAE.
Things constantly change and we are
pleased to welcome Dr Peter to help lead
the company into the future. Dr Peter has
a PhD in Engineering and he has worked
at developing educational strategy plans.
He is currently very busy working with
his team in developing the next five year
plan which will build on the continued
success of UPS.
Mr Nigel Melen
We apologise for the delay

in the arrival of the new
school uniforms. We hope
they will be ready in the
near future.
Thank you for your
patience in this regard.
- UPS CEO
37
ARTICLE
UNITED PRIVATE SCHOOLS
A School with Solid Values

www.MyEduZone.org
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elcome to UPS, a school which believes

in good solid values, its motto being,
the spirit grows with taste. The aim of
the school is to provide a superior education with an Omani flavour by designing a programme incorporating the solid values of the Omani traditions and heritage.
This programme is being delivered by teachers
who share and show by example these values to
our students and parents. UPS is looking forward
to developing a unique harmony between teachers,
students, parents and society.
39
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NOVEMBER 2013 | ISSUE 1 | VOLUME 3

Mr Abdul Aziz Al-Rawahi

Mrs Azza Al-Ismaili, MyEduZone CEO

Featuring 2 Outstanding Omani Teachers

Our Foundation and Principles:

HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said

UPS Reviews the General Strategic Plan

Abdul Aziz Al-Rawahi joins UPS

Dr. Jalal Al-Qarsi Establishes a New Department

A highlighting three outstanding Omani teaching staff

An article from The Guide to Excellence 2013 Edition, Global

Working Together to Raise the Standard

Building New Business in Established Organisation

Congratulations to our CEO

Another great achievement obtained by Mrs Azza Al-Ismaili, a

Performing Prayers in Different Branches of

UPS Students Practiced Al Hajj

UPS - A School with Solid Values

Our aim is to provide a superior education with an Omani flavour

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

From the CEO

Educating the mind without educating

(1) For more info, visit : Improving School

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

UPS REVIEWS THE GENERAL STRATEGIC PLAN

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

MR ABDUL AZIZ AL-RAWAHI JOINS UPS

t the beginning of this academic year UPS

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

ed to be involved in the Research and Studies

Mr Ahmed Al-Ismaili, Deputy CEO, and Mr Abdul Aziz Al-Rawahi

good primary planning

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

DR JALAL JOINS UPS ESTABLISHING A NEW DEPARTMENT

10 MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

Dr Jalal during the meeting with MoE

more about special education so I decided to do

which supports all the branches by providing the

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

PS values its Omani teachers and

12 MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

We asked her the following questions:

of supervising elementary and preparatory

their skills in the field of knowledge and

Name: Bushra Naser Mohammed AlSawafi

MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

based on adopting ideas and concepts that

14 MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

as painting, sculpting, photograph, etc. I

Arts are an important field in our life

I started teaching my creative students at

In your experience, have you faced obstacles in your career?

What value did you add to the subject as

I think that arts and sports teachers

As an artist, what has inspired me the

How do you manage between work, activities and home?

I acknowledge the fact that teachers care

At UPS, we are constantly aware of quality concerning all

The Guide to Excellence

commitment to modern teaching methods has seen Omans United Private

16 MyEduZone Newsletter | November 2013

Photo of Classroom equipped with interactive whiteboard