News from our Elementary Principal, Ben Voborsky
Hello GAA Community,
The moment you have all been waiting for is upon us; The First Day of School! All GAA teachers, educational assistance, and support staff have been preparing away and everyone is ready to receive your children for a successful 2015-2016 School Year.
There will be many parental engagement sessions over the course of this school year and we look forward to partnering with you as your child grows this year. The first of the sessions will be our welcome meeting. These kick off the school year at GAA sessions are staggered:
The moment you have all been waiting for is upon us; The First Day of School! All GAA teachers, educational assistance, and support staff have been preparing away and everyone is ready to receive your children for a successful 2015-2016 School Year.
There will be many parental engagement sessions over the course of this school year and we look forward to partnering with you as your child grows this year. The first of the sessions will be our welcome meeting. These kick off the school year at GAA sessions are staggered:
These will be short introductions; basically a get to know you session and how we would like to partner with you in order to enhance your child’s educational experience at GAA!
We are pleased to welcome a number of new staff members in KG and Elementary this year. Please take the time to see their introductions on the Launcher tiny.cc/thelauncher.
Please mark your calendar, as we will really get in depth on KG-G5 Elementary Back to School Night on September 14th.
I look forward to a fantastic 2015-2016!
regards,
Ben Voborsky
Elementary Principal
We are pleased to welcome a number of new staff members in KG and Elementary this year. Please take the time to see their introductions on the Launcher tiny.cc/thelauncher.
Please mark your calendar, as we will really get in depth on KG-G5 Elementary Back to School Night on September 14th.
I look forward to a fantastic 2015-2016!
regards,
Ben Voborsky
Elementary Principal
News From our IB Primary Years Program Coordinator, Mike Hopaluk
It is a great honor to have been appointed by GEMS American Academy in Abu Dhabi to coordinate the IBO Primary Years Program (PYP) in the Elementary School. I am very excited to lead the continued growth of the PYP at GAA.
While the official “First Day of School” is this coming Sunday, many of our KG and Elementary teachers have spent the last two weeks preparing for the arrival of their students. New teachers at GAA have displayed a wonderful amount of enthusiasm as they have been doing their own inquiries into their new community of learners. Returning teachers have matched this enthusiasm as they share their experience and knowledge with their new colleagues.
Last year, the KG and Elementary underwent their scheduled curriculum review and we are very excited about our new Units of Inquiry and the changes made to previously taught units, based on our teachers’ reflections. We feel we have developed a balanced program that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant.
Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to attend the upcoming parent information presentations this week as well as the PYP information sessions that are being planned for the coming year. Keep eyes on the newsletters for more details coming soon!
I know you and your children are as excited as I am for this school year and I look forward to growing our caring community even more.
Regards
Mike Hopaluk
PYP Coordinator
[email protected]
It is a great honor to have been appointed by GEMS American Academy in Abu Dhabi to coordinate the IBO Primary Years Program (PYP) in the Elementary School. I am very excited to lead the continued growth of the PYP at GAA.
While the official “First Day of School” is this coming Sunday, many of our KG and Elementary teachers have spent the last two weeks preparing for the arrival of their students. New teachers at GAA have displayed a wonderful amount of enthusiasm as they have been doing their own inquiries into their new community of learners. Returning teachers have matched this enthusiasm as they share their experience and knowledge with their new colleagues.
Last year, the KG and Elementary underwent their scheduled curriculum review and we are very excited about our new Units of Inquiry and the changes made to previously taught units, based on our teachers’ reflections. We feel we have developed a balanced program that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant.
Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to attend the upcoming parent information presentations this week as well as the PYP information sessions that are being planned for the coming year. Keep eyes on the newsletters for more details coming soon!
I know you and your children are as excited as I am for this school year and I look forward to growing our caring community even more.
Regards
Mike Hopaluk
PYP Coordinator
[email protected]
Elementary School (Grade 1 - 5)
If your son or daughter will be joining or continuing in the Elementary School, the first day of school will be Sunday 30th August. All students will begin regular school hours - 7:45am until 2:55pm, going straight to their homeroom and will follow Day 1 of the 8 day schedule.
While the students are in class, there will be an informal coffee meet and greet for parents followed by an introduction to the Elementary program in the auditorium. We will host two sessions on Sunday 30th August.
While the students are in class, there will be an informal coffee meet and greet for parents followed by an introduction to the Elementary program in the auditorium. We will host two sessions on Sunday 30th August.
KG Staggered Start
If your son or daughter is joining us for KG1 or KG2, we will be operating a staggered start in the first week of school to ensure students become accustomed to their new environment and classroom teacher.
An email will be sent to inform you whether your son or daughter is in group A or group B. We will also be sending you an email detailing which class your son or daughter will be in, their schedule and a school map with their classroom labeled. This will assist you in finding your way on the first day of school.
An email will be sent to inform you whether your son or daughter is in group A or group B. We will also be sending you an email detailing which class your son or daughter will be in, their schedule and a school map with their classroom labeled. This will assist you in finding your way on the first day of school.
*Our bus service for KG students will commence on September 6th. Please note that there will be no bus service for KG students during the first week of school.
*Please note that there will also be no catering service for KG during the first week. Parents are asked to please send your child with a packed lunch. Catering service will commence on September 6th.
*Please note that there will also be no catering service for KG during the first week. Parents are asked to please send your child with a packed lunch. Catering service will commence on September 6th.