News from the Elementary Principal
Hello GAA Community,
This newsletter marks another successful week of school under our belts. What made this Thursday special is that we had our first GAA Community Share. It was fantastic to see Grades 1 and 2 share their learning and our star students up front. GAA also unveiled the special “GEMS” for an entire class modeling positive behavior around the school. This award is not given to a class by the classroom teacher but rather other teachers and staff who see a class going above and beyond.
Hello GAA Community,
This newsletter marks another successful week of school under our belts. What made this Thursday special is that we had our first GAA Community Share. It was fantastic to see Grades 1 and 2 share their learning and our star students up front. GAA also unveiled the special “GEMS” for an entire class modeling positive behavior around the school. This award is not given to a class by the classroom teacher but rather other teachers and staff who see a class going above and beyond.
I am sure you have been checking your child’s passport and seeing what has been happening in the classroom. In conjunction with David Rynne and the ICT team, grade levels will soon be rolling out their class websites. The easiest way to locate these once they are “live” will be through The Launcher (tiny.cc/thelauncher).
The Launcher (tiny.cc/thelauncher) is the GAA access point for all sorts of valuable information. The Elementary Community Handbook is located there. One of the important pieces of information found in the handbook is the Nurse Heat Warning Policy. I highlight this because you may have heard from your child that we spent a couple of recess times in doors this week. This is because
that right combination of heat and humidity raised the heat index on our scale to “severe”. With a “severe” warning all outdoor activities were postpone and students stayed indoors in air-conditioning. As always, we were also reminding
students to have their water bottles on their tables/desks and to stay well hydrated.
The Launcher (tiny.cc/thelauncher) is the GAA access point for all sorts of valuable information. The Elementary Community Handbook is located there. One of the important pieces of information found in the handbook is the Nurse Heat Warning Policy. I highlight this because you may have heard from your child that we spent a couple of recess times in doors this week. This is because
that right combination of heat and humidity raised the heat index on our scale to “severe”. With a “severe” warning all outdoor activities were postpone and students stayed indoors in air-conditioning. As always, we were also reminding
students to have their water bottles on their tables/desks and to stay well hydrated.
Transition reports will go home on October 2nd. These reports are designed to provide feedback to parents on how your child is settling into the new school year and the new classroom environment. Areas which are reported on include: self-management skills, social skills, and communication skills. If you have any questions regarding how your child is transition into this school year do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.
The format for Hopes and Dreams will be changing this year. You will find a goal setting Hopes and Dreams form included on the back of the transition report. Parents will complete this form with their child and send both back to GAA for inclusion in your child’s portfolio. During the student led portion of parent teacher conferences, the Hopes and Dreams goal setting form will be used as a point of reflection.
Many of our parents have signed up for out Kindergarten Islamic Studies Program. This program will start on September 25th for KG2 students and September 26th for KG1 students. If you missed the detailed email full of information please contact Ms. Kathryn Reynolds ([email protected]) or Ms. Nahida in the KG department.
It has been an amazing three weeks to begin the 2014-2015 school year. I am so proud of how strong our classroom communities have become. Teachers and students have built positive and supportive relationships. It is for this reason and to prevent any disruption in our
learning environments that we will finalize all grade placements for this academic year by September 25th. There will be no further movement after this date.
Please take time to read about G4A taking action and conducting research. G4A challenged me to Ice Bucket Challenge. It was great to see so many community members join in for this frigid experience. Not only being covered by ice,
I donated in memory of a former colleague Dave Zakem (http://davidzakem.last-memories.com/) at http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html.
For those who students who were asking who I will be challenging, they are colleague of Dave’s as well and work at three other internationals on three different continents.
Have a great weekend,
Ben Voborsky
Elementary Principal
The format for Hopes and Dreams will be changing this year. You will find a goal setting Hopes and Dreams form included on the back of the transition report. Parents will complete this form with their child and send both back to GAA for inclusion in your child’s portfolio. During the student led portion of parent teacher conferences, the Hopes and Dreams goal setting form will be used as a point of reflection.
Many of our parents have signed up for out Kindergarten Islamic Studies Program. This program will start on September 25th for KG2 students and September 26th for KG1 students. If you missed the detailed email full of information please contact Ms. Kathryn Reynolds ([email protected]) or Ms. Nahida in the KG department.
It has been an amazing three weeks to begin the 2014-2015 school year. I am so proud of how strong our classroom communities have become. Teachers and students have built positive and supportive relationships. It is for this reason and to prevent any disruption in our
learning environments that we will finalize all grade placements for this academic year by September 25th. There will be no further movement after this date.
Please take time to read about G4A taking action and conducting research. G4A challenged me to Ice Bucket Challenge. It was great to see so many community members join in for this frigid experience. Not only being covered by ice,
I donated in memory of a former colleague Dave Zakem (http://davidzakem.last-memories.com/) at http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html.
For those who students who were asking who I will be challenging, they are colleague of Dave’s as well and work at three other internationals on three different continents.
Have a great weekend,
Ben Voborsky
Elementary Principal
Grade 4a challenge Elementary Principal to take the ice bucket challenge!
Over the last 2 weeks, the students of 4A have been researching, summarizing and putting together presentations to teach GAA about ALS. It all started when two students, Braden and Angus, nominated Ms Gellatly for the Ice Bucket Challenge. In order for her to accept the challenge, the students created questions about ALS and the Ice Bucket Challenge, then researched those questions. After she completed the challenge, Ms Gellatly nominated Mr. Voborsky; however, 4A would need to go deeper with their research and practice their presentation skills to prove to Mr. Voborsky that they were serious about spreading awareness for the disease. On Sunday, the students presented a short video to Mr. Voborsky, who gladly accepted the challenge, and on Wednesday afternoon, in the heat of the day, Mr. Voborsky stood in front of classes of students and teachers and had a large bucket of ice poured over his head. Ms Gellatly is extremely proud of the effort and risk-taking her class demonstrated in spearheading this initiative. Way to go, 4A!
Here is the clip:
Over the last 2 weeks, the students of 4A have been researching, summarizing and putting together presentations to teach GAA about ALS. It all started when two students, Braden and Angus, nominated Ms Gellatly for the Ice Bucket Challenge. In order for her to accept the challenge, the students created questions about ALS and the Ice Bucket Challenge, then researched those questions. After she completed the challenge, Ms Gellatly nominated Mr. Voborsky; however, 4A would need to go deeper with their research and practice their presentation skills to prove to Mr. Voborsky that they were serious about spreading awareness for the disease. On Sunday, the students presented a short video to Mr. Voborsky, who gladly accepted the challenge, and on Wednesday afternoon, in the heat of the day, Mr. Voborsky stood in front of classes of students and teachers and had a large bucket of ice poured over his head. Ms Gellatly is extremely proud of the effort and risk-taking her class demonstrated in spearheading this initiative. Way to go, 4A!
Here is the clip:
What We Learn In the Kindergarten Kitchen Lab
In the KG Kitchen-Lab, the students learn a wide variety of life skills through multi-sensory hands on cooking and science activities. These skills include:
Math: Counting and One to One correspondence, Classification (sorting objects into groups), Sequencing (following directions, writing directions), Quantity (measuring amounts, distributing materials), Fractions and Comparing (larger or smaller).
Language: Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary building (directional words, sensory words, scientific and culinary terms), Reading (letter and word recognition) and Writing
Science: Prediction, Observation and Measurement
Health: Personal Hygiene (hand washing, coughing, teeth brushing) and Kitchen Hygiene (cleaning up and storing food)
Critical Thinking: Decision making and Questioning
Fine Motor: Kneading, rolling, cutting and pouring
Social Emotional: Independence, Confidence, Sharing and Manners
http://www.education.com/reference/article/children-learn-cooking-snack-center/
http://www.preschoolspeechie.com/ricki-s-printable-forms-free/
This week students in the KG kitchen lab made banana, strawberry and yogurt popsicles. Here is how you can make these at home:
In the KG Kitchen-Lab, the students learn a wide variety of life skills through multi-sensory hands on cooking and science activities. These skills include:
Math: Counting and One to One correspondence, Classification (sorting objects into groups), Sequencing (following directions, writing directions), Quantity (measuring amounts, distributing materials), Fractions and Comparing (larger or smaller).
Language: Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary building (directional words, sensory words, scientific and culinary terms), Reading (letter and word recognition) and Writing
Science: Prediction, Observation and Measurement
Health: Personal Hygiene (hand washing, coughing, teeth brushing) and Kitchen Hygiene (cleaning up and storing food)
Critical Thinking: Decision making and Questioning
Fine Motor: Kneading, rolling, cutting and pouring
Social Emotional: Independence, Confidence, Sharing and Manners
http://www.education.com/reference/article/children-learn-cooking-snack-center/
http://www.preschoolspeechie.com/ricki-s-printable-forms-free/
This week students in the KG kitchen lab made banana, strawberry and yogurt popsicles. Here is how you can make these at home:
GAA Gems
Next week we will begin the GAA Gems program. All KG and Elementary teachers will have paper gems with them to give out to classes as a whole who are demonstrating learner profile characteristics and following GAA essential agreements. The goal of this program is to create a community feel for the school. Students will be counting their gems weekly and setting goals At the end of the month the gems will be counted the class with the most gems will win a privilege. This program will also be running in the elementary school as well.
Next week we will begin the GAA Gems program. All KG and Elementary teachers will have paper gems with them to give out to classes as a whole who are demonstrating learner profile characteristics and following GAA essential agreements. The goal of this program is to create a community feel for the school. Students will be counting their gems weekly and setting goals At the end of the month the gems will be counted the class with the most gems will win a privilege. This program will also be running in the elementary school as well.
News From The Student Services Support Team
Please be informed that in the interest of providing the best educational services for your child, English Language Learning and Learning Support services have commenced as of September 14, 2014. Should you have any questions regarding our services, please refer to the Elementary Community Handbook and contact the appropriate support service specialist according to your child’s grade level:
English Language Learning (ELL) Specialists:
Grade 1 English Language Learner Support: Linda Cantwell [email protected]
Grade 2 English Language Learner Support: Nihad Al Nader n[email protected]
Grade 3 English Language Learner Support: Tress Ahles [email protected]
Grade 4 English Language Learner Support: Margie Romero m.reyesromero[email protected]
Grade 5 English Language Learner Support: Sarah Shannon s.shannon[email protected]
Learning Support Specialists:
Grade 1 Learning Support: Laurie Socolow [email protected]
Grade 2 & 3 Learning Support: Joanna Juliano j.juliano[email protected]
Grade 4 & 5 Learning Support: Debora Guzzi [email protected]
Further communication to follow. We are looking forward to a successful school year.
Warm Regards
Melanie Moses
Please be informed that in the interest of providing the best educational services for your child, English Language Learning and Learning Support services have commenced as of September 14, 2014. Should you have any questions regarding our services, please refer to the Elementary Community Handbook and contact the appropriate support service specialist according to your child’s grade level:
English Language Learning (ELL) Specialists:
Grade 1 English Language Learner Support: Linda Cantwell [email protected]
Grade 2 English Language Learner Support: Nihad Al Nader n[email protected]
Grade 3 English Language Learner Support: Tress Ahles [email protected]
Grade 4 English Language Learner Support: Margie Romero m.reyesromero[email protected]
Grade 5 English Language Learner Support: Sarah Shannon s.shannon[email protected]
Learning Support Specialists:
Grade 1 Learning Support: Laurie Socolow [email protected]
Grade 2 & 3 Learning Support: Joanna Juliano j.juliano[email protected]
Grade 4 & 5 Learning Support: Debora Guzzi [email protected]
Further communication to follow. We are looking forward to a successful school year.
Warm Regards
Melanie Moses
Kindergarten Traffic Safety
This week in Kindergarten, students have been focusing on traffic safety. Show this short movie on traffic safety to your son or daughter to help encourage them to buckle up and be safe!
This week in Kindergarten, students have been focusing on traffic safety. Show this short movie on traffic safety to your son or daughter to help encourage them to buckle up and be safe!
Dear Parents
Today we had our first school community share and Grade 1 and Grade 2 did a fantastic job hosting this event.
The students confidently shared what they are currently learning in their unit of inquiry. Grade 1 demonstrated how forces create movement and Grade 2 communicated what questions they were inquiring into in relation to their unit about role models.
It was a pleasure to see our Grade 1 and Grade 2 students receiving their Star Student Awards for demonstrating cooperation at school. Cooperation is one attitude that we, as an IB World School, want our students to understand, value and demonstrate in their daily lives. These awards were given to students who have cooperated, collaborated well with others and worked effectively as a leader or part of a
team.
We also shared a presentation during the community share that gives you a snapshot of how our Grade 1 and Grade 2 students are demonstrating the IB Learner Profile and attitudes at our school.
If you have any questions about the IB Primary Years Programme or curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact me ([email protected]). Soon I will be sending out a communication to our new parents, inviting them to attend an introduction to the PYP Information Session. This will also be open to returning parents who would like the opportunity to find out more about the PYP at GEMS American Academy.
Kind regards
Sofia Lyons
IB PYP Coordinator/IB Workshop Leader
Today we had our first school community share and Grade 1 and Grade 2 did a fantastic job hosting this event.
The students confidently shared what they are currently learning in their unit of inquiry. Grade 1 demonstrated how forces create movement and Grade 2 communicated what questions they were inquiring into in relation to their unit about role models.
It was a pleasure to see our Grade 1 and Grade 2 students receiving their Star Student Awards for demonstrating cooperation at school. Cooperation is one attitude that we, as an IB World School, want our students to understand, value and demonstrate in their daily lives. These awards were given to students who have cooperated, collaborated well with others and worked effectively as a leader or part of a
team.
We also shared a presentation during the community share that gives you a snapshot of how our Grade 1 and Grade 2 students are demonstrating the IB Learner Profile and attitudes at our school.
If you have any questions about the IB Primary Years Programme or curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact me ([email protected]). Soon I will be sending out a communication to our new parents, inviting them to attend an introduction to the PYP Information Session. This will also be open to returning parents who would like the opportunity to find out more about the PYP at GEMS American Academy.
Kind regards
Sofia Lyons
IB PYP Coordinator/IB Workshop Leader
Swimming Update
Dear Parents and Faculty,
In order to achieve a maximum amount of swimming time for your child, we are amending one small uniform policy currently in the handbook. Students should wear their PE uniform, not their regular GAA school uniform, on days when they have swimming. Students will still bring all the necessary swim gear to change into (i. e. Suit, sandals, goggles, bag, towel, and cap for long hair). If you have any questions feel free to email me at: [email protected]
Thank you
Dylan McShain
PE Department
Dear Parents and Faculty,
In order to achieve a maximum amount of swimming time for your child, we are amending one small uniform policy currently in the handbook. Students should wear their PE uniform, not their regular GAA school uniform, on days when they have swimming. Students will still bring all the necessary swim gear to change into (i. e. Suit, sandals, goggles, bag, towel, and cap for long hair). If you have any questions feel free to email me at: [email protected]
Thank you
Dylan McShain
PE Department
Don't forget!
Monday 22nd September - Community Planetarium Showing - 6pm
Wednesday 24th September - Community Planetarium Showing - 6pm
Wednesday 24th September - Kindergarten Community Share, 7.45am, parents are welcome
Thursday 25th September - Professional Development Afternoon for Teachers, School finishes at 12pm
Thursday 25th September - KG Dress Up Day, wear something blue
Thursday 2nd October - Hajj Celebration
Need more details for you diary? Email Fiona the elementary secretary [email protected]
Monday 22nd September - Community Planetarium Showing - 6pm
Wednesday 24th September - Community Planetarium Showing - 6pm
Wednesday 24th September - Kindergarten Community Share, 7.45am, parents are welcome
Thursday 25th September - Professional Development Afternoon for Teachers, School finishes at 12pm
Thursday 25th September - KG Dress Up Day, wear something blue
Thursday 2nd October - Hajj Celebration
Need more details for you diary? Email Fiona the elementary secretary [email protected]