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BACK TO SCHOOL
Twitter.com: @GNFocus
TUITION TROUBLE
As UAE schools raise
fees yet again, parents
tell us their fears
PAGE 5
VIRTUAL LESSONS
Local developers turn to VR and
AR tech to help children learn in
more interesting ways
Facebook.com/GNFocus
PAGE 3
PAGE 2
Online: www.gulfnews.com/GN-Focus
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Instagram: @GNFocus
THINGS TO DO
Make a sporty start to
the beginning of term
with our handy checklist
Parenting still
key in education
of screenagers
●● A teacher highlights what
parents need to know
about schooling in the digital age
one year later. But I am
more pragmatic as I’ve
become acutely aware of
the intense pressures on
students in this era of relentless social media connectivity and exam-driven success.
Social pressures
Perhaps the greatest
difference I’ve noticed in
the modern student from
the students of my day —
all 11 years ago —in the
hallowed corridors of education is the constant
surveillance of popularity
played out on the relentless social media platforms
that all kids, from 6 to 18,
have become addicted to.
If the age of the bookworm is dead, this is the
era of the screenager.
Social media — specifically Snapchat and
Instagram — as one colleague says, has presented
schools and teachers with
the biggest headache regarding bullying.
With smartphones and
tablets as common to
students as books once
were, social pressures are
relentless. I think they
are far greater and more
public than when I was at
school. Back then twitter
had one definition and it
was something birds did.
Stefan Lindeque/GN Focus
O
n my first day
as an English
teacher, an inquisitive A-level student asked me why
I decided to ditch journalism and teach.
Rather
optimistically,
and perhaps naively, I said
making the language of
great writers accessible to
today’s young minds offers an unparalleled feeling of intrinsic worth; that
fostering the development
of ambitious young people
is an exciting and rewarding prospect.
It was my first day. And
perhaps I was naively
optimistic. That’s not to
say I’m not as idealistic
By T hom a s Bi lli ng h ur s t
Special to GN Focus
● Think Pokémon in a lunch box sounds too good to be true? Wrong.
See page 4 to learn how to make a Pikachu burger and more
TURN OVERLEAF
376604
Thursday, August 18, 2016 | Gulf News
2
BACK TO SCHOOL
Touch of class
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Parenting and
screenagers
The battle
But parents can help
teachers combat the pervasive intrusion of social
media into the lives of
their progeny.
My colleague Dr Parry,
Head teacher of Coopers’
Company and Coborn
School in Upminster, Essex, says: “Too often, parents see social media as a
surrogate parent, as they
deal with the complexities
of their own lives. There
is something ironic in the
nomenclature of smartphone, when it is insidiously corroding young
lives through its malice
and fiction.
“Parents must monitor
their children’s use of social media and not make
any assumptions that
there is sufficient wisdom
not to be exposed to the
malignant.”
In the UAE the influence
of social media in young
people’s lives has led to
a frustrating distraction
from basic schoolwork
like reading, says one Abu
Dhabi teacher who spoke
to me on condition of anonymity.
“Because many students have their reading
on a Kindle or tablet, they
end up, instead of reading what they should for
school, spending endless
hours on social media sites
purely because they’ve
got a tablet in their hand
rather than a book,” the
teacher said.
Thomas Billinghurst
Teacher, Coopers’ Company
and Coborn School
●● Cyberbullying
virtual reality technologies to build smartphones apps
for learning and play
There is a dearth of
reading being done by students at home, but whether technology is entirely to
blame is debatable.
By De e pak Kar ambe lkar
Special to GN Focus
Personal interest
I’ve taught a 13-yearold who, as part of his further learning at home, had
chosen to read War and
Peace. I have also taught
17-year-olds who thought
War and Peace was an
Xbox game. Each has had
the same kind of access to
technology.
But the example highlights how the individual
student’s drive remains
as important as government iniatives or wacky
new teaching techniques
that remove responsibility
from the students themselves.
Once again, the importance of parental involvement in the teaching process cannot be overstated.
With the increasing exposure of best practice and
expected standards being
placed on teachers there is
a parental attitude that ‘if
they’re learning at school,
they don’t have to learn at
home’. This couldn’t be
further from the truth.
Some parents view their
children’s time at home
as deserved downtime,
which is natural and correct: everyone needs to relax and unwind.
However, balance remains the key. It’s clear
which students continue
their learning at home due
to enthusiastic parents
who take an active interest
in their son’s or daughter’s
studies at school: they
come to the next lesson
having mastered the previous learning objectives
and are ready to move on
to extended tasks.
The converse is also apparent. Students whose
learning hasn’t been supported at home inevitably
while their time away on
game consoles and iPads
making friends with unknowable
cyber-people
who don’t always offer advice on algebra or Shakespeare. These are also the
students who tend to forget their homework.
This dichotomy of parental attitudes — call it
parental pressure and parental apathy — is perhaps
the fundamental difference in a given student’s
approach to classroom
learning.
For education to be truly
successful, parents must
play their part. n
Shutterstock
Life for kids is now a
24X7 popularity contest.
If you’re having problems
making friends or with
bullies at school, it’s no
longer confined to the
playground, classroom or
common room.
If you’re deemed unpopular by your peers at
school, you’re now unpopular everywhere, all
the time.
Now, with so much of
students’ lives played
out on the internet, cyberbullying has become
a scourge for students,
teachers and parents from
the UK to the UAE.
● Local developers are leveraging augmented and
W
Dany Al Eid
Founder and CEO,
pixelbug
Dinesh Lalvani
CEO,
Growl Media
Shadi Al Hassan
CEO,
Flagship Projects
hat is 500 feet tall, can ride a jetpack, hangglide over the Himalayas and race up Mt Everest? Well, it is Verne the Yeti. Released earlier
this month, Verne: The Himalayas is Google’s take on an
educational app that lets young ones explore the mountain range in glorious 3D, while imparting information
and letting kids try out traditional Himalayan instruments. Google Maps’ official blog says the move was a
deliberate attempt to use existing 3D imagery to make
learning about the world fun for kids.
Market insights firm Infiniti Research estimates that as
of March 2015 there were 3.17 million apps available in
app stores, about 15 per cent of which were categorised
under education. The segment is expected to grow at a
compound annual growth rate of 34.72 per cent through
to 2019. Although the first educational apps were largely
a port of physical media, the latest leverage cutting-edge
tech, delivering immersive experiences that educate
children on an array of topics. For instance, this year’s
winner of the Kids at Play Interactive (KAPi) Awards for
Best App or Product for Younger Children was The Foos
Coding 5+, where animated creatures present challenges
that can be solved by code. Previous winners include Lumikids involving logic puzzles and Storybots that combines humour and learning.
In the UAE, the British Council has more than a dozen educational apps on its website to teach kids proper
grammar, enhance their vocabulary and prepare them
for English-language exams. Faraz Waqar, Head of Marketing and Communications at the British Council UAE,
reveals Johnny Grammar and IELTS apps have been
the most popular in this region: “The UAE is the second-biggest educational app market after Saudi Arabia
for downloads and the biggest for income, and this is
consistent with our own apps’ performance. These apps
are unique because we’ve blended free play with guided
language progression, gradually increasing the linguistic
and cognitive challenge.
“How learners interact with digital and physical spaces
is an interesting new area and we will be looking at how
best to enable learner’s English-learning opportunities.”
The educational apps category is also attracting local
developers. Abu Dhabi-based AlphaApps is engaging
kids with games such as Chivi and The Sira App —
an interactive gamebook that teaches the story
of Islam. Ayham Gorani, its founder, says most
app users are from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and
the US. “We wanted to give children in the
region apps in a quality they would associate with international apps. We want kids to
● Verne the Yeti guides kids through
the Himalayas with Google Maps tech
EDUTAINMENT TOOLS FOR GOOD
The lack of localised content
and assistive technologies led
to the creation of BabNoor,
an app that helps children
with a range of disabilities,
including autism and Down’s
syndrome. Shadi Al Hassan,
CEO of Dubai-based Flagship
Projects, the app developer,
says the response has been
great so far from children,
child development centres,
parents, doctors and even the
government.
“[Conditions for]
developing apps and content
for children in the UAE are
probably the best in the
region. You will find a healthy
environment to do so, from
the legal set-up to the access
of talents and technology.”
The CEO adds that his
company is working on new
edutainment apps that
leverage AR, VR, green screen
and Li-Fi technology.
Hassan explains that a
big challenge here is catering
to many nationalities
speaking different languages
and coming from different
cultures. “You somehow lose
focus of whom you should
target using which language
and so forth,” he says.
Maybe this is where pictures
may be worth a thousand
words — especially when
combined with AR.
— D.K.
Shutterstock
is a reality for many students today
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● The Sira App by Abu Dhabi-based AlphaApps is an
interactive gamebook that teaches stories of Islam
be amazed.” He has been tracking the Pokémon Go craze
in the UAE, and AlphaApps is developing an augmented
reality (AR) app for kids that will be a “totally new” concept. “Pokémon is a perfect example that with the right
concept you can still land big hits in the app market.”
One educational AR app already out there is Colorbug,
developed by Dubai-based pixelbug. Dany Al Eid, Founder and CEO, says its goal is for kids to learn in fun and
interactive ways while improving motor skills — they
have to use a pen to colour a physical sheet of paper before seeing their creations come to life. Along the way, Al
Eid gained a better understanding of what works in this
category. “For example, when we first launched the app
we thought kids would be more inclined to listening to
entertaining character voiceovers. However, we noticed
they want to interact with the character right away. So
we began building content to be more interactive and
gamified.” He says these apps also need to appeal to
another target market: parents.
Al Eid claims Colorbug has a global footprint,
with most users in the US and Saudi Arabia.
And with AR becoming popular, the app has
seen a threefold increase in demand. In fact,
Al Eid feels Pokémon Go has been beneficial
for everyone in the AR/VR industry, since it
brought the technology into mainstream consciousness: “Despite rudimentary AR in Pokemon
Go, it validated people’s interest in using the real
world with digital interactions. We are using it as a
case study.” Pixelbug is working on a mixed reality
experience where children use VR to explore different
environments and topics.
Growl Media, another UAE-based developer, offers a
roster of edutainment apps such as Appy Oceans, Appy
Animals, Alfie’s ABC and Zee’s World Adventures. Its
CEO, Dinesh Lalvani, says the apps have been downloaded more than 2.5 million times and bagged awards such
as Best of 2014 on Apple’s App Store. Top countries using
these apps include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and India, while over 375,000 monthly active users spend more
than 12 million minutes a month on them. Lalvani calls
the UAE a melting pot with every possible demographic
represented. “But with this comes the challenge of marketing to our audience as there is not one key channel
that you can use to connect with them.”
Lalvani says AR and VR can enhance learning if used
properly. “Though for early years education, we feel VR
can be a bit overstimulating for children.”
Whatever it is you’re looking to teach your kids, chances are there’s an app for it. n
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Printed and published by
Al Nisr Publishing LLC
Distributed by
Al Nisr Distribution LLC
Gulf News | Thursday, August 18, 2016
BACK TO SCHOOL
3
Education comes at a price
●● Annual
fee hike for Dubai schools announced by KHDA puts financial pressure on parents
By H ina Navin
Special to GN Focus
cent). Fifty-seven schools
ranked as Good can raise
fees up to 1.5 times of the
ECI (4.81 per cent); 56 rated as Acceptable and seven rated Weak are allowed
a rise equivalent to the ECI
base rate (3.21 per cent).
While every parent
wants to provide their
children the best possible education, annual fee
hikes add extra pressure to
monthly budgets.
“The school fee is an expense that is compulsive
in nature,” says Pakistani
national Raza Ur Rahman,
39, whose son is to be admitted to year one at Gems
Wellington Academy — Al
Khail. The fee there has
risen by Dh3,130 (4.8 per
cent). DSIB provides the
school a Very Good ranking, permitting the institution to raise fees by as
much as 5.61 per cent.
“The increase has come
without any real rise in the
quality of service,” says
Rahman, who works as a
Financial Controller for a
global health care compa-
ny. “It has also come too
late when we have already
paid the registration fee
for next year, which I believe is a kind of violation
of the original agreement,
limiting the parent’s decision to retain their ward in
the same school.
“Schools in general and
some in particular are
overpriced. However, there
is a supply issue, which allows these schools to keep
fees high,” he says.
Filipino parent Benedict
Carpio, 50, has a daughter
studying in tenth grade
and son in eighth grade at
United International Private School. The institution is rated Good, making
it eligible to increase fees
by up to 4.81 per cent.
“The annual fee increase dictated by KHDA
is naturally becoming
more challenging for us,”
says Carpio, a cabin crew
coordinator with a leading
airline in Dubai. “My family relies on my monthly paycheck as my wife
works only on a part-time
basis. Therefore, any fee
increase is challenging.”
Raza Ur Rahman
Pakistani
Benedict Carpio
Filipino
Manish Chopra
Indian
Shikha Garg
Indian
W
ith
the
K n owl e d g e
and Human
Development
Authority (KHDA) permitting private schools
to raise fees between 3.21
and 6.42 per cent for the
new academic year, meeting school costs just got
tougher for Dubai parents.
The base rate to increase
fees is set at 3.21 on the
2016 Education Cost Index (ECI), which has risen by 0.29 per cent from
last year’s 2.92 per cent.
Dubai Statistics Centre
takes into account the
consumer price index and
school operating costs —
including teacher salaries,
rent, maintenance and
utilities — to calculate the
ECI. Schools are capped
to increase fees by a certain percentage based on
their ranking in the Dubai
School Inspection Bureau’s (DSIB) annual inspection report.
Rank-based inflation
In Dubai, 16 schools
ranked as Outstanding in
the DSIB inspection report are qualified to increase fees up to double
that of the ECI (up to 6.42
per cent, as per the KHDA’s fee framework) while
13 schools rated as Very
Good by DSIB are eligible to raise fees up to 1.75
times of the ECI (5.61 per-
Shutterstock
●● Students
at a UAE school. While every parent wants to provide their children
with the best possible education, fee hikes add extra pressure to monthly budgets
A fair cost?
Back benchers
●● Pack a wallop with one of these all-new
quirky backpacks. Because they’re the most
exciting bit about going back to school
FINDING DORY
Add fun and fervour this
academic year with the
characters who are part of
your child’s favourite stories
From Dh34 to Dh189,
Lifestyle
SPORT CRAZY
GLITTER BOMB
Fans can now flaunt their trolley bags
with this exciting range from Champions
League winners Real Madrid
Dh179, Babyshop
You’ll never get lost with this funky
metallic bag. It’s just too cool for school
Spiral at Namshi, Dh190
Compiled by Amrita Divecha/Special to GN Focus
MONSTER MANIA
Keep the Pokémon Go trend going
strong with this classic characterthemed style. Somebody might just
chase your backpack
Dh170, Desertcart.ae
NAUGHTY
NAUTICALIA
For toddlers who
commence their
scholastic journey next
month, this quilted mini
rucksack is easy to handle
for your little one
Dh125, Cath Kidston
FLOWER POWER
The pretty floral
print keeps the spirit
of autumn alive. A
bag that can hold
everything and
go anywhere
Dh199, Steve
Madden
For Indian parent Manish Chopra, 38, a business
development professional, the fee rise is posing a
hurdle of a different kind.
“As parents, we want
to save enough for our
children’s higher education, so the increase in
primary schooling fees
makes that more challenging for us, putting
additional pressure on
our monthly outgoings.”
Chopra’s daughter is in
KG1 at Gems Modern
Academy, which received
an Outstanding ranking.
“The fee has increased
by 5 per cent. With this increase, we have to shuffle
between our priorities to
fulfill the additional outgoing. On the plus side,
the school education offered here is outstanding.”
Indian mum Shikha
Garg, 39, has a child in
grade six and another in
grade four at Gems Winchester Oud Metha. The
school increased fees by
3 per cent, she says. “The
tuition fees are reasonable
compared to other schools
but the rise in fees is not
being matched by a similar
rise in quality of education.
“I see a lack of discipline
at school and believe they
should consider investing
in qualified and experienced staff on board. We
also wanted to move our
kids to a CBSE curriculum,
so, we opted to change
their school from this
term,” adds Garg. n
TOUGH
CHOICES
Ex-banker Aisha Zafar,
36, is a mum of three.
Her daughter studies at
Ibn Seena English High
School, while her son had
to stop studying due to
financial constraints. As
her younger son, five, now
readies for school, Zafar
has decided to head back
to her hometown, Lahore.
“We can’t afford the
fees for all three, as UAE
schools are increasing
fees every year. Both
schools are looking at a
5 per cent increase,” she
says. “We are a middle
class family where both
parents work. We want to
give the best education
to our kids but it’s a
difficult decision [on]
whether it should be
given here or back home.
“Educating kids in
the UAE is incredibly
expensive. I have to
go back home for my
children’s future. My
husband will stay [here].”
— H.N.
Thursday, August 18, 2016 | Gulf News
4
Gulf News | Thursday, August 18, 2016
BACK TO SCHOOL
BACK TO SCHOOL
“After a few weeks of later
bedtimes and lie-ins, start
to pull the bedtime back by
a little bit each day leading
up to the start of term and
the children will hardly notice.
It also helps to start getting
them up a little bit earlier each
morning to make sure that
6am start on Sunday is not
too much of a shock.”
Work on mental
training
In sport and in life, mental
sharpness is everything. A
tip for helping children settle
back into a learning mindset is
to keep their brains engaged
during the holidays. “Cut down
on screen time and introduce
activities focused around
reading together, playing word
games and mental arithmetic,”
says McKenzie. “You can do
this in a fun and interactive
way to keep them interested.” ● The Pokémon craze doesn’t have to end in
term time. From brilliant bento boxes to pretty
party puds, we tapped into the trend so you can
score points with the kids
sushi Pokéballs
garnished with vegg
ies;
Above: Pikachu beef
burger
with skewered mozza
rella
and cherry tomatoes
FOR THE BURGER BUNS
Serves 4 | Cooking time: 2 hrs
Ingredients
● 50ml milk
● 30ml water
● 1 tbsp unsalted butter,
softened
● 250g all-purpose flour
● 1 tsp yeast
● 1 tsp sugar
● 1/4 tsp salt
● 1 egg
● Burger buns
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Heat milk, water and butter
until warm in a small pan.
3. Mix 200g flour, yeast, sugar
and salt in a large bowl. Mix
the milk mixture into the flour
mixture before mixing in the egg.
4. Stir in the remaining flour,
beating well for 5 minutes.
5. When the dough has formed,
knead until smooth and elastic,
about 10 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 4 equal
pieces, shape into smooth balls
and place on a greased baking
sheet. Cover and let it rise for
45-60 minutes.
7. Bake them for 10 minutes.
Apply egg wash on the surface
and bake for another 5 minutes.
Leave aside to cool down.
FOR THE BEEF PATTY
Serves 4 | Cooking time:
30 mins
Ingredients
● 200g minced beef
● 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
● 2 tsp chopped onion
● 2 tsp chopped carrot
● 2 tsp chopped celery
● 1 egg
Method
1. Mix all the ingredients. Season.
2. Divide the mix into 20
portions and flatten each
into round shapes.
3. Grill both sides for 3-4 mins.
FOR THE QUINOA
CRACKERS
Serves 4 | Cooking time:
45 mins | Difficulty:
Medium
Ingredients
● 150g quinoa flour
● 1/2 tsp salt
● 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil
● 100ml warm water
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Set
out a large baking sheet.
2. Spread a silicone baking mat
on a level surface and lightly
sprinkle with quinoa flour.
3. In a bowl, whisk the quinoa
flour and a little salt. Make a well
in the centre and add in the oil
and warm water and mix.
4. Place the dough on the
silicone mat. Lightly dust a rolling
pin with quinoa flour and roll out
the dough to 2mm thickness.
Cut the dough into an ear shape.
Sprinkle the remaining salt on
top and gently press it into the
dough. Transfer the silicone mat
to the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes
until crunchy. Cool to room
temperature on the baking mat.
Transfer to an airtight container.
FOR THE POTATO CRISPS
Serves 4 | Cooking time: 1 hr |
Difficulty: Easy
(SUSHI RICE BALL)
Serves 2 | Cooking time:
1 hr 20 mins
Ingredients
● 100g cooked sushi rice
● 60g 1mm-thin, round slice
of yellow fin tuna
● 1 nori sheet
● 1 radish, thinly sliced
Method
1. Tear two sheets of cling film
and place flat on the worktop.
2. Make a sushi rice ball, transfer
to the centre of the sheet. Place
the tuna on top and pull corners
of the cling film together so you
have a sphere. Twist excess cling
film on top with one hand while
shaping the ball with the other.
Gently squeeze out
trapped air.
Unwrap
the film.
Ingredients
1 local potato
● 1 purple potato
● 50g flour
● 300ml frying oil
● 50g salt
Method
1. Slice potatoes into 2mm-thin
slices. Soak in salted cold water
for 40 minutes. Drain, then rinse
and drain again. Dust with flour.
2. Heat the oil in a fryer to 180°C.
3. Fry potato slices in small
batches. On turning golden
in colour, remove and place
on paper towels.
4. Sprinkle salt over fried chips.
●● Getting kids
●
ASSEMBLY
Ingredients
● Lettuce leaves
● Tomato slices
● Cheddar cheese slices
To assemble
1. Cut the burger bun into
slices and toast under the grill.
Sandwich the patty between the
bun, top with lettuce, tomato or
cheddar cheese.
2. Insert the ear-shaped chips
into the bun. Toast in the oven
to toast.
3. Cut the nori into a strip
2X80mm. Place between the rice
and tuna, tighten to form a belt.
Cut radish into a 3mm round and
place as the belt buckle.
CHOCOLATE CHIP
COOKIES
5. Drop by large spoonful
on your lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
15 portions | Prep and
cooking time: 1 hr
VANILLA CUPCAKES
Ingredients
● 100g bread flour
● 60g cake flour
● 25g hazelnut powder
● 1/2 tsp salt
● 100g butter
● 90g caster sugar
● 90g brown sugar
● 1 egg
● 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
● 180g dark chocolate chips
● 90g walnuts
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line the baking tray with
baking paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk bread flour,
cake flour, hazelnut powder
and salt together. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric
mixer with the paddle
attachment, slowly cream
together the butter, caster
sugar and brown sugar until
smooth. Beat in the egg,
then stir in the vanilla, flour
mixture, dark chocolate chips
and walnuts.
10 portions
Ingredients
● 150g flour
● 1/4 tsp baking powder
● 100g butter
● 100g sugar
● 4 whole eggs
● 20ml milk
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Line a cupcake/muffin pan
with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk
together flour and baking
powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric
mixer, cream butter and sugar
with the whisk attachment
on medium speed, gradually
adding the eggs.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low
and add the milk. Beat until
just combined and smooth,
scraping down the sides. The
batter should be nice and thin.
5. Pour into the lined pan. Fill
until three-fourths full.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Let
cool in the pan for a couple of
minutes before removing.
ROLLED FONDANT
FOR POKÉMON
Ingredients
● 60ml cold water
● 1 tbsp unflavoured gelatin
● 120ml light corn syrup
● 1 tbsp glycerine
● 1 tbsp clear flavouring
● 1kg powdered sugar
● Edible colours, as desired
● Corn starch, for dusting
Method
1. Place the cold water in a
small microwave-safe bowl
and sprinkle the gelatin on
top. Let the gelatin set and
soften for two minutes. Once
set, microwave the gelatin for
15 seconds until it liquefies,
but do not let it boil.
2. Stir in corn syrup, glycerine
and desired flavourings.
Microwave for 15 seconds
more. Stir again until the
mixture is smooth and clear.
3. Place the powdered sugar
in the bowl of a large stand
mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment and make a well
in the centre.
4. Pour the melted gelatin
prepared for a new
term is a huge
sporting feat that
requires parents
to put in serious
training — here’s
how to win gold
mixture over the corn syrup
into the well.
5. Mix at low speed until the
liquid is incorporated. Scrape
down the sides of the bowl so
all the sugar is incorporated.
Remove from the mixer.
6. Dust the table with
powdered sugar or corn flour
and knead the fondant dough
to completely incorporate
everything. Wrap tightly
in cling wrap and let it sit
overnight. Next day, you can
add edible colours of your
choice to the dough.
7. To make the Pokémon
characters, colour white
fondant accordingly.
8. Dust your work surface with
corn starch.
9. Knead fondant to 3mm
thickness to lay on top of
cookies or cupcakes and cut
to desired shape and size.
10. Mount the fondant using
a cold glaze or substitute
and smooth with fingers so it
attaches on all corners.
11. For the characters, get
creative using a round cutter
and a sharp knife (such as
X-acto) to shape your desired
Pokémon. Use a little water
to glue the fondant pieces
together.
By Emma Procte r
Special to GN Focus
Ingredients
● 12 breakfast radishes,
with roots
● 24 whole cloves
● 300g oak leaf salad, washed
● 8 baby carrots, with green
tops trimmed
● 150g sour cream
● 2 tbsp salad cress
Method
1. Cut two thin slices from
each radish, about threequarters of the way
towards the top of
the radishes.
2. Slip the slices
back into the
space they were
cut from to act
as ears for the
mice. Stud their
tops with cloves
to act as eyes.
3. Line four bento boxes with
salad leaves. Sit the radish
mice on top, three to each
box, and position
two baby carrots
alongside them.
4. Serve with
small cups
of sour cream
garnished
with cress.
PIKACHU SANDWICH
WITH HAM AND
CHEESE
4 portions | Cooking time:
20 mins | Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
● 12 slices white bread,
crusts removed
● 80g butter, softened
● 4 slices ham, honey-roast
● 4 slices cheddar
● 2 chives
● 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 handful curly leaf lettuce
to garnish
Method
1. Spread bread slices with
butter reserving 1 tbsp.
2. Cut ham into pieces and
shape pieces into 8 feet and
arms. Set aside.
3. Top four slices of bread
with ham and four slices
with cheese. Stack bread
with cheese on top of the
ham slices. Top with the
remaining four slices of
●
bread to make
sandwiches.
4. Use an
oval/egg-shaped
cookie cutter to cut
out the Pikachu bodies;
alternatively, work freehand
using a sharp paring knife.
5. Keep bread trimming and
use to cut out eight little
cubes, eight oval feet and
eight oval arms.
6. Secure bread feet, arms,
and cubes to Pikachu bodies
using reserved
butter. Stick ham
feet and arms on
top of the bread feet and
arms using more butter.
7. Blanch chives in hot water
until softened. Cut into eyes
and mouths and position
on the sandwiches. Blob
ketchup between the
chive eyes.
8. Garnish with lettuce.
For more Pokémon recipes
visit gulfnews/gnfocus
An Olympic-type undertaking
requires good planning. As
soon as you can, get a copy of
the new school year calendar;
Practise, practise,
practise!
Ensure you’ve the
right equipment
Medal winners will tell you
the key to success is practice.
To help ensure you and your
children are ready to go back
to school, the most important
thing is to establish a routine
again. Fiona McKenzie, Director
of Middle East at consultancy
Gabbitas Education, advises:
on a budget is easy if you know how
T
Recipes and photos: Stockfood
Serves 4 | Prep
and cooking time: 15 mins |
Difficulty: easy
Get an events
calendar
most schools release them
way ahead of term time. Read
through the calendar and
highlight any key dates such
as school conferences, parent
orientation, school holidays,
late-start, and early-release
days. If you keep a family
calendar, transfer all these
dates on to it so you aren’t
caught on the hop later on.
● Recessionistas, take heart. Dressing your growing kids
from
left: Cupcakes and
chocolate chip cookies
topped with fondant
icing; fondant Pikachu;
and Pokéballs filled
with Smarties
Ingredients
● 100g each red, yellow and
green peppers
● 2 pieces asparagus
● 100g broccoli
● 100g cauliflower
● 50g lettuce
Method
1. Halve and deseed peppers. Use
a star cutter to make tiny stars.
2. Blanch the asparagus, broccoli
and cauliflower. Cut broccoli and
cauliflower into small florets.
3. Place the lettuce at the
bottom of the lunch box, then
the poké balls on top. Fill gaps
with boiled vegetables.
Qualify to
compete (and
pass the medicals)
she is going to a new school.
Fill out all the school forms
and turn them in before
they get lost in the shuffle
of other paperwork.
For private schools you
may need to check all your
payments are correct and
received. Also, many kids need
certain immunisations before
school starts, so find out if you
require medical forms to be
signed by your child’s doctor.
Get medical checklists from
your child’s school — many
post them on their websites.
he older we get the
faster each year seems
to fly by, especially
when raising children.
They grow up faster
than we can keep up.
Every parent enjoys
this, but as children
get closer to their
teens, they sometimes outgrow clothing once or twice a
year. And clothing
trends are moving faster than ever too, so kids
want to have the hip, happening duds and kicks. It’s
enough to break the bank. By
approaching back-to-school
clothing shopping (other
than uniforms) with some
thought and planning, you
can minimise the stress on
yourself and your wallet and
still afford your kids some
fun, fashionable options.
First, take an inventory
of your kids’ closets. Separate all clothing and shoes
into piles: clothes that still
fit, clothes to be donated (or
passed down) and clothes to
be discarded. That way you
know what you’re working
with. Have them try on any
items you’re unsure about.
Next, make a complete list
of items you need to purchase. Don’t wait until the
week before school to do this,
otherwise you’ll be short on
time and have less choice.
Include organisational details
in the list, such as items of
clothing, size(s) needed and
even a few wish list items.
By C h e l l e C orde ro
●● Take
Creators.com
stock of your
wardrobe before heading
out to shop
Don’t forget to include speciality items for sports, holidays, milestones and special
occasions. Shopping for all
of these items before school
starts is most efficient. But
if your children are growing
fast and you’re unsure how
much they will have grown
by the middle of the year, you
may want to hold off on buying certain items.
Set a realistic budget for
the shopping spree and stick
to it. Your budget will inform
the stores you’ll shop in.
Taking your kids along can
be a task in itself. Many don’t
enjoy being driven store to
store to try on clothes. So if
you know your child enjoys
a particular brand and you
know the sizes they need,
Get familiar with
the field
Checking out the playing
facilities offers an advantage.
If it is a new term in a new
school, visit a couple of
weeks before term with your
offspring. Find your child’s
classroom, look for the
cafeteria, bathroom, gym,
outdoor playground and front
office. Anxiety goes down
when kids get the chance to
walk around a school before
it starts. For those entering
middle school or high school,
have them go through their
schedule with you.
Save on school clothes
● Clockwise
FOR THE GARNISH
L
ike any sport, getting
youngsters off the sofa
and primed for a new
school year takes dedication,
focus and a commitment
to never giving up. Yes, there
will be physical challenges
and maybe a few tears, but
if you want to be viewed
as a prime parental athlete,
now is the time to up your
game. Thankfully, we have put
together some top coaching
tips for mums and dads.
You cannot compete if you’re
not properly signed up. So,
one month before term starts
make sure your child is fully
registered, particularly if he or
Rattata and Pikachu munchies for you to try
RATTATA BENTO
back-to-school
Olympics?
save some time and stress by
buying those items online.
When it comes to the actual shopping day, there
are a few things to keep
in mind. Clothing is
an important part of
self-expression
for
teens, so take them
along on the shopping trip (if they desire). They may want
to buy the name-brand
version of the musthave trends. But more
generic brands often have
similar styles for less. You’ll
most likely find these items
at larger department stores
or supermarkets rather than
boutiques.
If your child seems to be
between two sizes, buy the
larger size. It’s easier and
cost-effective to make a temporary hem or sew a dart into
a waistband than to replace
the item. Plus, comfort goes
a long way during the school
day. Squeezing into tight
jeans won’t help. In fact, if
you and your children are interested in arts and crafts or
sewing, enjoy some bonding
time by doing sewing projects together. Repurpose a
few prized pieces of clothing
from last year’s wardrobe.
Not
everything
about
back-to-school
shopping
has to be stressful. Try one
of these approaches and you
and your children are sure to
have a fruitful and fun shopping experience.
— Creators.com
Shutterstock
● Left: Tuna
Ready for the
Pictures: Stefan Lindeque/GN Focus
Recipes c ou rt esy of Ja de Sa n duc a s
Resort Cake Artist/Pastry Chef de Cuisine, Madinat Jumeirah
and Chamar a Din es h
Junior Sous Chef, Madinat Jumeirah
You can’t win the 100 metres
wearing snowshoes, so get the
right equipment. Dubai expat
mum Nausheen Shamsher
from India has a 7-year-old
daughter; she says going
to pick up new school gear
a week or two before term
is both a bonding experience
and a good way to set the
back-to-business tone. “We
shop for school supplies
together, but I let my daughter
pick her own lunch box,
backpack and so on — this is
a great way to give her a little
responsibility too. With time,
I have realised that sorting
practical needs in advance can
lead to a smooth transition
to the new school year.”
Mix with up-andcomers
Friendly interaction with other
teams is never a bad thing, so
plan some play dates for your
child before school starts.
Often kids get disconnected
from their school friends
during the summer because
they don’t see them every
day. Help them reconnect by
inviting old school friends over.
Create a technical
training area
Great sportspeople need to
do proper study off-field too.
Find a place for your kids to
do homework such as a desk
in their room and help them
set it up with supplies. If
it’s a shared space, create a
folder or box where they can
keep track of their homework
supplies. Set up a homework
time now and get kids in the
habit of reading books during
that time so that when school
starts, they’re ready to begin
doing homework again.
Develop stress
relief tactics
Winning or losing starts in the
mind. Since starting a new
school term can be an anxious
time for children, why not
create a step-by-step guide to
calming down? It should cover
what they need to do when
they first feel anxiety coming
on. If breathing helps them,
then the first step is to pause
and breathe. Next step, they
can evaluate the situation.
5
In the end, you can create a
hard copy checklist for your
child to refer to when they feel
stressed out.
Be ready for the
starting block
Congrats, you’re nearly ready
for the games! However,
being prepared in the small
last-minute details will make
a big difference. UK parenting
expert Sue Atkins has become
known for extolling the virtues
of having kids’ packed lunch
ready the night before and
getting them to help their
parents make it. Also have
shoes ready by the door
and backpacks prepared in
advance. “These are simple
strategies to get out the
door faster, less frazzled
and smiling first thing in the
morning,” she says. “Children
thrive when they know what
to expect and what they
have to do. Implementing a
morning routine will make
them feel secure and prepared
for the day ahead. Even more
importantly, it will make your
life a little less complicated
and more enjoyable!”
Fiona McKenzie
Director, Middle East
Gabbitas Education
Nausheen Shamsher
Expat parent
Thursday, August 18, 2016 | Gulf News
6
ADVERTISERS’ CONTENT
MAX
LIFESTYLE
Back to School collection Stylish, fun and reliable
launched across the UAE gear for students
M
ax, the leading and most
trusted value fashion
retailer in the Middle
East, is offering a wide range of
apparel, backpacks, stationery
and unique items for children
this season in an affordable
price range and with exceptional quality. Students will
get to experience a last-minute
getaway before school starts.
The Back to School collection offers an exciting range of
backpacks, pencil cases, lunch
boxes and water bottles.
For growing schoolgirls, the
collection is stylish and functional. The only question is:
what will they choose to inspire them for school?
This year at Max, to begin
the new school year in style,
girls can choose from the sensational collection of princess-
es and Disney stars: Frozen, Sophia, Dora, Hello Kitty, Finding
Dory, and Barbie.
The boys’ department at
Max provides a complete selection for back-to-school items
packed with action and adventure. This collection will have
children diving into their own
superhero world. They can go
to school now with their superheroes right by their side.
Spiderman, Batman and Superman backpacks and accessories are among this season’s
offerings.
In addition to these are items
inspired by Star Wars, Kung Fu
Panda, Cars, Minions, and The
Angry Birds Movie. Unleash
your child’s inner hero so that
they can head to school full
of joy and energy with their
pick of the crime-fighting
●● Girls and boys will love the
collection of bags featuring
colourful cartoon icons
crop. They can also shop for
a comfortable pair of shoes to
look their best on the first day
of school.
This year, Max has launched
a unique product to reduce the
burden on children’s shoulders — a spine pressure-free
backpack — available exclusively at Max in a variety of
cool designs for both boys and
girls. The retailer has taken
the best of the best and rolled
them up into bundle offers —
themed sets holding all their
favourites together.
You can head to the nearest
Max store in the UAE to find
out more or opt to shop online
at Landmarkshops.com/max
L
ifestyle has launched an
extensive, stylish range of
coordinated school gear for
teens and kids.
It’s that time of the year
again! As the weather gets hotter and the vacation tans grow
darker for some, the start of a
new school term is suddenly
upon the rest of us. The most
anticipated part of shopping
for this time of the year is the
back-to-school one. Adding
fun and fervour to the new academic year is the latest coordinated collection for Back to
School for kids and teens.
The range offers internationally styled backpacks, trolley
bags, organisers, rucksacks,
stationery sets, water bottles,
gift sets and more from well-
loved brands such as Jansport,
J-World, Sakroots, Kipling
and National Geographic, to
name a few, thus representing
a variety of poppy colours and
designs.
While boys can rock the new
academic year with the exciting Cars and Spiderman range,
girls can opt to flaunt their Disney trolley bags and backpacks
featuring characters from
movies such as Finding Dory
and Frozen among others.
The new introductions this
year such as Kipling, Santoro,
Stephen Joseph, National Geographic and Eastpak already
seem to be developing a steady
fan following of their own.
Emphasis has been laid on features such as wider straps, re-
EMIRATES NBD
per cent cashback on school
fee spends over Dh2,500
(maximum up to Dh500) by
subscribing through a registered mobile number by texting “School” to 4456.
Alternatively, the bank is
offering a zero per cent instalment plan for school fee
payments via credit cards for
3, 6 or 12 months. The minimum transaction amount is
Dh1,000 and a processing fee
is applicable on the amount
— 1.5 per cent for 3 months,
2.5 per cent for 6 months and
4 per cent for 12 months.
FAST RENT A CAR
Great cars, low prices
U
AE residents and visitors
are in for a special treat as
Fast Rent A Car announces rental deals at rock-bottom
prices for the summer. Fast
Rent A Car is offering UAE residents and visitors up to 60 per
cent discount on car rentals as
part of its summer holiday promotion, Say Hello to a Chilled
Out Summer. The month-long
summer promotion has been
exclusively packaged for holidaymakers who are planning
to travel in and around the UAE
and are looking for ways to reduce travel costs significantly
this summer.
“We are thrilled to announce
our super-saver summer holi-
Furthermore, for schools
that do not accept payments
via credit card, Emirates NBD
also offers a Dial-A-Cheque
facility so customers can avail
of a loan against their credit
limit for 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 or 48
month tenures, and a monthly
interest rate would apply. The
cheque will be issued under
the name of the school.
Commenting on the
promotion, R. Sivaram,
Executive Vice-President
— Head of Retail Liabilities,
Assets and Cards Business,
Emirates NBD, says, “As the
day promotion for 2016,” says
Tony Hinder, General Manager at Fast Rent A Car. “As has
been our annual tradition,
we have an exciting deal for
everyone looking to save on
travel costs this summer.” The
promotion includes a selection
of premium sedans available
for a monthly to three-month
rental at rock-bottom prices.
From as low as Dh40 per day,
customers could drive away in
a luxury sedan.
Residents planning summer
road trips can opt for the promotion by calling the 24-hour
toll-free number 800 3278 and
placing a booking. Alternatively, email assist@fastuae.com
Fast Rent A Car has more
than 21 branches across the
UAE with more than 7,000
vehicles and is committed
to offering a convenient car
rental experience that is pocket-friendly.
flectors and extra padding in
backpacks and trolley bags for
better spine comfort. A greater assortment of products features ergonomic properties
and is covered under extended
warranties.
Ranging from Dh9 to Dh979,
Lifestyle’s range boasts the A-Z
of Back to School accessories
in a vibrant palette of colours
and themes and packs in quite
a punch.
largest bank in the UAE,
Emirates NBD is committed to providing its customers easy banking
solutions to suit all their
needs. We recognise the
tremendous burden that
multiple school fees can
place on a family’s budget
and hence we have created flexible options to ease
the financial burden and
help our customers spread
their outflow in monthly
instalments.”
This promotion is valid
up to September 30 and
will be available on all
school/university fee payments across local and
international educational
institutions for customers
paying with their Emirates
NBD debit or credit card.
Stress-free school fees
F
or most families in the
UAE, August signals the
end of the summer holidays and the start of a new
school year, with the stress of
school fees looming large.
Recognising the difficulty
of managing cash outflow, especially in the post-holiday
season, Emirates NBD is back
with its very popular school
fee promotion. Through this
programme, customers receive financial flexibility and
rewards to manage payment
of school fees conveniently.
Customers can avail of up to 10
●● Classic backpack brands
and kids’ favourite film
character designs feature
AL HOSHAN PANGULF
Noris: quality pencils
T
he Noris pencil is manufactured by Staedtler
Mars GmbH & Co. KG,
which is a German fine writing instrument company and
a manufacturer and supplier
of writing, art and engineering
drawing instruments.
Staedtler was founded in
1835 and is headquartered in
Nuremburg, Germany.
Eighty per cent of the company’s products are made in
Germany.
The Noris pencil is a
high-quality pencil with an
eraser tip.
These pencils are easy to
sharpen, hard to break and
produce writing easy to erase.
The pencil doesn’t need to be
sharpened as often as others
because of its highly break-resistant super-bonded lead.
This also increases the service life of a Noris pencil,
thereby offering a higher benefit to the user.
The eraser at the end of the
pencil is PVC- and latex-free,
making it safe for children.
The pencils are eco-friendly,
as they are PEFC-certified —
the wood comes from certified
sustainable-managed forests.
Additionally,
Staedtler’s
manufacturing
processes
ensure efficiency and minimise the use of precious resources.
Staedtler pencils are ideal
for school and office use.