Don’t let the heat dampen your spirits!
W hat does summer holidays usually mean to us (‘Does summer break lead to learning loss?’, Gulf News, July 16)? Most of us would associate these two months with staying indoors in an air conditioned room, in front of the television or with electronic gadgets and junk food at hand. This sounds like an ideal summer holiday to us. The rising temperatures outside give us yet another reason to skip out on exercise. However, staying indoors all day leads to poor health and social skills, lack of creativity and dissociation from Nature. In fact, summer is the perfect time to get outdoors, explore Nature and meet new people. Physical activity can be easily integrated into our daily routine. For example, instead of getting together with friends for a video game, why not bond over a game of football or a simple walk in the park?
For those of us who are concerned about the high temperature outside, get outside in the early hours of the morning or in the evenings. The temperature will not deter us from getting our one hour of activity a day if we just follow some precautions, like avoiding the midday sun, wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated. So do you still have an excuse of skipping exercise now? From Ms Madiha Ahmad Sharjah
Keeping children busy
I have 12-year-old twin girls at school who complain about the long summer break. They are far from being nerds. On the contrary, they need their share of daily nudging towards the learning process. They feel that the only ones benefitting from such long school breaks are the teachers and school owners! Mind you, this is the opinion of pre-teenagers!
Of course, one has to take into consideration that this year, and a few more years to come, Ramadan falls into the annual periods just prior to summer breaks.
The shortened school days during that period increase the sensation of a scholastic void, followed by excessive summer vacations.
My wife and I are therefore always on the lookout for summer activities that bridge the gaps, like summer camps specialising in teaching languages, morning to evening sports or random private tutoring to maintain a level of continued learning activities. As they grow older
community service comes to mind prepare them for adulthood!
It behoves the schools/learning institutions to be less profit oriented and more inclined towards the essence of their existence.
Of course one cannot expect that schools to replace homes and teachers become foster parents. However, we, as parents, pay good money and we expect more pro-active attitudes from schools and guide parents towards what type of light learning should/ could be imposed on students during extended breaks so that the school year does not go to complete waste. From Mr Ulrich Eckhardt Dubai
A step for animal welfare
to D ubai Safari is another great initiative by the visionary leadership of Dubai (‘Gulf News — The Storytellers (video): Dubai Safari Park — The countdown begins’, Gulf News, July 15). This place will certainly become home for several animals who need a good home and it will also be a learning opportunity for residents to understand their natural habitat. Well done and congratulations to the leadership team! From Mr Mahmood S. Khan Dubai Facebook comment
Don’t know the story
I t’s obvious that she might have poured the wrong drink or poured the drink in a clean glass — this is a normal thing (‘Cabin crew pours drink back into bottle’, Gulf News, July 17). Why make a big fuss over it? Many people pass by through business class aisles. Why would she do such a thing in front of many people in the cabin? Leave her alone. From Mr Emad Bin Ali UAE Facebook comment
Editor’s note: Is there a news report that you feel strongly about? Something that has to be addressed in the community and requires resolution? Email us on readers@ gulfnews.com. You can also post a comment on our Facebook page or tweet to us @GNReaders.