News from Head of School - Kathy Miner
A Great Start!
There was a buzz of excitement throughout the hallways as students arrived and settled into their classrooms to begin the new school year. Thank you all for such a smooth and positive beginning!
How wonderful to see our new and returning families arrive on the first days of school. With 93 nationalities and 40 languages represented in our school this year, we are truly a vibrant and warm international school. Our community is a diverse cultural and linguistic blend, which will give our children an incredibly rich experience.
Our enrollment is just over 2,000 students this year with 410 students in the Kindergarten program, 835 in the Elementary School and 765 in the Secondary School.
Our GAAPA and Booster Club parents were on hand throughout the week to greet and welcome our new and returning families. We hope you consider joining this welcoming parent organization, a great way to meet fellow parents while supporting a great school.
Please look for news and information about GAA in our weekly newsletter each Thursday. My weekly article will help to keep you informed and up-to-date with information and news around the school.
Process for Handling Concerns
We hope that we have provided all the information and support necessary for your child and family during this first week of school.
Our aim is that each child has a successful start to the school year and that every parent feels assured and heard. Please know that we are all here to help and support your child. Our hearts, ears and doors are open.
Should you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact:
Thank you for your efforts to keep our parking lot safe and traffic flowing smoothly. You may not be aware that we do not own or control the parking lot areas. These areas are owned by the municipality, which means we cannot alter the traffic flow or design to better meet our needs.
Please remember to use the back parking lot for pick up and drop off and leave the front parking area for our KG parents. Take care where you park your car as city police have been known to issue parking tickets for cars parked up onto the street curb.
Above all, let us exercise patience and adhere to the GAA Culture of Kindness as we manage the daily parking lot experience.
Please Watch For Student Safety
Please do not remove the safety cones out in the back parking lot. The cone designates a safety zone, which allows visibility of small children. Removing the cone and parking in this space, results in reduced visibility of small children to drivers in the parking lot. Our security guards are on the alert to protect safety in the parking areas.
Our work project is underway. We are restoring damage and replacing the white cladding on the steel canopy damaged during the March wind and rainstorm.
Unfortunately, the process was delayed several months by the insurance company, which was overwhelmed with claims in the Emirate from the storm damage.
School was delayed two days as we learned late that additional documentation was needed. We were prepared to begin on Sunday, however, we used the additional time as a faculty and staff to collaborate on curriculum planning and development for the benefit of our students.
We appreciate that ADEC know and support our process and plan for the project.
Entrance Open: KG Entrance is open, front parking lot is open for KG parents and visitors. We ask that all other grade levels are picked up and dropped off from the back of the school.
Project Timeline: We understand that the cladding project should be completed by the end of October. During the winter break, we will close the KG entrance and complete the cladding project on that side of the building.
Kathryn Miner
Head of School and CEO
There was a buzz of excitement throughout the hallways as students arrived and settled into their classrooms to begin the new school year. Thank you all for such a smooth and positive beginning!
How wonderful to see our new and returning families arrive on the first days of school. With 93 nationalities and 40 languages represented in our school this year, we are truly a vibrant and warm international school. Our community is a diverse cultural and linguistic blend, which will give our children an incredibly rich experience.
Our enrollment is just over 2,000 students this year with 410 students in the Kindergarten program, 835 in the Elementary School and 765 in the Secondary School.
Our GAAPA and Booster Club parents were on hand throughout the week to greet and welcome our new and returning families. We hope you consider joining this welcoming parent organization, a great way to meet fellow parents while supporting a great school.
Please look for news and information about GAA in our weekly newsletter each Thursday. My weekly article will help to keep you informed and up-to-date with information and news around the school.
Process for Handling Concerns
We hope that we have provided all the information and support necessary for your child and family during this first week of school.
Our aim is that each child has a successful start to the school year and that every parent feels assured and heard. Please know that we are all here to help and support your child. Our hearts, ears and doors are open.
Should you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact:
- Your child’s teacher for support and assistance.
- If your concern is not resolved, you would then contact the elementary or secondary vice principal or principal. Then, the Head of School.
- If your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction, please send a message to the Complaint Committee and your concern will be scheduled for a formal committee meeting which you will be invited to attend. [email protected]
Thank you for your efforts to keep our parking lot safe and traffic flowing smoothly. You may not be aware that we do not own or control the parking lot areas. These areas are owned by the municipality, which means we cannot alter the traffic flow or design to better meet our needs.
Please remember to use the back parking lot for pick up and drop off and leave the front parking area for our KG parents. Take care where you park your car as city police have been known to issue parking tickets for cars parked up onto the street curb.
Above all, let us exercise patience and adhere to the GAA Culture of Kindness as we manage the daily parking lot experience.
Please Watch For Student Safety
Please do not remove the safety cones out in the back parking lot. The cone designates a safety zone, which allows visibility of small children. Removing the cone and parking in this space, results in reduced visibility of small children to drivers in the parking lot. Our security guards are on the alert to protect safety in the parking areas.
Our work project is underway. We are restoring damage and replacing the white cladding on the steel canopy damaged during the March wind and rainstorm.
Unfortunately, the process was delayed several months by the insurance company, which was overwhelmed with claims in the Emirate from the storm damage.
School was delayed two days as we learned late that additional documentation was needed. We were prepared to begin on Sunday, however, we used the additional time as a faculty and staff to collaborate on curriculum planning and development for the benefit of our students.
We appreciate that ADEC know and support our process and plan for the project.
Entrance Open: KG Entrance is open, front parking lot is open for KG parents and visitors. We ask that all other grade levels are picked up and dropped off from the back of the school.
Project Timeline: We understand that the cladding project should be completed by the end of October. During the winter break, we will close the KG entrance and complete the cladding project on that side of the building.
Kathryn Miner
Head of School and CEO
Tuition fees
Parents are kindly reminded that the first instalment towards tuition fees was due the first day of school. To make tuition fee payment you may visit our accounts department located in the Admin Block, room 09. For online payments please visit the GEMS Oasis portal https://oasis.gemseducation.com/General/Home.aspx If you need assistance please don't hesitate to contact our accounts department at [email protected]
Refund Policy
Schools with termly and half yearly semester charge:
Fee refund for the discounted payment to be verified for any recovery of excess discount if any. Refund is made only to the payer of the fees. If the fee is paid by the company then the refund is made only to the company and not to the parent unless there is a written confirmation from the company to make the refund directly to the parent. Exception is the fee concession applied for scholarships or merits, the refund may be made to the parent as it is an academic concession.
Parents are kindly reminded that the first instalment towards tuition fees was due the first day of school. To make tuition fee payment you may visit our accounts department located in the Admin Block, room 09. For online payments please visit the GEMS Oasis portal https://oasis.gemseducation.com/General/Home.aspx If you need assistance please don't hesitate to contact our accounts department at [email protected]
Refund Policy
Schools with termly and half yearly semester charge:
- If the student attends school for two weeks or less, a month’s fees will be deducted;
- If the student attends school for a period ranging between two weeks and one month, two months’ fees will be deducted
- If the student attends for more than a month, three months fees will be deducted.
Fee refund for the discounted payment to be verified for any recovery of excess discount if any. Refund is made only to the payer of the fees. If the fee is paid by the company then the refund is made only to the company and not to the parent unless there is a written confirmation from the company to make the refund directly to the parent. Exception is the fee concession applied for scholarships or merits, the refund may be made to the parent as it is an academic concession.
Go to link: SEASON 1 TRYOUTS
Little Wildcats Soccer
Morning Drop Off
This year parents may drop off students beginning at 7:15 am. Each morning the cafeteria will be open at 7:15 am for supervised social and homework help time. Students in Grade 1 – 12 should not go directly to the classroom if they arrive before 7.30am.
For Kindergarten students we ask that parents allow the front car park area to become a KG drop off site only. Please help us in maintaining a safe and effective drop off point for our youngest members of the school community, KG parents will be grateful!
As there are simply not enough parking spaces to allow each family to park and walk their child to the classroom, we are requesting that you drop off your child:
There will be many teaching assistants waiting for KG students at the gates from 7.30 am to chaperone your child to their classroom. Thanks to the staggered start, parents will be able to chaperone their child to the classroom in the first week of school.
We also ask that parents of older students, grade 1 to grade 12, drop off your children:
Afternoon Pick Up
The normal school day finishes at 2.45pm for Kindergarten students and 2.55pm for Elementary and Secondary students. Parents of Kindergarten and Grade 1 students may receive their child from their classroom door. Older students are able to find their parents at an agreed meeting point and be off campus by 3:15pm. If your child has not been collected by 3.15pm, you will be contacted by the school.
We would like to thank all families for their cooperation in ensuring that everyone enjoys a stress free morning drop off and afternoon pick up. We will continue to work with parents to improve this system.
*We would also like to remind parents that we have a school bus network available to all families. If you would like your child to take the bus, or for more information on this service, please email our Director of Transportation, Mr Abdullah at [email protected]
Gate Access
To gain access to the campus, you must have your GAA Parent ID Card. If you do not yet have a GAA Parent ID Card, you can register by handing the Security Guards a valid ID (Emirates ID, Labor card, Driver’s License, passport) and receive a Visitor Card.
During Pick up and Drop off times, all of four gates are open. 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:
At 5:00pm, the KG front gate will be locked for the day. The tennis gate and back gate will be locked at 7:00pm. Visitors entering the school after hours must go to the front gate and register with the guard using the same process described above.
New Parents: Please email one photo along with your full name and the names of your child/children so that we can print your parent ID's. You may send this to: [email protected]
*Unfortunately we are unable to issue Parent ID's to Drivers and nannies/guardians. Please assist us by ensuring that your drivers and/or nannies/guardians always sign in at security before entering the premises.
This year parents may drop off students beginning at 7:15 am. Each morning the cafeteria will be open at 7:15 am for supervised social and homework help time. Students in Grade 1 – 12 should not go directly to the classroom if they arrive before 7.30am.
For Kindergarten students we ask that parents allow the front car park area to become a KG drop off site only. Please help us in maintaining a safe and effective drop off point for our youngest members of the school community, KG parents will be grateful!
As there are simply not enough parking spaces to allow each family to park and walk their child to the classroom, we are requesting that you drop off your child:
- At the front gate if your child is in Kindergarten, which includes KG with older siblings.
There will be many teaching assistants waiting for KG students at the gates from 7.30 am to chaperone your child to their classroom. Thanks to the staggered start, parents will be able to chaperone their child to the classroom in the first week of school.
We also ask that parents of older students, grade 1 to grade 12, drop off your children:
- At the back gate. Please use the parking lot behind the school. Students will walk across the school sports field to enter the school.
Afternoon Pick Up
The normal school day finishes at 2.45pm for Kindergarten students and 2.55pm for Elementary and Secondary students. Parents of Kindergarten and Grade 1 students may receive their child from their classroom door. Older students are able to find their parents at an agreed meeting point and be off campus by 3:15pm. If your child has not been collected by 3.15pm, you will be contacted by the school.
We would like to thank all families for their cooperation in ensuring that everyone enjoys a stress free morning drop off and afternoon pick up. We will continue to work with parents to improve this system.
*We would also like to remind parents that we have a school bus network available to all families. If you would like your child to take the bus, or for more information on this service, please email our Director of Transportation, Mr Abdullah at [email protected]
Gate Access
To gain access to the campus, you must have your GAA Parent ID Card. If you do not yet have a GAA Parent ID Card, you can register by handing the Security Guards 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 their GAA Parent ID Card or obtain a Visitor Card by presenting a valid ID. We ask that you comply with this request.
- Please wear your ID card at all times while you are in the school premises.
- For those with a Visitor Card, please exit using the same gate you entered in order to collect your ID and return the Visitor Card.
During Pick up and Drop off times, all of four gates are open. 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 reception front gate
- The gate behind the tennis courts at the back parking lot
At 5:00pm, the KG front gate will be locked for the day. The tennis gate and back gate will be locked at 7:00pm. Visitors entering the school after hours must go to the front gate and register with the guard using the same process described above.
New Parents: Please email one photo along with your full name and the names of your child/children so that we can print your parent ID's. You may send this to: [email protected]
*Unfortunately we are unable to issue Parent ID's to Drivers and nannies/guardians. Please assist us by ensuring that your drivers and/or nannies/guardians always sign in at security before entering the premises.