Inclusion

Inclusion in the United Arab Emirates

The KHDA has provided schools with frameworks and guidelines to help us support Students of Determination on their journey.

Please click on the links to find out more:

Dunecrest Statement of Inclusion

At Dunecrest American school the vision for inclusion pervades all elements of school life. The school operates an inclusive admission policy that encourages applications from students of determination and those students requiring additional support. The school currently provides for a broad range of need. Students of determination are represented across all phases of the school. The school has a strong culture of inclusion which is in line with the ethos of all Esol Education schools in other countries in which the organization operates in the world.

Specialist staff are in place to directly support students of determination and those students requiring additional educational accommodations. The staff within the School Support Services (SST) provide innovative professional development opportunities for class and specialist teachers to enable them to proficiently apply inclusive approaches to all age groups and phases across the school.

Leadership at all levels has embraced the Dunecrest vision for inclusion, from the commitment of governance and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) through to the appointment of staff who are committed to an inclusive culture of education. The school is committed to providing high levels of resourcing and the promotion of professional support to ensure that teachers regularly apply inclusive pedagogy.

Through the inclusion development plan and regular meetings that involve school governors, SLT and other relevant parties, the SST regularly reviews and improves provision. Through the use of specific assessments, the SST is able to identify individual student’s strengths, needs and abilities and subsequently provide guidance on the most successful accommodations to support access to the curriculum and enable these students to thrive in both their academic and personal development. The SST oversees the provision of intensive targeted support and specialist instruction that meet the needs of individual learners. This results in a detailed understanding of each student’s learning profile and successfully removing barriers to learning.

If necessary an Individual Education Plan is created to identify needs, recommend teaching strategies and provide advice and support for parents for educating their child at home. Rigorous and systematic monitoring of academic and personal progress data demonstrates that the majority of students are exceeding expectations in their learning and development. Using accredited and universally recognized assessments, in these first three years of operation almost all students at Dunecrest consistently have achieved at or above their potential.

Regular meetings with parents and through the provision of verbal and written reports, parents are informed about the next steps in learning for their child. The SST is able to recommend additional specialist advice or support as and when it is deemed necessary to provide equitable educational opportunities.

Through the creation of alternative curriculum pathways at phase four post 16 education, the school enables students to graduate from school having obtained recognized qualifications that enable them to access appropriate further education and training opportunities. These reflect their abilities, interests and aspirations.

Dunecrest Gifted & Talented Policies

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Gifted & Talented (G&T) scholars exhibit academic or creative abilities that are above the norm. These students perform in the top 10% of academic and intellectual assessments (CAT4 & MAP). According to Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli, a leader and pioneer in gifted education, the three main characteristics of a G&T students are:

Above average ability
Creativity
Task commitment

At Dunecrest American School, we are dedicated to supporting our most talented students with a framework to further pursue and develop their exceptional abilities. We also aim to apply the pedagogy of gifted education teaching strategies to all students. We do this by:

Developing a growth mindset culture
Universally installing differentiation in classrooms, grouping students based on their abilities, providing G&T students with more challenging content, extended learning and opportunities to participate in external competitions
Providing extra-curricular activities and challenges suited to G&T students including leadership opportunities such as TedX, Student Council and Model UN (MUN) as well as technology extensions in areas such as coding, 3D modeling and graphic design
Creating opportunities for personal and social development through clubs aligned to student interests and service learning for character building.

Our comprehensive identification process includes teacher nominations and a continual review of external assessments, student reports and student artifacts. We then work closely with G&T students and parents to set measurable academic, personal and social goals for the academic year. G&T specialists are then allocated to students within their divisions, where they gain a deeper insight into individual students and their interests. Regular check-ins ensure that progress is monitored and students are supported at all times.

Meet our Team

We are proud to have a team of professional and qualified educators that support our Inclusion, Gifted & Talented and ELL students, championing the needs of every individual, to help them develop to their fullest potential. Click the tabs below to learn more about our team members:

Inclusion Team
Gifted & Talented Team

Inclusion Team

COUNSELLING

Zeina Mouganie, Middle School & High School

Zeina Mouganie, Middle School & High School

Mrs. Mouganie received her Bachelor of Art and Master of Art Degree in Educational Psychology from the American University of Beirut. From there she started her career in education at Valley International School in Lebanon. In 2007, Mrs. Mougaine moved to Dubai with her family and joined the Esol Education team. In 2018, she joined Dunecrest American School as one of our Founding Educators and she has been helping our students meet their educational goals ever since. Mrs. Mougaine sits on several committee's at Dunecrest and she provides guidance to students and teachers alike. She has helped the school implement the International School Counselors Standards and gives assistance to students managing the college application process.

ELL

Soledad Valenzuela, ELL Coordinator & Teacher

Soledad Valenzuela, ELL Coordinator & Teacher

Dr. Valenzuela received her Bachelor of English Pedagogy from Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educacion in Santiago, Chile. She received her Master in Education Degree in School Administration from Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Sontiago, Chilie and her Doctorate in Education from BUiD, Dubai, in partnership with Birmingham University, UK. Dr. Valenzuela has extensive experience in the field of education as a teacher, trainer, school principal, and operations manager. Dr. Soledad has been involved in curriculum development and in implementing educational innovations with an emphasis on individualization and cognitive/affective variables to enhance children’s development and learning. She has been involved in nationwide education reform projects at a central level and at the school level in which the main approach has been to modernize education by introducing research-based best practices into curriculum and teaching as well as into the school operation. She is also knowledgeable in the field of early years education which includes research experiences in curriculum standards and quality standards for early years settings. Dr. Valenzuela has lived and worked in several countries in South America, South East Asia, and the Middle East. Dr. Valenzuela is a founding member of the Dunecrest American School staff and she is driven to help every student achieve their educational goals.

Tracey Hempenstall, Grade 3 to Grade 5
Nicole Ashwin, Coordinator - Middle School & High School

Tracey Hempenstall, Grade 3 to Grade 5

With sixteen years of experience teaching in the United States, Brazil, Bolivia and the UAE, Ms. Tracey Hempenstall has been part of the Esol Education family since 2009, and joined Dunecrest American School in 2018. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a concentration in Elementary Education from Le Moyne College. She then completed her Master of Science Degree in Education at Fordham University. While living in California, she received her Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate from Stanford University, authorizing her to instruct English language learners (ELL). She has been trained in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme ® (IB PYP) as well as Columbia Teachers College Readers and Writers Workshop models. Ms. Tracey is a dedicated child advocate with a focus on the individual needs of students.

Nicole Ashwin, Coordinator - Middle School & High School

Mrs. Ashwin received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University. She then completed her Master of Science Degree in Education with a focus in Special Education from Buffalo State University in New York. Mrs. Ashwin has over twenty years of teaching experience spanning the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific, sixteen years of which have been in the realm of special education. Mrs. Ashwin began her teaching career in inner-city Detroit and thereafter, Chicago. Mrs. Ashwin’s understanding of student developmental needs, learning modes and motivations was strengthened through teaching both gifted and special needs inclusion classes. Mrs. Ashwin embraces differentiation as a way for students to be able to express themselves and empower them in a way that works best for them as individuals.

Gifted & Talented Team

Eric Barrett, IBDP and Gifted & Talented Coordinator (All Years)

Mr. Barrett received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the College of the Ozarks and his Master of Arts in Teaching from Coastal Carolina University. He started his teaching career at Colleton County High School in South Carolina. He also taught at Coastal Carolina University and E Bo Young School in South Korea before joining Esol Education at our schools in Dubai. In 2018 Mr. Barrett was a Founding Teacher at Dunecrest American School and helped us start and develop our International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Mr. Barrett is an energetic and passionate teacher inspiring and empowering his students to be successful in a dynamic world. Mr. Barrett is also an avid coach leading students in Basketball, Golf, Track and Field and Soccer.

Nicole Ashwin, SEN Coordinator (All Years)

Mrs. Ashwin received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University. She then completed her Master of Science Degree in Education with a focus in Special Education from Buffalo State University in New York. Mrs. Ashwin has over twenty years of teaching experience spanning the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific, sixteen years of which have been in the realm of special education. Mrs. Ashwin began her teaching career in inner-city Detroit and thereafter, Chicago. Mrs. Ashwin’s understanding of student developmental needs, learning modes and motivations was strengthened through teaching both gifted and special needs inclusion classes. Mrs. Ashwin embraces differentiation as a way for students to be able to express themselves and empower them in a way that works best for them as individuals.

Ricky Prince, Technology Teacher (All Years)

Mr. Prince received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Middlesex University in the UK. After graduation he sharpened his computer skills while working for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where he learned many skills that he has used with his classes. While in the UK, Mr. Prince taught at Walton High, Hastingsbury Business College and Northampton Academy. In 2018 Mr. Prince moved to Dubai and became a Founding Teacher at Dunecrest American School. Mr. Prince enjoys creating a sense of excitement about computing and regardless of the student’s abilities he tries to ensure that all his students have a positive experience with Computer Science.

Kelly Walters, Science Teacher (High School)

Mrs. Walters received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from DePaul University in Chicago and her Master of Science in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Secondary Education from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Mrs. Walters started her career in a lab managing the molecular diagnostic department and instructing medical students at Rush University. In 2015 she started her education career at Winter Springs School in Wisconsin and then moved to Dubai with her family working at international schools. In 2017 Mrs. Walters joined the Esol Education team and has been with us ever since. Mrs. Walters has helped establish gifted and talented programs and she brings real world applications to her lessons in science. Mrs. Walters also enjoys coaching in her free time as she was a Division I athlete herself at the collegiate level.

Carrie Zimmer, Language Teacher (Elementary School)

Originally from the United States, Carrie Zimmer joins Dunecrest with over 20 years of teaching experience, the last ten internationally. Her passion in education is promoting student agency and helping students develop into lifelong learners. An Apple Distinguished Educator, Carrie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Bowling Green State University, and both a Master’s and a Specialist Degree from Georgia Southern University. Carrie started her career in upper elementary classrooms in the United States before she served as the EdTech Coordinator at the American School of Milan in northern Italy. Prior to Dunecrest, Carrie taught Grade 4 at an American curriculum school in Dubai. Carrie serves as part of the Learning2 Europe conference organizing team, and outside of school she’s either at a CrossFit gym or curled up on the couch with a book!

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