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plum2

plum2
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Latest post on 16 March 2015 - 16:58
I think JAPS will be going with A-levels. That will give you a clear IB-A levels choice although it will be years away. Personally I would go with JAPS as it's a smaller school. Not sure whether that will change when they move.
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Latest post on 15 March 2015 - 23:22
Vanessa is also a very experienced special needs teacher, with experience both in special schools and within the mainstream. She also has a lot of experience working with children on the autistic spectrum. She and I have done many ABA and VB courses together.
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Latest post on 13 March 2015 - 07:40
What field of work is your experience in? What type of work are you looking for? Do you know anyone in Dubai you could stay with while you looked? I'd say your chances of finding work would be higher if you were actually here. I have a friend who came here as a single woman at 47 and she found work as an executive assistant/office manager. It's not impossible.
plum2
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Latest post on 09 March 2015 - 18:53
Can't access your link Charlie 25
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Latest post on 09 March 2015 - 18:06
All the info you need is on the website. No, I have never heard of them contacting previous employers/university although you do have to get all your documents verified. You need experience letters from your previous employers and, I gather, they are quite fussy about the format/wording of these. Someone I know had to get a previous employer to rewrite the reference letter 3 times! You tend to be interviewed by a panel of Pediatricians and ENT specialists. Sometimes an SLT is on the panel but not always.
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Latest post on 09 March 2015 - 18:01
Jebel Ali School is a smaller family oriented school and has a great reputation. It is likely to be moving but I would guess it would most likely be closer to you.
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Latest post on 08 March 2015 - 18:28
No. You don't have to pay for books at DESS
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Latest post on 07 March 2015 - 16:26
There are several nurseries close by. Wonder Years Building Blocks Emirates British Nursery Jebel Ali Village Nursery at the Polo Club
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Latest post on 06 March 2015 - 21:26
I can recommend Ruba Tabari, Educational Psychologist, who will visit the school, do observation(s), gather information from teachers and come up with strategies that the school could use. She is bilingual (English-Arabic) and very experienced. You can contact her on ruba@ed-psych.com With the emphasis that the KHDA are now placing on schools meeting the needs of children with additional learning needs I am sure that NAS will soon have a Learning Support Department.
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Latest post on 06 March 2015 - 11:29
Does your employer not have any links with a company? Hertz are good and often offer special deals for longer term hire.
plum2
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Latest post on 06 March 2015 - 11:28
A good GP would be fine and would not report her. I can recommend Sue Norton at Dubai Physiotherapy and family medicine clinic on the beach Rd. Not sure who to recommend if she needs to see someone over the weekend. It could just be a normal sore throat. You could get some antibiotics from any pharmacy.
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Latest post on 05 March 2015 - 07:24
We bought our house 5 years ago. I don't recall any solicitors being involved at all. It was done between the real estate agents and the banks.
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Latest post on 03 March 2015 - 17:41
I can recommend DR Sue Norton, GP at Dubai Physiotherapy and Family Medicine Centre in the Town Centre Mall on the Beach Rd. She is excellent and will send you to the right specialist if she thinks it necessary.
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 21:08
Marks and Spencer's have very reasonably priced suits. You can choose the size of the trousers and jackets separately which can be useful and they have different leg lengths. Recommended :)
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 21:06
And I would be applying now for FS2 entry in Sept 16. Don't leave it too late.
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 21:05
Sorry! Completely missed the fact that your child was only 3 years old! No, I don't think I'd be putting a 3 year old on a bus either! I know at the start of the Year Repton Early Years does put a board up for parents to contact each other re sharing lifts or car pooling.
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 09:49
Actually i think Tammi has recently moved to the Villa. She runs some classes at her home, some at Repton School in the afternoons, one at the DSO community centre on a Friday morning and also does personal training. She is great with lots of info about general health and diet etc. I shall try and get her number for you. <em>edited by plum2 on 02/03/2015</em>
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 09:46
For many of the British Curriculum schools that start at Nursery/FS1 the children have to have turned 3 by the beginning of September, so your daughter would start Sept 16. Your son could start Sept 17 but as he is an August birthday and a boy you could consider starting him the following year, edited by plum2 on 02/03/2015 Which curriculum are you looking at? I think IB schools use a different cut off date. <em>edited by plum2 on 02/03/2015</em>
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 09:21
The school does have a bus service but im not sure if it goes to Victory Heights. To drive it would take a maximum of 30minutes in the morning i think.
plum2
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Latest post on 02 March 2015 - 09:19
Have you turned the iPad off and turned it on again?
plum2
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 21:40
Dr Sue Norton at Dubai Physio is an excellent GP and has been good at checking my moles.
plum2
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 17:05
Contact Vanessa Sequeira on FB. She should be able to help or at least advise you.
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 14:49
In British Curriculum schools the FS1 year is very much a play-based curriculum, with no formal teaching of reading and writing for example. That all starts in FS2. I am sure the same material would be covered at Nursery.
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 14:45
What sort of issues do you need help with? Is this outside the scope of the Learning Support Dept (if they have one)? If it is behavioural issues can you not get someone from outside to visit the school and advise. It seems drastic to be having to change schools. That will add to any stress for your child. <em>edited by plum2 on 01/03/2015</em>
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 12:23
Tammi Beardsley is excellent. Search for her on FB. She lives in DSO.
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Latest post on 01 March 2015 - 08:13
Hi. If you lived in the Villa the Gems First Point School would be v handy. It is a new school this year which is probably why there is little info/reviews out there. The Gems schools are all of a good standard so should be fine. The Gems Wellington DSO is HUGE. 3300+ students in primary and secondary. The traffic around the school is a nightmare. The Kings brand is good. I'm sure the only reason the NAS branch doesn't have too many students yet is because it is further out from most housing areas but if you live in DSO it wouldn't be far. Foremarke is lovely (but expensive yes) and there is plenty of housing close to Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd. As others have said, the new Hartland School in Meydan looks lovely but it only opens next September. There will be housing close by but not sure if much has been built yet.
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Latest post on 28 February 2015 - 21:38
Inclusion is still quite young in Dubai. Some schools are doing a good job. Yes, typically you have to pay on top of school fees for additional support. A full-time shadow or learning support assistant could cost you 6-10K a month. There is a Dubai Autism Centre but it has long waiting lists. There are lots of centres offering ABA based programmes for children with ASD, like the Carbone Clinic, but they are expensive.
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Latest post on 27 February 2015 - 07:49
Generally most British Schools still follow a cut off at the beginning of September. So if your child turns 3 in the middle of September he wouldn't actually start school (FS1) until the September of the following year. This is much better for him and he will be in a stronger position being one of the eldest in his year throughout his schooling rather than being one of the youngest and always struggling to keep up. Your budget for education is huge. 45K a term is 135K a year. I don't even pay that for secondary school. Why not look at Foremarke with that budget. Lovely small classes.
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Latest post on 27 February 2015 - 07:44
Definitely the Camali Clinic in Healthcare City. It is a clinic specialising in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Issues and has great well qualified and experienced staff.
plum2
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Latest post on 23 February 2015 - 21:51
My daughter recently took lessons with EDI (manual) in Al Quoz and passed second time. It is cheaper if you can fix the same days and times each week. My dd is at school and couldn't do this so she did the bulk of the lessons during the Xmas holidays. So she could do lessons every day we took the shift package which costs 6,800 Dhs up to and including the test. If you fail you have to do another 8 x 30 min lessons and pay another test fee, in total just over another 1K. So all up it was about 8K. She had two manual instructors Candy and Farah. Farah was by far the better instructor. You can request a specific instructor when you book. You can do 4 x 30 min lessons at a time, so a 2 hour block. This works well and gets you through the 40 required lessons in 10 days of lessons. <em>edited by plum2 on 23/02/2015</em>
plum2
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Latest post on 10 February 2015 - 23:04
An Ed Psych I know (and respect highly) visited and thought it was dreadful. She said it should be closed down.
plum2
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Latest post on 07 February 2015 - 20:51
What are they?
plum2
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Latest post on 07 February 2015 - 20:50
I think Park'n'shop sell sell some essential oils too.
plum2
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Latest post on 04 February 2015 - 23:43
I've just seen Dr Daniel Mahrous at Just White Dental Clinic in JBR and he was great. They are in the outside of the tall glass towers opposite IHOP and have valet parking. 04 399 8440
plum2
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Latest post on 02 February 2015 - 20:11
Hi Thompson1 As far as I am aware Safa School does not have a secondary school. Year 7 places are highly sought after as there are quite a few primary schools that do not have a secondary school so their students are all competing for limited places. Horizon International is a relatively new school but I have a friend with children there who is quite happy with the school. Regarding the helper, do you mean a housemaid type helper or a school based helper? All schools have to have a nurse in place and schools are generally well used to coping with students with epilepsy. For Horizon International there is housing (villas) close by in Umm Suqeim 3 or Al Sufouh. Are you looking for villas or apartments and what is your budget like? The Springs is a cheaper area with terraced villas not too far away. <em>edited by plum2 on 02/02/2015</em>
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Latest post on 09 January 2015 - 15:14
The DC entrance exam for Sept 2015 entry is tomorrow I believe. The English College is not closing and has been spending money improving facilities so it seems like it will be here for a while. It is a good smaller school with great teachers. Kings Al Barsha could also be considered.
plum2
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Latest post on 09 January 2015 - 15:11
The stalls at the flea market are expensive and a lot of stuff is stolen. You really need several adults. People want stuff for next to nothing. If you have decent stuff why not sell it via FB pages? There are community specific pages like Arabian Ranches Souq and stuff sells really quickly.
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Latest post on 08 January 2015 - 20:59
If you are thinking of learning to drive then I would do it in Denmark. You would have to check the list of countries whose licenses are acceptable for a swap to a UAE one, but regardless you would be better off starting there. Here you have to do 40 lessons with a driving instructor before you can take a test and many people are failed the first time. You are not allowed out on the road as a learner with anyone except a driving instructor. Edited to add I think you can only swap your license for a UAE one if you passport and driving license are from the same country. <em>edited by plum2 on 08/01/2015</em>
plum2
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Latest post on 07 January 2015 - 22:18
Umpiring at netball (or other sports I guess) if sporty and babysitting. Working at Bounce or Jump Box Some cafés employ older western teens e.g Tom and Serg or Limetree Older teens can also get work tutoring younger kids.
plum2
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Latest post on 07 January 2015 - 19:21
What is EVOO?
plum2
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Latest post on 07 January 2015 - 19:19
Yes, just noticed it yesterday. A huge improvement.
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Latest post on 06 January 2015 - 22:38
Try contacting the Camali Clinic in Healthcare City. www.camaliclinic.ae They follow a UK Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service model and have a great team.
plum2
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Latest post on 05 January 2015 - 23:00
www.macpackdubai.com A great kiwi run moving company.
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Latest post on 05 January 2015 - 22:07
Suzanne Maclean at Camali Clinic in Healthcare City.
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Latest post on 03 January 2015 - 22:46
Search for the FB page WARRIOR. Rebecca Price is looking at running classes at a gym in Motor City 8-8.45pm in the evenings.
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Latest post on 31 December 2014 - 22:37
People recommend Dr Bester at the Arabian Ranches Clinic or Dr Omaima (sp?) at the Motor City Clinic.
plum2
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Latest post on 27 December 2014 - 16:13
Try the Nicholas and Asp post-graduate orthodontic training school. Excellent service and great value at 7,500 all inclusive of top and bottom braces and all adjustments as long as it takes. Go for an assessment and see what you think. The assessment is free.
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Latest post on 24 December 2014 - 08:26
Without traffic the commute from AR could be less than 15 mins(depending on which part of the Ranches you lived in). The current issue is the huge hold-ups actually getting out of the Ranches onto Umm Suqeim Rd. The queues at peak times are awful :(
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Latest post on 24 December 2014 - 08:22
Of course DC have a lot of Oxbridge students. They are a long established school with a v selective entry process. I just think Repton are doing well for a relatively new school and they keep on improving every year. I don't know how much sport they do in the senior school sorry. But DESC are not academically selective and they have also had Oxbridge students. I am not sure how long DESC has been going but quite a bit longer than Repton - maybe 9 years. Repton has a lot more students from non-English speaking families.
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Latest post on 24 December 2014 - 08:19
I am more familiar with the Junior School but have two friends with children in the Senior School and they are very happy. The IB programme in the 6th form has only had 3 cohorts through I think but results have improved year on year. They had their first successful Oxbridge applicant this year I believe. The Senior School library is excellent and there is talk that the theatre will finally be finished soon. They have a lot of space and their sports facilities are good. My friend has found the pastoral care to be good. HTH Actually they have had 4 cohorts through, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 for IB. And the results have improved every year. <em>edited by plum2 on 24/12/2014</em>
 
 
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