DUBAI: As a young boy, Michael never sat still. He never closed his mouth. He was always jumping around. “He’s a boy,” his mum Debbie Phelps said.
Fast forward to 2016. At the Rio Olympic Games, Michael Phelps, now age 31, won his 23rd Olympic gold. His astounding swimming record made him the most decorated Olympian of all time. It did not come easy. At preschool, teachers complained: Michael couldn’t stay quiet, wouldn’t sit at circle time, didn’t keep his hands to himself, was giggling and laughing and nudging kids for attention.
At age 9, in fifth grade, given his lack of focus and fidgety behaviour, Michael was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To many parents of children with ADHD, Michael Phelps’s story is great news.
Dubai: Schools have started holding Ramadan-themed activities such as presentations on the month of fasting, acts of kindness and Quran recitals, among others.
Ramadan started on Tuesday in the UAE and as of always, schools in the country have lined up several events and activities to mark the occasion, while following the precautionary measures that have been put in place in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virtual assemblies
At Jumeira Baccalaureate School (JBS), Dubai, students on Tuesday morning were shown a Ramadan presentation by various staff members, said principal Richard John Drew. “In our Islamic Studies lessons this month, work will be very special and each class will be creating presentations that we will share in virtual assemblies, including students reciting the Quran. Presentations will be done in Arabic and English to cater to all our students,” he added.
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