Eid Al Adha in UAE: School students celebrate festival, organises fundraisers to appreciate support staff

To celebrate the joyous occasion of Eid Al Adha, students from various schools in the UAE have been organising fundraisers and expressing their gratitude towards the support staff.

School communities are providing their ancillary staff members, such as janitors, security personnel, bus nannies and drivers, and other support staff, with food items and even monetary tokens that have been collected through contributions.

Most institutions in the Emirates will close for the summer holidays after the Eid break. Muslims in the country will offer special prayers on the first day of Eid Al Adha, Wednesday, June 28, with tomorrow being Arafat Day, which is considered the holiest day in Islam.

Timothy Roberts, Principal, Raffles World Academy, said, “We presented the support staff with foodstuffs and a small cash reward from collections by our community. The support staff are schools' unsung heroes, and any little way to recognise their efforts is incredibly valuable.”

Students have also organised initiatives resulting in substantial donations made towards charitable causes.

Emmanuel Keteku, Principal/CEO, GEMS Winchester School, said, “Our senior students planned, led and championed a summer event this week that saw children perform in a talent show and a variety of games and activities. They ended up raising a significant sum of money which has been donated to Emirates Red Crescent. Our charitable work will continue in the new academic year.”

True community event

Craig Halsall, Principal, Reach British School, said, "As a community, we met last week to celebrate Eid. It was a true community event, with a lot of food and activities for the entire family. It was a great way for our community to come together and mark the end of a truly amazing year.”

He urged everyone to rest and recharge so that they return rejuvenated in the new academic year, ready to take on new challenges.

Headteachers reiterate that promoting the Arabic culture is fundamental to their academic festive calendar. Emmanuel Keteku said, “A key feature of all our celebrations is the promotion of Emirati and Arabic culture and values, and the school graduations showcased not only our students’ skills in language and performance but also their confidence and teamwork."

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• UAE