News from our Secondary Principal, Craig Randall
Dear Parents,
Happy Islamic New Year to all. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend. Though a short week, we have been productive in the secondary school with our Bullying Prevention Week program. We have had a series of lessons and events aimed at creating a culture of kindness and support. We fully expect our efforts and focus this week will help to the continual growth of ever improving culture of kindness.
Next week is our Pink Awareness Week. Our IB DP CAS students have been working hard on these activities as part of their service component of CAS. Please see the announcement below on ways you can contribute to this worthy cause.
Finally, I look forward to seeing everyone next week at the "In-Touch" sessions on October 21st.
Sincerely,
Craig Randall
Happy Islamic New Year to all. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend. Though a short week, we have been productive in the secondary school with our Bullying Prevention Week program. We have had a series of lessons and events aimed at creating a culture of kindness and support. We fully expect our efforts and focus this week will help to the continual growth of ever improving culture of kindness.
Next week is our Pink Awareness Week. Our IB DP CAS students have been working hard on these activities as part of their service component of CAS. Please see the announcement below on ways you can contribute to this worthy cause.
Finally, I look forward to seeing everyone next week at the "In-Touch" sessions on October 21st.
Sincerely,
Craig Randall
The NAJAH Higher Education and Careers Fair is taking place on October 27, 28, & 29. All secondary students and families, but especially those in grades 9 - 12 are strongly encouraged to attend. Thursday, October 29, would be a great day for students to go as we have a Professional Development day and students will finish school at 12Noon. The fair will be open from 10am – 7pm on this day.
What is it?: NAJAH is a higher education and career expo. It is a large-scale event that offers international opportunities for higher education, careers, and training. It provides a variety of opportunities for not only high school students, but also working professionals looking to further their education and career prospects. Of course, the main focus for our students is visiting with the higher education universities and colleges.
For more information please visit the website at www.najahonline.com
When is it?: 10am-7pm on Tuesday, October 27; Wednesday, October 28; *Thursday, October 29 which is highly recommended due to the early dismissal form school.
Why should I attend?: This event will serve as a great introduction to a variety of worldwide universities and their admission processes.
A general note about fairs: A college fair is a free program to the public to aid students and their families in fulfilling their educational aspirations. The fair provides you with the opportunity to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of colleges and universities. Use this time to discuss majors of intended study, admission and financial aid requirements, and other information pertinent to the college selection process.
PSAT REMINDER
For more information please visit the website at www.najahonline.com
When is it?: 10am-7pm on Tuesday, October 27; Wednesday, October 28; *Thursday, October 29 which is highly recommended due to the early dismissal form school.
Why should I attend?: This event will serve as a great introduction to a variety of worldwide universities and their admission processes.
A general note about fairs: A college fair is a free program to the public to aid students and their families in fulfilling their educational aspirations. The fair provides you with the opportunity to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of colleges and universities. Use this time to discuss majors of intended study, admission and financial aid requirements, and other information pertinent to the college selection process.
PSAT REMINDER
COLLEGES VISITING CAMPUS for Seniors & Juniors
OCTOBER
Oct. 1 @ 10:45am-11:30am - Boston University, USA
Oct.6 @ 9am-9:45am -Wheaton College, Quinnipiac University, USA
Oct. 11 @ 9am-9:45am – UCLA, University of California Berkeley, USA
Oct. 19 @ 9am-9:45am - University Visit- Liberal Arts Group College Fair: Johns Hopkins, U of Chicago, Colby College, USA
Oct. 21 @ 9am-9:45am – Liberal Arts Group: Washington & Jefferson College, Knox College, Dickinson College, Bryn Mawr College, Lawrence College, USA
Oct. 22 @ 9am-9:45am – University of California Davis, USA
Oct. 26 @ 9am-9:45am - University mini-fair: Syracuse University, Suffolk University, Rutgers University, USA
Oct. 29 @ 9am-9:45am - Lewis & Clark College, USA
GRADE LEVEL INFO
SENIOR Info (grade 12)
REMINDERS for parents: Keep turning in your Parent Senior Questionnaires from Senior College Night. It was sent via email.
REMINDERS for students:
1) Continue to make an appointment with Ms. Welch for a fall update! The best way to schedule a meeting is to stop by the office or email.
2) Don't miss important ACT/SAT Registration deadlines! Students sign up on their own on the testing websites.
SAT Registration: sat.org/international
ACT Registration: www.actstudent.org
3) Sign up for College & University Visits
JUNIOR Info (grade 11)
1) Read up on the changes happening in the PSAT on the College Board website at this PSAT link.
2) Sign-Up for College and University Visits
SOPHOMORE Info (grade 10)
Students who are registered for PSAT in October can read up on the changes happening in the PSAT on the College Board website at this PSAT link.
Another testing opportunity will take place in the spring and that registration will happen in December.
FRESHMAN Info (grade 9)
It’s October. One month down, approximately 39 more to go! As you continue to adjust to high school life, consider the following:
Your coursework will be more demanding than the assignments you received in middle school. However, there’s no need to panic. We’re confident you have the skills and the smarts to be successful. When it comes to scheduling, make sure you lay a strong foundation to build upon in your subsequent high school years.
While it’s true college admissions committees most heavily scrutinize junior year, grades during freshman year still matter. For many, there might be a brief adjustment period as you get used to the more rigorous curriculum (everyone bombs a test or two during freshman fall), but you’ve got to bounce back and work your hardest to succeed. Don’t worry about how anyone else is doing. Focus on your own grades and ensure that you’re working towards your highest potential.
OCTOBER
Oct. 1 @ 10:45am-11:30am - Boston University, USA
Oct.6 @ 9am-9:45am -Wheaton College, Quinnipiac University, USA
Oct. 11 @ 9am-9:45am – UCLA, University of California Berkeley, USA
Oct. 19 @ 9am-9:45am - University Visit- Liberal Arts Group College Fair: Johns Hopkins, U of Chicago, Colby College, USA
Oct. 21 @ 9am-9:45am – Liberal Arts Group: Washington & Jefferson College, Knox College, Dickinson College, Bryn Mawr College, Lawrence College, USA
Oct. 22 @ 9am-9:45am – University of California Davis, USA
Oct. 26 @ 9am-9:45am - University mini-fair: Syracuse University, Suffolk University, Rutgers University, USA
Oct. 29 @ 9am-9:45am - Lewis & Clark College, USA
GRADE LEVEL INFO
SENIOR Info (grade 12)
REMINDERS for parents: Keep turning in your Parent Senior Questionnaires from Senior College Night. It was sent via email.
REMINDERS for students:
1) Continue to make an appointment with Ms. Welch for a fall update! The best way to schedule a meeting is to stop by the office or email.
2) Don't miss important ACT/SAT Registration deadlines! Students sign up on their own on the testing websites.
SAT Registration: sat.org/international
ACT Registration: www.actstudent.org
3) Sign up for College & University Visits
JUNIOR Info (grade 11)
1) Read up on the changes happening in the PSAT on the College Board website at this PSAT link.
2) Sign-Up for College and University Visits
SOPHOMORE Info (grade 10)
Students who are registered for PSAT in October can read up on the changes happening in the PSAT on the College Board website at this PSAT link.
Another testing opportunity will take place in the spring and that registration will happen in December.
FRESHMAN Info (grade 9)
It’s October. One month down, approximately 39 more to go! As you continue to adjust to high school life, consider the following:
Your coursework will be more demanding than the assignments you received in middle school. However, there’s no need to panic. We’re confident you have the skills and the smarts to be successful. When it comes to scheduling, make sure you lay a strong foundation to build upon in your subsequent high school years.
While it’s true college admissions committees most heavily scrutinize junior year, grades during freshman year still matter. For many, there might be a brief adjustment period as you get used to the more rigorous curriculum (everyone bombs a test or two during freshman fall), but you’ve got to bounce back and work your hardest to succeed. Don’t worry about how anyone else is doing. Focus on your own grades and ensure that you’re working towards your highest potential.
Grade 8
Hello everyone, what a wonderful start to the year the Grade 8’s have had so far. The amount of work they have been doing and their contribution to the ethos of the school has been excellent. Here is a snapshot of what they have been doing and what they have to look forward to.
Student Elections
Congratulations to Khaled Al Mutawa who was elected as the Grade 8 Representative in the recent student elections. It was a thrilling, and very close, election but Khaled and his promise to ‘always take your suggestion’ won the hearts and minds of his peers. His campaign was very professional and began within hours of announcing that he was running. The time and effort that he put in has clearly paid off. We are all looking forward to seeing Khaled lead the way for his peers. Well done, Khaled!
Student Nominations for Outstanding Endeavor
Grade 8 students have been working hard in their studies to continue to make progress. Some students have been putting in extra effort in their studies to keep improving their grade and the Grade 8 team have been discussing these students. Here are some of the nominations for the students that have impressed us in recent weeks:
Cross Curricular Planned Topic
Learning happens best when it happens in context and is connected to other areas of interest. Students need to know that there are meaningful connections among our courses of study, and that no subject operates in bubble. To that end, our Grade 8 team is busy planning a cross-curricular project for January, to coincide with the ADEC sustainability week. The four core subjects (Math, English, Science and Social Studies) are designing a project using the theme of sustainability that will incorporates various standards from all of the subjects. A presentation of the final project will be announced at a later date.
Face to Faith
Hello Parents and welcome to Face to Faith!
Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, realized that, in order for our students to be true global citizens, they needed to have a better understanding of global events and world issues. To address this need, the Tony Blair Foundation wanted to provide a program that would facilitate this by giving students a chance to interact with their peers from around the world and be a member of a true global community. As a result, Face to Faith was formed.
Face to Faith is not about religion. It is a program that allows over 160,000 12- 17 year old students from over 20 countries to connect with each other in a moderated and secure online community. F2F allows the students to explore their world, their culture, exchange ideas, and have direct communication with their peers from around the globe. They learn to have respectful, meaningful dialogue through blogging and video conferences with other schools. We are excited to have our 8th grade advisory classes participating in the program this year. We will soon be hosting our first video conference, entering blogging competitions, and much more. We are looking forward to expanding our horizons, experiencing new cultures and traditions, and having our students grow into true global citizens.
Eco trip
Ms. Ruderman, Ms. Bhatt, Mr. Baciu, and Mr. Eddens are excited to join 50 8th graders on their Ecoventure trip from November 18th to 22nd. Students will gain increased personal awareness and a greater appreciation of the outdoors. Students will engage in a wide selection of activities that will be challenging and educational. Activities will include team building, Khasab Dhow Trip, Mangrove Study, Canoeing, Raft Building, and a High Ropes course that includes Jacob's ladder.
8th Grade promotion
We have our 8th grade promotion to high school ceremony sometime in May in the auditorium. We will have speeches and talk about the importance of high-school, where grades count towards university acceptance. During the ceremony we will also announce each student and hand out certificates of completion. This will be followed by a student celebration in the gymnasium where we will have a sock –hop (an American style dance with the lights on) in the gymnasium where refreshments will be served. Finishing 8th grade is an important milestone in a student’s life. It is a signal of accomplishment, of growing independence, of an important step towards adulthood. It is also a signal of increasing expectations and responsibilities that lie ahead. We want our students aware of the importance of high-school and to be prepared for the rigors that lie ahead. We want to celebrate their accomplishments. We hope the celebration does both. The dress code for the ceremony is smart casual. (Boys can wear ties, a nice shirt, jacket. Girls can wear a dress that is respectful to local traditions and culture). Remember no pajamas, no spaghetti strap dresses, shoulders covered, and dress length at the knee.
Sports results
The U14 volleyball season is in full swing. We have had 6 games in a row without a practice, but the girls have shown a lot of improvement. The past weekend the grade 8 girls’ team crushed AISA and easily won all three sets! Well done! If you want to see them in action, our final tournament will be here at GAA on October 24th. We would love to have you there cheering for us! Go Wildcats!
Grade 8 Volleyball Players:
Claudia McGuinty
Caitlin Godley
Maya Gonzalez
Julia Little
Giulia Fargnoli
Taylor Quaye
Christine Robbins
Jemma Swain
8th grade volleyball boys:
These boys have shown great, positive, and mature leadership on the volleyball team:
Luca salvati madden
Jonah cirillo
Ray Timm
Mohamad Gazal
Aiden Gougam
Ibrahim almoudi
Devul Nahor
They are truly team players, thinking of the group rather than their personal glory.
8th Grade Swim Team:
Our Gr.8 Wildcats competitive Swimmers have been participating so far in four swimming meets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai since the start of Season 1-9th of September.
We are very proud with the strength of our swimmers and successful participation for all competitions.
Monique Le Grange
Craig Randall
Ioana Ingrid Ciobanu
Anthea Meijer
Acalia Randall
Mathew Adithya Ajith
Madison Moye
Cassidy Pistun
Elite swimmers are elite long before you ever hear about them. Days, weeks, months, years of training takes to get that gold medal or improve best personal time. Our GAA swimmer are training and work harder to become like elite swimmers.
If you think swimming is easy read this: “Swimmers do more kicks than a soccer player, more flips than a cheerleader, more sets than a volleyball player and more yards than a football player, still easy???”
Well done Wildcat swimmers, keep up your excellent work!
Coaches Kirsten and Iliana.
Student Elections
Congratulations to Khaled Al Mutawa who was elected as the Grade 8 Representative in the recent student elections. It was a thrilling, and very close, election but Khaled and his promise to ‘always take your suggestion’ won the hearts and minds of his peers. His campaign was very professional and began within hours of announcing that he was running. The time and effort that he put in has clearly paid off. We are all looking forward to seeing Khaled lead the way for his peers. Well done, Khaled!
Student Nominations for Outstanding Endeavor
Grade 8 students have been working hard in their studies to continue to make progress. Some students have been putting in extra effort in their studies to keep improving their grade and the Grade 8 team have been discussing these students. Here are some of the nominations for the students that have impressed us in recent weeks:
- Lana Al Rifai, Science. “Lana has increased her grade massively by adopting a mature attitude towards her studies. I have been so impressed by her efforts and she is consistently leading the way in science class. Well done!” Mr. Broderick
- Nora Samad, Science. “Nora has learned all of the elements of the Periodic table and even made her own song and video to share with her peers. A truly remarkable effort and one that made my day when I saw it”. Mr. Broderick
- Caitlin Godley, Geography. “Caitlyn has a done an exceptional job recently in pushing herself to be more responsible and take ownership of her learning”. Mr. Risner
- Lucca Salvati-Madden, Geography. “Lucca impressed me with his maturity and ability to put his education above his friends and distractions”. Mr. Risner
- Nora Samad and Joelle Younes, French. “These girls are always enquiring, striving to do their best, and complete extra work outside of class to maintain their excellent grades”. Ms. Newman
- Lana Al Rifai, PE. “Lana has made great imrovements”.
- Mohammed Alolama, PE. “Mohammed is always polite, trying his best, and is a very helpful student”.
Cross Curricular Planned Topic
Learning happens best when it happens in context and is connected to other areas of interest. Students need to know that there are meaningful connections among our courses of study, and that no subject operates in bubble. To that end, our Grade 8 team is busy planning a cross-curricular project for January, to coincide with the ADEC sustainability week. The four core subjects (Math, English, Science and Social Studies) are designing a project using the theme of sustainability that will incorporates various standards from all of the subjects. A presentation of the final project will be announced at a later date.
Face to Faith
Hello Parents and welcome to Face to Faith!
Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, realized that, in order for our students to be true global citizens, they needed to have a better understanding of global events and world issues. To address this need, the Tony Blair Foundation wanted to provide a program that would facilitate this by giving students a chance to interact with their peers from around the world and be a member of a true global community. As a result, Face to Faith was formed.
Face to Faith is not about religion. It is a program that allows over 160,000 12- 17 year old students from over 20 countries to connect with each other in a moderated and secure online community. F2F allows the students to explore their world, their culture, exchange ideas, and have direct communication with their peers from around the globe. They learn to have respectful, meaningful dialogue through blogging and video conferences with other schools. We are excited to have our 8th grade advisory classes participating in the program this year. We will soon be hosting our first video conference, entering blogging competitions, and much more. We are looking forward to expanding our horizons, experiencing new cultures and traditions, and having our students grow into true global citizens.
Eco trip
Ms. Ruderman, Ms. Bhatt, Mr. Baciu, and Mr. Eddens are excited to join 50 8th graders on their Ecoventure trip from November 18th to 22nd. Students will gain increased personal awareness and a greater appreciation of the outdoors. Students will engage in a wide selection of activities that will be challenging and educational. Activities will include team building, Khasab Dhow Trip, Mangrove Study, Canoeing, Raft Building, and a High Ropes course that includes Jacob's ladder.
8th Grade promotion
We have our 8th grade promotion to high school ceremony sometime in May in the auditorium. We will have speeches and talk about the importance of high-school, where grades count towards university acceptance. During the ceremony we will also announce each student and hand out certificates of completion. This will be followed by a student celebration in the gymnasium where we will have a sock –hop (an American style dance with the lights on) in the gymnasium where refreshments will be served. Finishing 8th grade is an important milestone in a student’s life. It is a signal of accomplishment, of growing independence, of an important step towards adulthood. It is also a signal of increasing expectations and responsibilities that lie ahead. We want our students aware of the importance of high-school and to be prepared for the rigors that lie ahead. We want to celebrate their accomplishments. We hope the celebration does both. The dress code for the ceremony is smart casual. (Boys can wear ties, a nice shirt, jacket. Girls can wear a dress that is respectful to local traditions and culture). Remember no pajamas, no spaghetti strap dresses, shoulders covered, and dress length at the knee.
Sports results
The U14 volleyball season is in full swing. We have had 6 games in a row without a practice, but the girls have shown a lot of improvement. The past weekend the grade 8 girls’ team crushed AISA and easily won all three sets! Well done! If you want to see them in action, our final tournament will be here at GAA on October 24th. We would love to have you there cheering for us! Go Wildcats!
Grade 8 Volleyball Players:
Claudia McGuinty
Caitlin Godley
Maya Gonzalez
Julia Little
Giulia Fargnoli
Taylor Quaye
Christine Robbins
Jemma Swain
8th grade volleyball boys:
These boys have shown great, positive, and mature leadership on the volleyball team:
Luca salvati madden
Jonah cirillo
Ray Timm
Mohamad Gazal
Aiden Gougam
Ibrahim almoudi
Devul Nahor
They are truly team players, thinking of the group rather than their personal glory.
8th Grade Swim Team:
Our Gr.8 Wildcats competitive Swimmers have been participating so far in four swimming meets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai since the start of Season 1-9th of September.
We are very proud with the strength of our swimmers and successful participation for all competitions.
Monique Le Grange
Craig Randall
Ioana Ingrid Ciobanu
Anthea Meijer
Acalia Randall
Mathew Adithya Ajith
Madison Moye
Cassidy Pistun
Elite swimmers are elite long before you ever hear about them. Days, weeks, months, years of training takes to get that gold medal or improve best personal time. Our GAA swimmer are training and work harder to become like elite swimmers.
If you think swimming is easy read this: “Swimmers do more kicks than a soccer player, more flips than a cheerleader, more sets than a volleyball player and more yards than a football player, still easy???”
Well done Wildcat swimmers, keep up your excellent work!
Coaches Kirsten and Iliana.
World Languages
At GAA, students are encouraged to choose one world language in G6 and continue with that language throughout their secondary education (G6-10) in order to reach their best potential when they enter the IB Diploma program in G11-12.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The primary goal of the middle school language courses is to develop communication skills while enabling students to understand the linguistic, cultural and social nature of the target language while the secondary aims of the program are to develop global awareness, international understanding and an appreciation of cultural diversity.
Through classroom activities (group and team projects, oral presentations, reading, teacher led activities, student led activities), students develop all four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, writing and reading. Themes of study develop vocabulary and grammatical structures that allow students to engage in (interpret, respond, express opinions and ideas, reflect, research) topics of personal interest.
In Grade 6, students begin with the sounds, the alphabet and numbers and work their way through the study of different topics all the way through grade 8:
In Middle School French 1, so far this semester we have learned a lot of new vocabulary in French. We can now introduce ourselves, saying where we live, how old we are and when our birthday is. We have since moved on to talking about our families and pets and all the beginner classes have prepared a presentation about their family and pets in class. We have made family trees (some have been beautiful), created a slide show to present to their class and have been preparing for our first few assessments. The beginners this year have really impressed their teachers by providing some excellent work, showing some great knowledge of French from drawing similarities between their first language and French, as well as being organized, hardworking and engaged. We have some excellent French speakers here at GAA and we hope that those beginning now will continue to be motivated to learn French, participate in games and communicate well with their peers in French, of course! After we can confidently talk and write about our families and pets, we will be moving on to talk about our homes.
At GAA, students are encouraged to choose one world language in G6 and continue with that language throughout their secondary education (G6-10) in order to reach their best potential when they enter the IB Diploma program in G11-12.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The primary goal of the middle school language courses is to develop communication skills while enabling students to understand the linguistic, cultural and social nature of the target language while the secondary aims of the program are to develop global awareness, international understanding and an appreciation of cultural diversity.
Through classroom activities (group and team projects, oral presentations, reading, teacher led activities, student led activities), students develop all four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, writing and reading. Themes of study develop vocabulary and grammatical structures that allow students to engage in (interpret, respond, express opinions and ideas, reflect, research) topics of personal interest.
In Grade 6, students begin with the sounds, the alphabet and numbers and work their way through the study of different topics all the way through grade 8:
- Description of our daily family life
- Festivals and celebrations
- The weather
- Sports and leisure activities
- At school
- Food and shopping around town
- Travelling
- A school trip staying with a family
- Order food in cafes and restaurants
- What to wear, clothing.
- The French/Spanish speaking world
- Future plans
- Health
In Middle School French 1, so far this semester we have learned a lot of new vocabulary in French. We can now introduce ourselves, saying where we live, how old we are and when our birthday is. We have since moved on to talking about our families and pets and all the beginner classes have prepared a presentation about their family and pets in class. We have made family trees (some have been beautiful), created a slide show to present to their class and have been preparing for our first few assessments. The beginners this year have really impressed their teachers by providing some excellent work, showing some great knowledge of French from drawing similarities between their first language and French, as well as being organized, hardworking and engaged. We have some excellent French speakers here at GAA and we hope that those beginning now will continue to be motivated to learn French, participate in games and communicate well with their peers in French, of course! After we can confidently talk and write about our families and pets, we will be moving on to talk about our homes.
In Middle School Spanish 1, students have just finished learning about the animals and, as a project, they had to invent a creature out of 5 real animals. They have been very imaginative and creative! In the next few weeks, they will be able to describe themselves and their families and pets. Stop them if you see them around, ask them a few basic questions and see how they can communicate!
In the Middle School Spanish ½ classes, we have been exploring the essential question “How do I maintain a healthy lifestyle? The students have practiced regular present tense verbs along with some vocabulary of nutrition and exercise. One of their assignments was to make a poster in which they recommend activities and foods, which will help everyone, stay healthy. We enjoy singing many songs about grammar as well.
In Middle School Spanish 2, students are beginning to communicate in the past tense. They have brought some photos to talk about their childhood and they will soon be able to compare them with what they are like in their teenage hood. We can’t wait to hear their stories in Spanish!
HIGH SCHOOL
The primary goal of this course is to continue to develop effective communication skills while enabling students to deepen their understanding of the linguistic, cultural and social nature of the French language. Through classroom activities (individual, pair and group) students practice and develop all four areas of language learning. Themes of study will expand vocabulary and grammatical structures that allow students to engage in (interpret, respond, express opinions and ideas, reflect, research) topics of personal interest. Students explore the themes of:
Our High school French 1/2 students have been working extremely hard learning about the language used when shopping in France. The students have learnt the names of different shops and can talk about what is sold in each shop and what they can buy. They are able to ask for various items along with the quantity they need and they can understand the prices of items. As part of this unit they have enjoyed working collaboratively in small groups to create a French shopping board game, where they also got the opportunity to play each others’ games and gave feedback to each other. Students also completed a self- reflection on evaluation on their own board game and their own learning of the French in this topic.
In the first few lessons, our High school French 2 and 2/3 students reviewed and reinforced what they learned in previous years by introducing themselves to the teacher and their classmates in French. They also talked about France, discussed why learning a language – and French in particular – is so important. We looked at maps of France and found out about all the French speaking countries in the world. Lots of students made posters about a topic related to a French speaking country and we are now very happy to have these great decorations on our classroom walls. After that, the students have been working mostly on how to describe their friends and family as well as talking about their daily routines. In order to do so we reviewed the present tense of regular and irregular verbs, reflexive verbs as well as the correct use of adjectives used to describe somebody physically and their personality.
HIGH SCHOOL
The primary goal of this course is to continue to develop effective communication skills while enabling students to deepen their understanding of the linguistic, cultural and social nature of the French language. Through classroom activities (individual, pair and group) students practice and develop all four areas of language learning. Themes of study will expand vocabulary and grammatical structures that allow students to engage in (interpret, respond, express opinions and ideas, reflect, research) topics of personal interest. Students explore the themes of:
- The life of a typical teenager around the world
- Life in Town and in the Countryside.
- The influence of school on a typical day
- Food and culture
- Leisure activities
- Holidays abroad
- Planning my future
- My plane
Our High school French 1/2 students have been working extremely hard learning about the language used when shopping in France. The students have learnt the names of different shops and can talk about what is sold in each shop and what they can buy. They are able to ask for various items along with the quantity they need and they can understand the prices of items. As part of this unit they have enjoyed working collaboratively in small groups to create a French shopping board game, where they also got the opportunity to play each others’ games and gave feedback to each other. Students also completed a self- reflection on evaluation on their own board game and their own learning of the French in this topic.
In the first few lessons, our High school French 2 and 2/3 students reviewed and reinforced what they learned in previous years by introducing themselves to the teacher and their classmates in French. They also talked about France, discussed why learning a language – and French in particular – is so important. We looked at maps of France and found out about all the French speaking countries in the world. Lots of students made posters about a topic related to a French speaking country and we are now very happy to have these great decorations on our classroom walls. After that, the students have been working mostly on how to describe their friends and family as well as talking about their daily routines. In order to do so we reviewed the present tense of regular and irregular verbs, reflexive verbs as well as the correct use of adjectives used to describe somebody physically and their personality.
While the phase 3 students have been exploring the question “How is my daily routine influenced by my school and family environments”, they learnt about school life, school subjects and also school rules stating what should be done or not be done. They have completed quite successfully the reading and visual assessments so far!
In the High School Spanish 1 class, the students have been practicing greetings, leave-takings, basic body parts, the alphabet, numbers 1-100, months, days, seasons, weather and now are learning how to say “ I like…/You like…”. They have had two oral assessments already and now are working on communication within their groups as well as practicing vocabulary with flashcard games in class. Songs play a role in teaching the different vocabulary words and sentence structure
In the High School Spanish 1 class, the students have been practicing greetings, leave-takings, basic body parts, the alphabet, numbers 1-100, months, days, seasons, weather and now are learning how to say “ I like…/You like…”. They have had two oral assessments already and now are working on communication within their groups as well as practicing vocabulary with flashcard games in class. Songs play a role in teaching the different vocabulary words and sentence structure
In the High School Spanish 2/3 the students have been working with reflexive verbs in the present and past tense. One of their projects was to make a video of their morning routine with their personal narration in Spanish.
IB COURSES
At GAA, we offer two IB courses in French and in Spanish:
IB DP1:
“Our Ab Initio Spanish class has been working very hard. After practicing their writing and reading skills, it is now time to start communicating orally. They will be able to ask and answer questions about themselves and their family and friends. Challenge them if you see them around.”
“In the DP1 Spanish and French B classes, the students have just completed a unit on teenagers and friendships. This will be followed with a unit on family relationships as a part of the core topic: Social Relationships.
IBDP 2:
The DP2 Spanish B class is studying Communication and Media. They discussed sensationalism, bias and partiality in the press, as well as advertising.
The DP2 French B class has just finished exploring the topic of Leisure and holidays in particular and will be starting the topic of Communication and Media soon. They will be discussing sensationalism, bias and partiality in the press, as well as advertising.
The DP2 Ab initio class continues exploring topics at a rapid pace. So far this year they have studied weather, health, and the environment; they also learned the future and conditional verb tenses. All the DP classes are focusing on improving their reading strategies, producing varied text types, and interacting in Spanish at all times.
While the DP2 French class has been exploring the topic of festivals and celebrations around the French-speaking world. They also learned how to use the close future and recent past as well as the imperative to give commands or instructions!
At GAA, we offer two IB courses in French and in Spanish:
- An “Ab initio” course for students who have very little to no knowledge of that language prior to start, finishing with the equivalent of a high school level 3 programme.
- A “Language B” course for students who want to enhance their learning of that language to a higher level of proficiency.
IB DP1:
“Our Ab Initio Spanish class has been working very hard. After practicing their writing and reading skills, it is now time to start communicating orally. They will be able to ask and answer questions about themselves and their family and friends. Challenge them if you see them around.”
“In the DP1 Spanish and French B classes, the students have just completed a unit on teenagers and friendships. This will be followed with a unit on family relationships as a part of the core topic: Social Relationships.
IBDP 2:
The DP2 Spanish B class is studying Communication and Media. They discussed sensationalism, bias and partiality in the press, as well as advertising.
The DP2 French B class has just finished exploring the topic of Leisure and holidays in particular and will be starting the topic of Communication and Media soon. They will be discussing sensationalism, bias and partiality in the press, as well as advertising.
The DP2 Ab initio class continues exploring topics at a rapid pace. So far this year they have studied weather, health, and the environment; they also learned the future and conditional verb tenses. All the DP classes are focusing on improving their reading strategies, producing varied text types, and interacting in Spanish at all times.
While the DP2 French class has been exploring the topic of festivals and celebrations around the French-speaking world. They also learned how to use the close future and recent past as well as the imperative to give commands or instructions!
Here is our Community and Secondary School Calendar - Scroll through the months to see what's planned for this year at GAA
Please make sure you check this calendar regularly for updates and new events