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Dear Parents,
Thank you for coming to our Back To School night; it was a delight to see so many supportive parents attend our sessions Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We are truly lucky to have such an engaged and involved in the school community. It is so important in the life of a school to have a strong parent/teacher partnerships; partnerships that are formed through high quality relationships and communication.
We heard many positive comments about a strong start to the school year. And, we heard a few constructive suggestions that we can use to continue improving our practices. Together as partners, we will do everything to ensure the best learning environment for your child.
Open communication enables us to engage our parents as partners in understanding and meeting the needs of each child. Your children benefit greatly from our shared responsibility for their learning growth and development. We warmly invite you to partner with us at every opportunity. Please know that our doors are open, our ears are open and our hearts are open- we are here to support your child and family.
To keep you informed, I have a few updates from around the school:
1. Our core subject textbooks have been distributed all week and should be in classrooms; over the summer we received an amazing collection of new books for our literacy initiatives. Classrooms have all been well stocked and are in good order for the year ahead with some late orders just arriving. We are awaiting Arabic books for just two levels and understand they are due to arrive shortly.
2. The A/C in the gym is not operating properly; our service provider has ordered parts to repair the system. In the meantime, PE teachers are reducing the amount of time students spend in the gym through implementing classes in our cardiovascular room, giving PE theory lessons in the classrooms and also ensuring students inside the gym are taking regular water breaks and working at a reduced intensity.
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3. We are working with the food service provider to add a pizza oven and a third lunch line to reduce congestion. Students will have additional options that include pasta, Panini sandwiches and pizza. Please remember that beginning October 1st, we will no longer accept cash in the cafeteria except in an emergency. The online payment system enables us to prepare the correct quantity of food each day. Online payment can be made via https://school.gemsoasis.com/OASIS_accuro/Forms/Index.aspx and you can click here for a step by step guide on how add money to your child's account
ADEC School Ratings Released.
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has published recent school ratings. The inspection for GAA took place in January 2014.
In studying the report, there are several areas to address and although there is work to be done, I am completely confident, that with the support of you, my staff and my senior leadership team, GAA will go forward to be a stronger learning community for our students.
I see our challenges as an opportunity. An opportunity to build and become the leading school and the envy of Abu Dhabi; a school known for high quality programs, rigorous and relative curricula, and a relentless and personalized focus on the success of each child in our school.
I will continue to communicate our school improvement planning efforts to keep you informed as to our goals, progress and achievements throughout the year. We are committed to building upon our strengths to ensure high standards within GAA to guarantee safety, quality education and opportunities for every child.
GAA was judged to be: BAND B; GRADE 5
The main strengths of the school are:
The main areas for improvement are:
8 months after the inspection took place, there is already evidence that we are well on our way to providing a stronger academic program for your children.
Thank you for coming to our Back To School night; it was a delight to see so many supportive parents attend our sessions Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We are truly lucky to have such an engaged and involved in the school community. It is so important in the life of a school to have a strong parent/teacher partnerships; partnerships that are formed through high quality relationships and communication.
We heard many positive comments about a strong start to the school year. And, we heard a few constructive suggestions that we can use to continue improving our practices. Together as partners, we will do everything to ensure the best learning environment for your child.
Open communication enables us to engage our parents as partners in understanding and meeting the needs of each child. Your children benefit greatly from our shared responsibility for their learning growth and development. We warmly invite you to partner with us at every opportunity. Please know that our doors are open, our ears are open and our hearts are open- we are here to support your child and family.
To keep you informed, I have a few updates from around the school:
1. Our core subject textbooks have been distributed all week and should be in classrooms; over the summer we received an amazing collection of new books for our literacy initiatives. Classrooms have all been well stocked and are in good order for the year ahead with some late orders just arriving. We are awaiting Arabic books for just two levels and understand they are due to arrive shortly.
2. The A/C in the gym is not operating properly; our service provider has ordered parts to repair the system. In the meantime, PE teachers are reducing the amount of time students spend in the gym through implementing classes in our cardiovascular room, giving PE theory lessons in the classrooms and also ensuring students inside the gym are taking regular water breaks and working at a reduced intensity.
·
3. We are working with the food service provider to add a pizza oven and a third lunch line to reduce congestion. Students will have additional options that include pasta, Panini sandwiches and pizza. Please remember that beginning October 1st, we will no longer accept cash in the cafeteria except in an emergency. The online payment system enables us to prepare the correct quantity of food each day. Online payment can be made via https://school.gemsoasis.com/OASIS_accuro/Forms/Index.aspx and you can click here for a step by step guide on how add money to your child's account
ADEC School Ratings Released.
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has published recent school ratings. The inspection for GAA took place in January 2014.
In studying the report, there are several areas to address and although there is work to be done, I am completely confident, that with the support of you, my staff and my senior leadership team, GAA will go forward to be a stronger learning community for our students.
I see our challenges as an opportunity. An opportunity to build and become the leading school and the envy of Abu Dhabi; a school known for high quality programs, rigorous and relative curricula, and a relentless and personalized focus on the success of each child in our school.
I will continue to communicate our school improvement planning efforts to keep you informed as to our goals, progress and achievements throughout the year. We are committed to building upon our strengths to ensure high standards within GAA to guarantee safety, quality education and opportunities for every child.
GAA was judged to be: BAND B; GRADE 5
The main strengths of the school are:
- The school has developed very good relationships, high levels of respect and a positive culture where students feel safe and are happy learners.
- The high quality of the school’s building and resources provide good opportunities for students to develop a wide range of skills and interests within, and beyond, the school day.
- The school’s focus on instilling an understanding of UAE values, culture and society.
The main areas for improvement are:
- Clarity and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of senior and middle leaders amongst all members of the school community.
- The more effective use of assessment to ensure that the individual needs of all students are met.
- Curriculum planning and delivery to ensure progression and continuity of learning for students as they move through the grades.
8 months after the inspection took place, there is already evidence that we are well on our way to providing a stronger academic program for your children.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to our GAAPA parents who provided the beautiful food platters at the Back To School Nights this week. Please consider signing up to join the GAAPA group and become involved in this supportive parent network.
Wishing you all a lovely week ahead
Kathy Miner
Head of School & CEO
The Launcher is back!
We provide The Launcher to give parents one place to find all the links to our online resources. Here is the link, make sure to take a note of it - tiny.cc/thelauncher
Here are 5 reasons why you should visit The Launcher
1. We have a calendar of all of the school events*
2. Links to all of our teachers email addresses
3. Links to the GEMS Learning Gateway, Newsletter and Electronic Library
In the coming weeks we will also be adding
4. Links to classroom specific information and teacher updates for your child's class
5. Links to plusportals, online grading systems, athletics and activites information and much more
The Launcher is parent's one stop place to be directed to all the electronic resources and sites connect to GAA! If you remember one GAA site this year, please make it tiny.cc/thelauncher
*Please note - the school events calendar is a Google calendar which is regularly updated. For the up to date information please check this regularly
Access to online grading will be available in the coming weeks. You will find a link to this portal on the launcher. More information will be available in next weeks newsletter about our Gradebook portal, how to use it and when to expect grades to appear.
We provide The Launcher to give parents one place to find all the links to our online resources. Here is the link, make sure to take a note of it - tiny.cc/thelauncher
Here are 5 reasons why you should visit The Launcher
1. We have a calendar of all of the school events*
2. Links to all of our teachers email addresses
3. Links to the GEMS Learning Gateway, Newsletter and Electronic Library
In the coming weeks we will also be adding
4. Links to classroom specific information and teacher updates for your child's class
5. Links to plusportals, online grading systems, athletics and activites information and much more
The Launcher is parent's one stop place to be directed to all the electronic resources and sites connect to GAA! If you remember one GAA site this year, please make it tiny.cc/thelauncher
*Please note - the school events calendar is a Google calendar which is regularly updated. For the up to date information please check this regularly
Access to online grading will be available in the coming weeks. You will find a link to this portal on the launcher. More information will be available in next weeks newsletter about our Gradebook portal, how to use it and when to expect grades to appear.
Updated 2014-15 Academic Year Calendar
Please click on this link for an updated copy of the GAA 2014-15 Academic Year Calendar
Please click on this link for an updated copy of the GAA 2014-15 Academic Year Calendar
What's Happening at GAA Next Week?
GEMS American Academy Community News
It is our pleasure to announce the first round of “GAA Community Evenings” at the planetarium. This month we will be offering 2 showings to hopefully work around your busy schedules. The first show will be Monday, September 22nd at 6:00PM. The second will be Wednesday, September 24th at 6:00PM. The shows are free of charge and open to the entire GAA community, including parents, students, and
GAA staff members.
Both shows will feature a tour of the solar system followed by our full-dome movie “Wonders of the Universe”. I expect the shows to end around ~7:30PM. For more information about this show, please see the poster below. To reserve your spot, you will need to send an email to the planetarium director, Mr. James Walker. The email address is: [email protected] Please use the subject line: September Planetarium Evening. Please note which evening you would like to attend, Monday the 22nd or Wednesday the 24th. Also, please tell me how many people you will be bringing to the show. Whole families are welcome, but space is limited so reserve your spots early.
It is our pleasure to announce the first round of “GAA Community Evenings” at the planetarium. This month we will be offering 2 showings to hopefully work around your busy schedules. The first show will be Monday, September 22nd at 6:00PM. The second will be Wednesday, September 24th at 6:00PM. The shows are free of charge and open to the entire GAA community, including parents, students, and
GAA staff members.
Both shows will feature a tour of the solar system followed by our full-dome movie “Wonders of the Universe”. I expect the shows to end around ~7:30PM. For more information about this show, please see the poster below. To reserve your spot, you will need to send an email to the planetarium director, Mr. James Walker. The email address is: [email protected] Please use the subject line: September Planetarium Evening. Please note which evening you would like to attend, Monday the 22nd or Wednesday the 24th. Also, please tell me how many people you will be bringing to the show. Whole families are welcome, but space is limited so reserve your spots early.
GEMS American Academy Community Golf Day
We are excited to announce our first GEMS American Academy Golf day, which will be held on Saturday 18th October. We have organized this tournament as community event for GAA staff and parents, and we encourage all golf enthusiasts to get involved! At the end of the tournament there will be a barbeque and the announcement of the winners. Here are the details:
DATE: Saturday 18th of October 2014
TIME: from 08:00am
COST: 800AED per person
GROUPS: of 4
COMPETITION: Texas Shamble
INCLUDING: warm up balls, championship course, BBQ lunch (drinks excluded)
PRIZES: 1st team, 2nd team, 3rd team. Nearest the pin, longest drive, straightest drive, raffle prizes.
HOW MANY: Up to 80 people
Click on this link to sign up:
https://docs.google.com/a/gaaad.com/forms/d/169Kg0Y44IHsLB1Iz0GFABR_pqC1Vz8YNgXPtwMOgfB8/viewform?usp=send_form
Sign up will close on Thursday 18th September, we will not hold the event unless we have 80 participants so please sign up to avoid disappointment.
We are excited to announce our first GEMS American Academy Golf day, which will be held on Saturday 18th October. We have organized this tournament as community event for GAA staff and parents, and we encourage all golf enthusiasts to get involved! At the end of the tournament there will be a barbeque and the announcement of the winners. Here are the details:
DATE: Saturday 18th of October 2014
TIME: from 08:00am
COST: 800AED per person
GROUPS: of 4
COMPETITION: Texas Shamble
INCLUDING: warm up balls, championship course, BBQ lunch (drinks excluded)
PRIZES: 1st team, 2nd team, 3rd team. Nearest the pin, longest drive, straightest drive, raffle prizes.
HOW MANY: Up to 80 people
Click on this link to sign up:
https://docs.google.com/a/gaaad.com/forms/d/169Kg0Y44IHsLB1Iz0GFABR_pqC1Vz8YNgXPtwMOgfB8/viewform?usp=send_form
Sign up will close on Thursday 18th September, we will not hold the event unless we have 80 participants so please sign up to avoid disappointment.
Adjusting to Life in a New Country - Presentation for Parents Thursday 18th September
For those parents who have recently arrived in Abu Dhabi, our Elementary Guidance Counselor Phil Abraham and Parent Engagement Champion Averi Abraham will be giving a presentation at 2.15pm on Thursday 18th September in the Planetarium. This is an event for parents to gain more information on culture shock and other aspects of adjusting to life in a new country.
We encourage all those new parents whose schedules are free to come to the event. This is also a great opportunity to make connections with other families who are adjusting to all things Abu Dhabi!
For those parents who have recently arrived in Abu Dhabi, our Elementary Guidance Counselor Phil Abraham and Parent Engagement Champion Averi Abraham will be giving a presentation at 2.15pm on Thursday 18th September in the Planetarium. This is an event for parents to gain more information on culture shock and other aspects of adjusting to life in a new country.
We encourage all those new parents whose schedules are free to come to the event. This is also a great opportunity to make connections with other families who are adjusting to all things Abu Dhabi!
Mother Tongue Programs at GAA
We are proud to host several mother tongue programs at GAA, These programs include the Dutch School, Greek School, Swedish School and Italian School. These school meet at GAA after the school day; please click here for a schedule and information on how to participate.
We are proud to host several mother tongue programs at GAA, These programs include the Dutch School, Greek School, Swedish School and Italian School. These school meet at GAA after the school day; please click here for a schedule and information on how to participate.
Please click on the links at the top of the page to read our KG & Elementary News, Secondary News and Updates