Students test-skate on their school’s ice rink
dubai — Students of a Dubai school, which got its own ice rink recently, have received skating training from a former professional ice hockey player. The Next Generation School in Barsha 3 is the first school ever in the UAE to install an ice rink on campus.
Former professional ice hockey player Tassilo Schwartz, from Switzerland, was present at the inauguration of the rink on Wednesday. Schwartz said: “It’s great to be here and training the kids. When I see the smiles of the children who have stepped on the ice for the first time, it makes me happy.”
The project director at the school, Tahir Farooq, said that the ice rink will help students develop an interest in sports and also learn about protecting the environment. The rink does not require any water or energy consumption, as it is not real ice.
“This is an eco-friendly system
One of the things we look forward to is enhancing the experience for children. Sports is a great way to do this. When kids are happy, they are excited to be in school.” Tahir Farooq, project director, Next Generation School
and one of the things we really believe in is being on the cutting edge of technology and innovation,” Farooq said.
“The Next Generation School is really next generation in every sense of the word. This technology where you don’t need water or energy to create a real ice skating experience is perfect. It’s a wonderful sport and it gives you stability, control and balance.”
The school, which runs from KG to Year 6, places a strong focus on sports, offering roller-skating, martial arts, tennis, swimming, gymnastics
It’s great to be here and training the kids. When I see the smiles of the children who have stepped on the ice for the first time, it makes me happy.” Tassilo Schwartz, former Swiss ice hockey player
and ping pong. There are seven electives offered to students during school hours, where they can pick any of these sports based on their preference and talent, as well as non-sport electives such as arts and robotics.
“One of the things we look forward to is enhancing the experience for children. Sports is a great way to do this. When kids are happy, they are excited to be in school and this helps with their academics as well,” Farooq said.
Glice will be available to the parents as well, who can try it out in the after-school hours. The rink in The Next Generation School is a product by Swiss company Glice and is made out of complex molecular technology using high quality polymers and other ingredients to create an artificial surface that looks like ice.