Password = wildcats
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Dear Parents,
The safety of our students, and the GAA community as a whole, is our priority. As part of our effort to continuously improve our procedures and practices throughout the school, we are reviewing our safety measures and procedures.
Just as we are always improving our educational program, we are continuously seeking to develop and improve our safety measures. We will be asking our parents to support us with some soon-to-be announced changes in use of exits and entrances and updates to our Identification badge system.
Security & Gate Access
We have reviewed our safety and security measures at GAA. We would like to inform you about some changes that are currently underway concerning access to the GAA school premises. Please read about the gate access changes that will begin on Sunday, November 9th, written by our Manager of School Operations (MSO), Nikos Spachis.
We ask for your support and partnership in our efforts to raise the security of our access points. Yes, showing your identification can feel inconvenient and time consuming, but we ask for your understanding and compliance with this safety measure.
ID Badge System
We will be implementing a photo ID Badge System for parents, the same system that GEMS World Academy in Dubai uses. Different colored lanyards will designate whether a person is a staff member, parent, visitor, repairman, helping to designate the purpose of the individual in the building. More information will follow about how we will roll out this project.
Recent Health & Safety Inspections
Earlier this month, we invited the GEMS Group Health & Safety team to GAA to conduct an internal audit of our health and safety measures throughout the school, which included fire safety, licensing, adherence to our own policies and procedures, handicap access, maintenance, etc. This process helps to confirm and validate that we are on the right path with respect to our priorities in the coming year with respect to updates and improvements.
ADEC Health & Safety Inspection
Our annual Health & Safety Inspection was conducted by ADEC on Sunday. We expect to receive a report of findings that reflects significant improvements since our last visit. We aim to continually improve our procedures as rated by the ADEC standards for Health & Safety. Although the GEMS Internal Health & Safety standards are more stringent and specific than the ADEC standards, we strive to achieve high ratings with our local regulatory agency.
GAA is a safe and healthy place to be for our students. We are continually reviewing and improving our procedures and practices to achieve an even higher standard.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, our Manager of School Operations, Nikos Spachis, or your child’s division principal.
Kathy Miner
The safety of our students, and the GAA community as a whole, is our priority. As part of our effort to continuously improve our procedures and practices throughout the school, we are reviewing our safety measures and procedures.
Just as we are always improving our educational program, we are continuously seeking to develop and improve our safety measures. We will be asking our parents to support us with some soon-to-be announced changes in use of exits and entrances and updates to our Identification badge system.
Security & Gate Access
We have reviewed our safety and security measures at GAA. We would like to inform you about some changes that are currently underway concerning access to the GAA school premises. Please read about the gate access changes that will begin on Sunday, November 9th, written by our Manager of School Operations (MSO), Nikos Spachis.
We ask for your support and partnership in our efforts to raise the security of our access points. Yes, showing your identification can feel inconvenient and time consuming, but we ask for your understanding and compliance with this safety measure.
ID Badge System
We will be implementing a photo ID Badge System for parents, the same system that GEMS World Academy in Dubai uses. Different colored lanyards will designate whether a person is a staff member, parent, visitor, repairman, helping to designate the purpose of the individual in the building. More information will follow about how we will roll out this project.
Recent Health & Safety Inspections
Earlier this month, we invited the GEMS Group Health & Safety team to GAA to conduct an internal audit of our health and safety measures throughout the school, which included fire safety, licensing, adherence to our own policies and procedures, handicap access, maintenance, etc. This process helps to confirm and validate that we are on the right path with respect to our priorities in the coming year with respect to updates and improvements.
ADEC Health & Safety Inspection
Our annual Health & Safety Inspection was conducted by ADEC on Sunday. We expect to receive a report of findings that reflects significant improvements since our last visit. We aim to continually improve our procedures as rated by the ADEC standards for Health & Safety. Although the GEMS Internal Health & Safety standards are more stringent and specific than the ADEC standards, we strive to achieve high ratings with our local regulatory agency.
GAA is a safe and healthy place to be for our students. We are continually reviewing and improving our procedures and practices to achieve an even higher standard.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, our Manager of School Operations, Nikos Spachis, or your child’s division principal.
Kathy Miner
IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING GATE ACCESS
The safety of our students, and the GAA community as a whole, is our priority.
We have reviewed our safety and security measures at GAA. We would like to inform you about some changes that are currently underway concerning access to the GAA school premises. You may have noticed that the security guards are no longer involved in directing traffic or in assisting with parking issues at the front and back parking lots. They are focused entirely on monitoring school access.
Together, we can be a safer and more secure community. We ask that our parents support and comply with the following changes to our school access procedures:
• From 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, all school gates will be closed/locked and you will only be able to enter the premises from:
The main front gate
The gate behind the tennis courts at the back parking lot
• The gate guard will ask that you register with the security guard, leave a valid ID (Emirates ID, Labor card, Driver’s License, passport) and receive a visitor card.
• The security guards have the right to ask all visitors and parents to present a valid ID card when entering the premises. We ask that you comply with this request.
• Please, wear the visitor card at all times while you are in the school premises.
• When you exit please use the same gate you entered in order to collect your ID and return the visitor card.
At 5:00 pm, all gates will be locked for the day. Visitors entering the school after hours must go to the front gate and register with the guard using the same process described above
All the above will be enforced beginning Sunday, November 9, 2014. We would like to thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We will keep you continuously updated if any changes are made in our access control procedures.
Nikos Spachis
Manager of School Operations
We have reviewed our safety and security measures at GAA. We would like to inform you about some changes that are currently underway concerning access to the GAA school premises. You may have noticed that the security guards are no longer involved in directing traffic or in assisting with parking issues at the front and back parking lots. They are focused entirely on monitoring school access.
Together, we can be a safer and more secure community. We ask that our parents support and comply with the following changes to our school access procedures:
• From 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, all school gates will be closed/locked and you will only be able to enter the premises from:
The main front gate
The gate behind the tennis courts at the back parking lot
• The gate guard will ask that you register with the security guard, leave a valid ID (Emirates ID, Labor card, Driver’s License, passport) and receive a visitor card.
• The security guards have the right to ask all visitors and parents to present a valid ID card when entering the premises. We ask that you comply with this request.
• Please, wear the visitor card at all times while you are in the school premises.
• When you exit please use the same gate you entered in order to collect your ID and return the visitor card.
At 5:00 pm, all gates will be locked for the day. Visitors entering the school after hours must go to the front gate and register with the guard using the same process described above
All the above will be enforced beginning Sunday, November 9, 2014. We would like to thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We will keep you continuously updated if any changes are made in our access control procedures.
Nikos Spachis
Manager of School Operations
DID YOU KNOW
A new page was added to the nation’s history as people from all over the UAE came
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News From the Library
Great News! We're running a Scholastic ISBC to earn free books for our school. We sent the Book Club leaflets home so that you and your child can choose from the latest exciting selection of books or go online to http://world-schools.scholastic.co.uk/gems-american-acad-abu-dhabi . Please make sure you return your order to school by Sunday, November 23.
Our Bookmark Winners
Last week our GEMS students had the opportunity to participate in a bookmark making contest. Students worked hard on their reading tools.
The peer voting for the bookmarks came down to the wire. Numerous students provided an entry and choosing the top three was difficult for our voters. Below is the selected winners. First place winners class received laminated versions of the book mark and a display posted in the library. Thanks for all that participated and keep up the good work! |
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What's Happening at GAA Next Week?
GEMS American Academy Community News
Parent Coffee and Information Series
In order to connect with the parent community on various important topics, we are introducing a parent coffee and information series. Here are the dates and topics of sessions we will be hosting over the next month:
- “In touch” with Dr. Miner, an informal share session – Thursday 13th November 2pm
- Presentation of School Improvement Goals – Thursday 20th November 2pm
In order to connect with the parent community on various important topics, we are introducing a parent coffee and information series. Here are the dates and topics of sessions we will be hosting over the next month:
- “In touch” with Dr. Miner, an informal share session – Thursday 13th November 2pm
- Presentation of School Improvement Goals – Thursday 20th November 2pm