News from our Elementary Principal, Ben Voborsky
Dear GAA Community,
The first part of the 2015-2016 school year is in the books! Report cards will be available digitally on Thursday through Oasis. Our Report Cards have a new look this year and are better tailored to your child as a learner. We look forward to sharing your child’s progress with you. If you have any questions, please email your child’s teacher and set an appointment to discuss this in the new year.
A piece of exciting news for you is that Rashid Al Dhaheri, Grade 2, has been shortlisted for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award. Please congratulate him and support him in winning this award. He is definitely a risk taker!
I hope you have a relaxing break with your family over the break. I know your students will be anxious to share their experiences with their classmates in January when we return for the 2016 half of the school year. The second part of the school year will be as exciting and action packed as this one.
Enjoy winter break,
The first part of the 2015-2016 school year is in the books! Report cards will be available digitally on Thursday through Oasis. Our Report Cards have a new look this year and are better tailored to your child as a learner. We look forward to sharing your child’s progress with you. If you have any questions, please email your child’s teacher and set an appointment to discuss this in the new year.
A piece of exciting news for you is that Rashid Al Dhaheri, Grade 2, has been shortlisted for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award. Please congratulate him and support him in winning this award. He is definitely a risk taker!
I hope you have a relaxing break with your family over the break. I know your students will be anxious to share their experiences with their classmates in January when we return for the 2016 half of the school year. The second part of the school year will be as exciting and action packed as this one.
Enjoy winter break,
Dear Parents
Last month our class was fortunate enough to have a variety of presenters for the Mother Tongue Program. We had 4 parents from 4C come to our class to present their home country, as well as share a story in their mother tongue. The students also got involved, helping their parents translate the story and teach their fellow classmates a few words in their mother tongue. 4C would like to give a big thank you to Mrs. Gabriella Kohanyi (Hungarian), Mrs. Petra Turkama (Finnish), Mrs. Andrea Arena (Italian), and Mrs. Eiman Alseddeeqi (Arabic) for sharing their culture and language with us.
This week in grade 4, we will be starting our next unit of inquiry called How We Express Ourselves. In this unit, we will be focusing on the role art plays in society, interpretation and understanding of the Arts, and creating and responding to the Arts. This week is the Tuning in phase of the Inquiry Cycle. We will be introducing the students to a variety of art through classroom “Museum Walks” and making those important links to the lines of inquiry.
Throughout this unit we will be looking at the central idea of how the aesthetic world leads to the understanding of its diversity. In mathematics we will be doing this through the exploration of lines, angles, and geometric shapes, We will also be creating various forms of poetry to express ourselves, as well as exploring the skills of weaving in art class.
As a celebration in this unit, we will be having a poetry slam, hosted by Miss. Gellatly, Grade 4A.
We all look forward to a very creative new unit of inquiry.
Last month our class was fortunate enough to have a variety of presenters for the Mother Tongue Program. We had 4 parents from 4C come to our class to present their home country, as well as share a story in their mother tongue. The students also got involved, helping their parents translate the story and teach their fellow classmates a few words in their mother tongue. 4C would like to give a big thank you to Mrs. Gabriella Kohanyi (Hungarian), Mrs. Petra Turkama (Finnish), Mrs. Andrea Arena (Italian), and Mrs. Eiman Alseddeeqi (Arabic) for sharing their culture and language with us.
This week in grade 4, we will be starting our next unit of inquiry called How We Express Ourselves. In this unit, we will be focusing on the role art plays in society, interpretation and understanding of the Arts, and creating and responding to the Arts. This week is the Tuning in phase of the Inquiry Cycle. We will be introducing the students to a variety of art through classroom “Museum Walks” and making those important links to the lines of inquiry.
Throughout this unit we will be looking at the central idea of how the aesthetic world leads to the understanding of its diversity. In mathematics we will be doing this through the exploration of lines, angles, and geometric shapes, We will also be creating various forms of poetry to express ourselves, as well as exploring the skills of weaving in art class.
As a celebration in this unit, we will be having a poetry slam, hosted by Miss. Gellatly, Grade 4A.
We all look forward to a very creative new unit of inquiry.
To celebrate Mother Tongue Awareness Month in November, elementary students were asked to create a badge that included something kind, supportive or otherwise pleasant in their mother tongue. Here are a few great examples from students in Grade One.
Swimming Update:
Tryouts for Season 2(January 17th – March 24th 2016) for Gr.5-6 and Gr.6-12 GAA competitive swimming teams.
Dear Parents,
After the winter break we will have tryouts for our competitive teams in Gr.5-12.
Tryouts days are:
Monday 11th of January and Wednesday 13th for Gr.5-12 competitive swimmers Time: 3:05-4:30.
Entrance Expectations (at coaches discretion)*
Grade 5 and 6: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and 400 meters continuous swim.100 meter IM continuous.
* given the limited space and high numbers, the strongest and fastest swimmers will be selected if there are too many. Students will be timed on 25 meters for each stroke.
Grade 6-12: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and 800 meters continuous swim.100 meter IM continuous.
* given the limited space and high numbers, the strongest and fastest swimmers will be selected if there are too many. Students will be timed on 50 meters for each stroke.
Training days starting from 17th of January – 24th of March:
Gr.5-6 Monday and Thursday – Coach Ms.Virginia Ingle Time: 3:05-4:30
Gr.6-12 Monday and Wednesday – Coaches Mrs.Kirsten Baillie and Mrs.Iliana Jaltova. Time: 3:05-4:30.
If you have any further questions or need clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best Regards,
GAA Aquatic Director Ms.Iliana Jaltova: [email protected]
Tryouts for Season 2(January 17th – March 24th 2016) for Gr.5-6 and Gr.6-12 GAA competitive swimming teams.
Dear Parents,
After the winter break we will have tryouts for our competitive teams in Gr.5-12.
Tryouts days are:
Monday 11th of January and Wednesday 13th for Gr.5-12 competitive swimmers Time: 3:05-4:30.
Entrance Expectations (at coaches discretion)*
Grade 5 and 6: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and 400 meters continuous swim.100 meter IM continuous.
* given the limited space and high numbers, the strongest and fastest swimmers will be selected if there are too many. Students will be timed on 25 meters for each stroke.
Grade 6-12: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and 800 meters continuous swim.100 meter IM continuous.
* given the limited space and high numbers, the strongest and fastest swimmers will be selected if there are too many. Students will be timed on 50 meters for each stroke.
Training days starting from 17th of January – 24th of March:
Gr.5-6 Monday and Thursday – Coach Ms.Virginia Ingle Time: 3:05-4:30
Gr.6-12 Monday and Wednesday – Coaches Mrs.Kirsten Baillie and Mrs.Iliana Jaltova. Time: 3:05-4:30.
If you have any further questions or need clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best Regards,
GAA Aquatic Director Ms.Iliana Jaltova: [email protected]
KG CORNER
The students of KG1A had a wonderful day celebrating the U.A.E’s 44th National Day. They girls and boys enjoyed tasting the local cuisine, getting henna and dancing.
This week KG1B have been continuing their learning through the unit ‘How We Express Ourselves’. The children have been expressing themselves through building, colouring and making finger puppets. Look out for your child’s work, coming home this week, they have all been extremely creative!
KG 2E have been working very hard and have made excellent progress during this Unit of Inquiry; How we Organize Ourselves. Students designed and drew their favorite space. When they completed their drawings, students showed their work to the class and answered any questions that their fellow classmates had.
After all their hard work students have fun and learn during their free center time.
KG SPECIALISTS
In the Kitchen-Lab, we learned about Emirati culture and hospitality for National Day. We learned that people are always ready to share what they have with visitors. For example: when grown-ups visit each other they drink coffee and when they have had enough they shake the cup from side to side to say, ‘Thank you, I’ve had enough,” without even talking. We used a coffee pot and cups pretended to be adults sharing coffee together. We also learned that the falcon is a symbol of the United Arab Emirates and that falcons are used for hunting. On National Day, we enjoyed the yummy Falcon shaped sugar cookies that we made.
In Arabic, kids are having great fun each week learning different topics. Our little risk takers are beıng challenged in reading and writing Arabic. What a great learners.
KG1 and KG2 students were very excited about the UAE National Day. They enjoyed singing the National anthem, making their own UAE flags, and watching a video about land marks and life in the UAE.
On the 30th of November, Students had a minute of silence for UAE Martyrs Day.
KG1 and KG2 students were very excited about the UAE National Day. They enjoyed singing the National anthem, making their own UAE flags, and watching a video about land marks and life in the UAE.
On the 30th of November, Students had a minute of silence for UAE Martyrs Day.
Dance and Drama
In Dance and Drama classes Kg1 and 2 have both been preparing for our performances at the Arts Festival in January ( Kg1 26th, Kg2 on the 27th)
Some Kg2 classes have been learning songs from different countries, some will be performing dances and one class is sharing a celebration parade.The whole show will be built around a story about a traveller from outer space. This is being integrated as part of their current PYP unit “How we express ourselves.”
The Kg1s have been learning songs with actions about different animals,which we have related to their unit of study about the senses. As wellas learning the songs we have been learning facts about these animals, where they come from and how they use their senses.
In addition we have also been spending time at the drama centers with imaginary play, puppets and drawing.
In Dance and Drama classes Kg1 and 2 have both been preparing for our performances at the Arts Festival in January ( Kg1 26th, Kg2 on the 27th)
Some Kg2 classes have been learning songs from different countries, some will be performing dances and one class is sharing a celebration parade.The whole show will be built around a story about a traveller from outer space. This is being integrated as part of their current PYP unit “How we express ourselves.”
The Kg1s have been learning songs with actions about different animals,which we have related to their unit of study about the senses. As wellas learning the songs we have been learning facts about these animals, where they come from and how they use their senses.
In addition we have also been spending time at the drama centers with imaginary play, puppets and drawing.