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Dear Parents,
There is definitely something special here at GEMS American Academy and I’ve spent weeks trying to find a way to put this feeling into words.
We know that GAA provides a broad array of enriched opportunities and a fantastic facility. Our teachers are enthusiastic and caring professionals who are knowledgeable of successful practices in education. And, our supportive teaching assistants devote time and attention to each child.
The magic of our community can be found in the everyday interactions throughout the school- the warmth, the welcoming spirit and the relationships that are built and sustained throughout the year.
Visitors and families to our school immediately sense a Culture of Kindness, a signature of our school community that reflects our core values and philosophy of education.
We are all part of the “something special” at our school, the connections and relationships as we partner to support, care for and education children.
A few updates for the week include:
• In doing some research as to why the printing vendor we hired this year did not deliver the grade 1 and 2 Arabic books on time, I learned that their order processing website was not functioning for a period of three weeks, which resulted in a delay in ordering. We will not be using the same printer next year after this experience.
• Several parents have asked if we take attendance in after school programs. The answer is yes, there are online attendance and mark pick-up’s as well on spreadsheets; activity advisors take attendance in every activity, every day.
• There have been A/C repairmen on campus all week doing work on the A/C system. Some areas have been repaired and parts have been ordered. We have a high quality system, which is great, but parts are not readily available in the local area.
• Today we had a fire drill which was caused by dust which had collected on one of the sensors in the music department. We are going to have each sensor cleaned to ensure this does not happen again. We have also had the fire alarm system checked and serviced. We have been assured that our system is in good, working order. We will continue to have safe evacuation drills and procedures to ensure student safety.
If you have a question or concerns, please don’t hesitate to stop by or to give me a call or send me an email.
Have a lovely weekend
Kathy Miner
Head of School
There is definitely something special here at GEMS American Academy and I’ve spent weeks trying to find a way to put this feeling into words.
We know that GAA provides a broad array of enriched opportunities and a fantastic facility. Our teachers are enthusiastic and caring professionals who are knowledgeable of successful practices in education. And, our supportive teaching assistants devote time and attention to each child.
The magic of our community can be found in the everyday interactions throughout the school- the warmth, the welcoming spirit and the relationships that are built and sustained throughout the year.
Visitors and families to our school immediately sense a Culture of Kindness, a signature of our school community that reflects our core values and philosophy of education.
We are all part of the “something special” at our school, the connections and relationships as we partner to support, care for and education children.
A few updates for the week include:
• In doing some research as to why the printing vendor we hired this year did not deliver the grade 1 and 2 Arabic books on time, I learned that their order processing website was not functioning for a period of three weeks, which resulted in a delay in ordering. We will not be using the same printer next year after this experience.
• Several parents have asked if we take attendance in after school programs. The answer is yes, there are online attendance and mark pick-up’s as well on spreadsheets; activity advisors take attendance in every activity, every day.
• There have been A/C repairmen on campus all week doing work on the A/C system. Some areas have been repaired and parts have been ordered. We have a high quality system, which is great, but parts are not readily available in the local area.
• Today we had a fire drill which was caused by dust which had collected on one of the sensors in the music department. We are going to have each sensor cleaned to ensure this does not happen again. We have also had the fire alarm system checked and serviced. We have been assured that our system is in good, working order. We will continue to have safe evacuation drills and procedures to ensure student safety.
If you have a question or concerns, please don’t hesitate to stop by or to give me a call or send me an email.
Have a lovely weekend
Kathy Miner
Head of School
Technology Integration for Students and Parents
This year sees many new and exciting integrations of technology into teaching, learning and communications at GAA. Some of these services are active already and some are being rolled out in a thoughtful and timely plan of activation.
Among these tech services are The Launcher, PlusPortals, Class Sites, Google Docs and the Haiku LMS.
The Launcher has already been introduced in the GAAzette. It is like a digital signpost. It holds some information and many links to sites that are important to the GAA community. It links to the GAAzette, the school web site and the GLG. It holds
elementary and secondary community handbooks, the elementary curriculum overview and the secondary program of studies. It has a list of all teachers with an active email link so that you can “click to contact”. It also has a published and continually updated calendar of school events.
PlusPortals is an extension of the GradeBook and Scheduling program. When rolled out to parents it will include the student schedule, course overviews and an updated “real time” view of student grades. PlusPortals is already active for students so that they can see their schedule.
Class Sites will communicate learning and current events from the elementary grade levels and homerooms. Eventually, upper elementary students will be able to log in to access some online resources and learning activities. This should be active later this year after students have had some class discussions about digital citizenship and the context of digital engagement has been connected to the classroom learning experience.
Google Docs accounts have been created for all students in secondary and will be activated for students in the upper elementary classes within the next few weeks (in conjunction with, and as appropriate to, class activities and discussions about online resources and digital citizenship). Google accounts enable Google Drive which means students are able to create, share and collaborate on word processing documents, presentations and spreadsheets. It’s an excellent system. The Google account includes a school mail address - already active in secondary school and yet to be activated in upper elementary. Upper elementary accounts will have email deactivated by default and then activated when required. All email communication between students and teachers will be facilitated through the school account.
Our LMS (Learning Management System - Haiku) allows course resources to be organized in a blended learning environment. This means students will have continual contact with their courses through the online connection. When finalized, it will include document and course information, discussion boards, teachers and students link collection and the course assessment details.
It’s an exciting start to the year. We are working to get the BYO devices of all secondary students registered on our network and the IT engineers have been busy troubleshooting and finalizing individual issues on a daily basis. GAA user accounts have been iPads have been deployed to elementary homerooms and laptop trolleys for elementary are due out soon. Things are humming!
This year sees many new and exciting integrations of technology into teaching, learning and communications at GAA. Some of these services are active already and some are being rolled out in a thoughtful and timely plan of activation.
Among these tech services are The Launcher, PlusPortals, Class Sites, Google Docs and the Haiku LMS.
The Launcher has already been introduced in the GAAzette. It is like a digital signpost. It holds some information and many links to sites that are important to the GAA community. It links to the GAAzette, the school web site and the GLG. It holds
elementary and secondary community handbooks, the elementary curriculum overview and the secondary program of studies. It has a list of all teachers with an active email link so that you can “click to contact”. It also has a published and continually updated calendar of school events.
PlusPortals is an extension of the GradeBook and Scheduling program. When rolled out to parents it will include the student schedule, course overviews and an updated “real time” view of student grades. PlusPortals is already active for students so that they can see their schedule.
Class Sites will communicate learning and current events from the elementary grade levels and homerooms. Eventually, upper elementary students will be able to log in to access some online resources and learning activities. This should be active later this year after students have had some class discussions about digital citizenship and the context of digital engagement has been connected to the classroom learning experience.
Google Docs accounts have been created for all students in secondary and will be activated for students in the upper elementary classes within the next few weeks (in conjunction with, and as appropriate to, class activities and discussions about online resources and digital citizenship). Google accounts enable Google Drive which means students are able to create, share and collaborate on word processing documents, presentations and spreadsheets. It’s an excellent system. The Google account includes a school mail address - already active in secondary school and yet to be activated in upper elementary. Upper elementary accounts will have email deactivated by default and then activated when required. All email communication between students and teachers will be facilitated through the school account.
Our LMS (Learning Management System - Haiku) allows course resources to be organized in a blended learning environment. This means students will have continual contact with their courses through the online connection. When finalized, it will include document and course information, discussion boards, teachers and students link collection and the course assessment details.
It’s an exciting start to the year. We are working to get the BYO devices of all secondary students registered on our network and the IT engineers have been busy troubleshooting and finalizing individual issues on a daily basis. GAA user accounts have been iPads have been deployed to elementary homerooms and laptop trolleys for elementary are due out soon. Things are humming!
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.
GAAPA General Meeting
All Parents are cordially invited to attend GAAPA's first General Meeting for the 2014-15 school year on Monday 22nd September at 8:00am in the Auditorium. Do not miss this opportunity to meet the GAAPA Board members and the GAA Leadership team as well as learn about how you can be a part of the exciting events in store throughout the coming year and have your questions answered
All Parents are cordially invited to attend GAAPA's first General Meeting for the 2014-15 school year on Monday 22nd September at 8:00am in the Auditorium. Do not miss this opportunity to meet the GAAPA Board members and the GAA Leadership team as well as learn about how you can be a part of the exciting events in store throughout the coming year and have your questions answered
GAAPA Coffee Cart
Every year at the start of the term GAAPA's Tim Horton's Coffee Cart, powered by the ladies of the GAAPA Executive Committee, makes the rounds with hot coffee/tea and delicious cookies to warm the hearts and tummies of GAA teachers and assistants as a way to welcome them back to school and as a token of appreciation for the stellar job that they are doing with GAA students. This Monday teachers were pleasantly surprised and full of gratitude when the coffee cart rolled by. Thank you, GAAPA!
Every year at the start of the term GAAPA's Tim Horton's Coffee Cart, powered by the ladies of the GAAPA Executive Committee, makes the rounds with hot coffee/tea and delicious cookies to warm the hearts and tummies of GAA teachers and assistants as a way to welcome them back to school and as a token of appreciation for the stellar job that they are doing with GAA students. This Monday teachers were pleasantly surprised and full of gratitude when the coffee cart rolled by. Thank you, GAAPA!
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