Enabling Collaboration, Sharing, & Support for Educators
لقراءة النشرة باللغة العربية، الرجاء الضغط هنا 
Welcome to the first RAKTN newsletter of 2016! We hope you're enjoying a great start to the new year. 

As a new semester begins, the Foundation is excited to share information on the successful launch of the Whole School Renewal Program, including the associated Advisory Council. We are also pleased to share that registration for Spring Teacher Professional Development courses will open on 24th January. In addition to returning favorites, two new courses have been added. Also, don't forget to check out the teaching resources, upcoming deadlines, and school news featured in this edition of the newsletter.

We wish you a productive new semester and look forward to seeing you all in our programs this term.

Warm regards,
Dr. Natasha Ridge
Executive Director

Whole School Renewal Program Launched!
This year, Al Qasimi Foundation is very excited to have launched the Whole School Renewal Program. This program is a new initiative that aims to develop and implement school-wide policy measures to foster a healthy and engaging school culture in Ras Al Khaimah. For the past few months, we have been working on the research component of the program. We began by identifying various aspects of Ras Al Khaimah’s school culture through surveys and focus groups, while engaging with different stakeholder groups to gain clearer insights into the strengths and weaknesses of schools in Ras Al Khaimah. We are now about to start collecting survey data in select schools. We hope this will be an opportunity for the Al Qasimi Foundation to find ways to give meaningful support to the education system in Ras Al Khaimah.

We would also like to extend special thanks to the distinguished members of our program’s Advisory Council, which functions as an important sounding board for this initiative: Dr. Faisal Obaid Ahmad Al Tunaiji, Ms. Najat Al Mansoori, Mr. Saeed Ahmad Rabba, Ms. Moza Al Tunaiji, Mr. Muhammad Ata, Mr. Gehad Al Najjar, Ms. Fatima Abbss, Ms. Sumayya Al Shehhi, Ms. Asma Abdulaabiziz Al Zaabi, Mr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Adeeb, Ms. Ameena Al Shehhi, Student Amna Abdullah Al Zabbi, and Student Saeed Al Shehhi. We are truly grateful for their valuable feedback and support.

As our program moves forward, we hope to continue working together to make the Whole School Renewal Program a constructive and rewarding initiative for improving the lives of those involved in education in Ras Al Khaimah.

Learn more about the Whole School Renewal Program from several members of the Advisory Council.
News & Events
Professional Development Courses
Registration for Spring Teacher Professional Development courses opens on 24th January 2016. There will be four courses offered this term, including two that are new. Please see the individual course pages for additional information on workshop content, meeting dates/times, and application instructions:
Upcoming Deadlines
Teaching Resources
Check out the links below for resources that may be helpful as you prepare for a new term with your students:
Follow us on Twitter!
For the latest news on education, Ras Al Khaimah, and the UAE, follow the Al Qasimi Foundation on Twitter! Learn more about how we support the social, cultural, and economic development of our community and why it matters to you.
School News
Ever wonder what’s going on at other Ras Al Khaimah schools while you’re hard at work teaching your students? Here’s what schools have been up to over the last month. If you’d like your school’s news to be featured send a message to Hanadi.
Arabic Reading challenge project in Al Salf Al Saleh Private School 
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has initiated the Arabic Reading Challenge, with the goal of using 50 million Arabic books to promote a reading culture and awareness among youth in UAE schools.

In response to this challenge, the Capacity Development Center for Special Needs Students at Al Salf Al Saleh Private School implemented the program to encourage students with special needs to read more. This project aims to achieve the following objectives: 
  1. Improve students’ Arabic language skills and increase their level of fluency.
  2. Contribute to students’ emotional and intellectual development.
  3. Encourage students to take initiative in their learning through reading.
For the first phase, students have selected books based on their interests and have started to read them. The second phase will include inviting parents to attend outdoor reading sessions with their children to share in the pleasure of reading.
Our Mission

The Ras Al Khaimah Teachers Network exists to enable community educators to collaborate, share knowledge, and support one another.

All teachers and education leaders in Ras Al Khaimah are welcome to join this network, share their experiences, ask questions, and support one another by making Ras Al Khaimah an inspiring and transformative teaching and learning environment.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research
  www.alqasimifoundation.com
  P: +971 7 233 8060 | F: +971 7 233 8070