News from our Head of School - Kathy Miner
Dear Parents,
School Hours During the Holy Month of Ramadan
ADEC will notify schools as to when the Holy Month of Ramadan will begin.
Bus service will continue as usual, with a 12:45 pm departure time from school. Teachers have engaging learning planned for their students. Learning will continue at GAA during the Holy Month of Ramadan, we encourage our families and students to continue attending during Ramadan.
Food and drink
GAA supports whatever your family decision is regarding fasting. Non-fasting students may bring a snack and water bottle to school. There will be designated snack and water areas appropriate for each grade level; these snack and water areas will be located separate from the classrooms.
Students in the KG program will continue their snack routines as usual in the classroom.
Students need to be mindful that eating and drinking in public is discouraged and I ask that this is confined to designated areas in the school, so as to avoid offense.
Access to Prayer
Muslim students will have access to the prayer room and fasting students will also have access to a quiet reading area of the library during break times.
Appropriate Dress
It is appropriate that students arrive to school during the Holy Month of Ramadan neat and tidy in appearance and follow the dress code expectations.
Recess and Activities
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, recess periods will be shortened and PE activities will be limited and low key, keeping in mind that students do not play outdoors in May/June due to the heat.
The final after school activities session will finish on May 18th. There will be no after school clubs, activities or sports during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Hours of Staff and Faculty
For parents seeking assistance from faculty or staff members, working hours for faculty and staff will be 8 am -2 pm. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Naseera Timm-Holland, our Parent Relations Executive @ [email protected]
Wishing all those celebrating a Ramadan Kareem!
New faculty joining GAA
We are pleased to announce that while 33 teachers have indicated that they will be departing in July, we have 145 teachers who will return next year. (Please note that teachers do not discuss departures with students until May.)
In an international school it is not unusual for teachers depart to explore other parts of the world, return home to their home country and family, or to follow a spouse’s work transfer.
We continue to have a strong retention rate for an international school and we credit this high rate to our positive and collaborative work environment, supportive parent community and, of course, our wonderful students.
Senior Leaders were actively recruiting strong and talented teachers to join our faculty for the coming year. We recruit highly qualified teachers by accessing international recruitment agencies online and by attending teacher recruitment fairs. We are pleased to announce that we have hired a number of talented and experienced teachers and are excited to have them join our school.
Several Senior Leadership Team members, myself included, attended recruitment fairs in the United States. I have to say that we are proud to represent GAA at these fairs as we describe our school to potential candidates.
Thank you for your support in helping to make our school an amazing place to be. Our school has become a place that attracts strong teachers who are looking for a high quality school and happy school community.
School Hours During the Holy Month of Ramadan
ADEC will notify schools as to when the Holy Month of Ramadan will begin.
- Hours for Students: 8:15am - 12:30pm
Bus service will continue as usual, with a 12:45 pm departure time from school. Teachers have engaging learning planned for their students. Learning will continue at GAA during the Holy Month of Ramadan, we encourage our families and students to continue attending during Ramadan.
Food and drink
GAA supports whatever your family decision is regarding fasting. Non-fasting students may bring a snack and water bottle to school. There will be designated snack and water areas appropriate for each grade level; these snack and water areas will be located separate from the classrooms.
Students in the KG program will continue their snack routines as usual in the classroom.
Students need to be mindful that eating and drinking in public is discouraged and I ask that this is confined to designated areas in the school, so as to avoid offense.
Access to Prayer
Muslim students will have access to the prayer room and fasting students will also have access to a quiet reading area of the library during break times.
Appropriate Dress
It is appropriate that students arrive to school during the Holy Month of Ramadan neat and tidy in appearance and follow the dress code expectations.
Recess and Activities
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, recess periods will be shortened and PE activities will be limited and low key, keeping in mind that students do not play outdoors in May/June due to the heat.
The final after school activities session will finish on May 18th. There will be no after school clubs, activities or sports during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Hours of Staff and Faculty
For parents seeking assistance from faculty or staff members, working hours for faculty and staff will be 8 am -2 pm. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Naseera Timm-Holland, our Parent Relations Executive @ [email protected]
Wishing all those celebrating a Ramadan Kareem!
New faculty joining GAA
We are pleased to announce that while 33 teachers have indicated that they will be departing in July, we have 145 teachers who will return next year. (Please note that teachers do not discuss departures with students until May.)
In an international school it is not unusual for teachers depart to explore other parts of the world, return home to their home country and family, or to follow a spouse’s work transfer.
We continue to have a strong retention rate for an international school and we credit this high rate to our positive and collaborative work environment, supportive parent community and, of course, our wonderful students.
Senior Leaders were actively recruiting strong and talented teachers to join our faculty for the coming year. We recruit highly qualified teachers by accessing international recruitment agencies online and by attending teacher recruitment fairs. We are pleased to announce that we have hired a number of talented and experienced teachers and are excited to have them join our school.
Several Senior Leadership Team members, myself included, attended recruitment fairs in the United States. I have to say that we are proud to represent GAA at these fairs as we describe our school to potential candidates.
Thank you for your support in helping to make our school an amazing place to be. Our school has become a place that attracts strong teachers who are looking for a high quality school and happy school community.
REMINDER: Isra Wal Miraj Holiday
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has issued the below circular and official translation announcing the Isra Wal Miraj Holiday which will be observed on Sunday April 23, 2017.
There will be no school on Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Regards,
Kathy Miner
Head of School and CEO
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has issued the below circular and official translation announcing the Isra Wal Miraj Holiday which will be observed on Sunday April 23, 2017.
There will be no school on Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Regards,
Kathy Miner
Head of School and CEO
isra_wal_miraj_-_fahr_circular_-_translation[1][1].pdf | |
File Size: | 75 kb |
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LANGUAGE ONE
If you are unable to access the link on the page please use the url below:
http://languageone.org
ADEC have announced that their annual Parent Survey for 2017 will be launched on Sunday April 16, 2017 until June 15, 2017.
Parents can access the surveys via the below link and access information, based on the language preference, grade level and curriculum:
Parents can access the surveys via the below link and access information, based on the language preference, grade level and curriculum:
Parents Survey (KG1 to 12 American Diploma only)
This is our main account (9086) Links: Arabic: http://bit.ly/adec-pr-1 English: http://bit.ly/adec-pr-2 Access Info: eSIS ID: 9086 Password: 427042 |
Parents Survey (G11 and 12 IBDP Students only)
This is our IBDP account (8086) Links: Arabic: http://bit.ly/adec-pr-1 English: http://bit.ly/adec-pr-2 Access Info: eSIS ID: 8086 Password: 428558 |
Approved 2017-2018 Calendar
Below you will find dates for the holiday breaks for the 2017-2018 school year. ADEC have released a calendar that outlines all of the major holidays for the 2017-2018 school year.
As you begin to plan for the coming year, I’m sure you’ll want to know the dates of upcoming holiday breaks to assist you in your family and vacation planning.
As always, we recommend booking flexible tickets as we have learned that holiday dates can change.
Below you will find dates for the holiday breaks for the 2017-2018 school year. ADEC have released a calendar that outlines all of the major holidays for the 2017-2018 school year.
As you begin to plan for the coming year, I’m sure you’ll want to know the dates of upcoming holiday breaks to assist you in your family and vacation planning.
As always, we recommend booking flexible tickets as we have learned that holiday dates can change.
2017-2018_calendar_gaa_parents-_updated_-april_2017.pdf | |
File Size: | 346 kb |
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Dear Parents and Students,
GAA will be hosting Innovation Day for all GEMS schools on Saturday, April 29th, 2017. We are looking for volunteers, both parents and students, to help make our event a success. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the short form found in the link below. There will be incentives for the classes with the most volunteers! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbYFik180OD1lkNGTOqFYtTVAcQ7QF2e-oXC_7LrA6WRlTBg/viewfor Thank you for taking the time to help us make this Innovation Day a success! Warm regards, The Innovation Committee |
April menu and Cashless system user guide ( Grade2-12)
Dear Parents, please click on the file below to download the Cafeteria menu for the month of April. Parents who have students in Grade 2-12 are encouraged to use the cashless system for lunch orders as this system has many benefits, including convenience, safety and a daily limit . Please click on the user guide below to help you get started.
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KG & Grade 1
Keita have launched a new Online System for ordering food. Please see the attached presentation detailing the food order process for KG1, KG2 and Grade 1 students. Hot meals are provided by Keita catering and delivered to the classroom. This is not mandatory and parents are welcome to send students with a packed lunch.
KG and Grade 1 students have lunch in their classroom and not in the cafeteria therefore the order process is different to that of students Grade 2-12, who purchase food in the cafeteria using the cashless system.
Kindly note the following:
- For students to be able to receive meals in their classroom, it is mandatory that parents register them on the online system, make the payment and select the order of the meals. This can only be done online.
- We suggest parents order a week in advance to avoid any disappointments and to ensure on time delivery to your child.Deadline for orders is 4pm the day prior.
- Any orders via email, telephone or at the cafeteria will unfortunately not be accepted.
-All current students registered and their credit balance will automatically be transferred to the new system.
If you have any questions on how to place the order or experience any difficulty with this system, please contact the Keita IT Department at [email protected] or at 056 939 4250. For general information, please contact their customer service at [email protected] or 800 – KEITA.
KG and Grade 1 students have lunch in their classroom and not in the cafeteria therefore the order process is different to that of students Grade 2-12, who purchase food in the cafeteria using the cashless system.
Kindly note the following:
- For students to be able to receive meals in their classroom, it is mandatory that parents register them on the online system, make the payment and select the order of the meals. This can only be done online.
- We suggest parents order a week in advance to avoid any disappointments and to ensure on time delivery to your child.Deadline for orders is 4pm the day prior.
- Any orders via email, telephone or at the cafeteria will unfortunately not be accepted.
-All current students registered and their credit balance will automatically be transferred to the new system.
If you have any questions on how to place the order or experience any difficulty with this system, please contact the Keita IT Department at [email protected] or at 056 939 4250. For general information, please contact their customer service at [email protected] or 800 – KEITA.
keita_-__online_system_with_menu_selection.pdf | |
File Size: | 1488 kb |
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