Thank you!

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the parents who joined us at our Coffee Mornings and Parent Engagement Sessions this week. Your presence added immense value to the discussions and interactions. 

We trust that you found the sessions to be informative and beneficial as we collectively prepare for the academic year ahead. Your active involvement is very important to the success of our educational journey and we truly appreciate your commitment. We have two more sessions for next week, please make sure to save the dates!

Should you have any further questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Monday 11th September-

• Year 5 to 6 Parent Engagement Session

from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

📍 ASPS- GYM

We will be providing supervision for your students during the event. This means that for parents attending the afternoon session, you can collect your student after the event as they will be under our supervision throughout the session.

Bus students during the afternoon Parent Engagement Session:

If you plan to attend the afternoon Parent Engagement Session and would like your child to go home with you instead of taking the school bus on that day, please let us know by completing this form. Please also inform the bus assistant directly that your child will not travel home via bus that day. 

Tuesday 12th September-

• All parents are invited to our Inclusion Coffee Morning

from 8:20 am to 9:00 am

Friday 15th September-

• FS1 Red Day (more details will be shared in the Curriculum Overview)

• FS2  Favourite Colour Day (more details will be shared in the Curriculum Overview)

In line with the UAE National Agenda Parameter, all students in Dubai are required to take specific benchmark tests by the KHDA to steer us to work collectively to improve the quality of education across the country. 

These tests will be scheduled over the next few weeks and will be conducted under formal exam conditions during the school day.

Measures of Cognitive Ability (CAT4)

This is an assessment of developed skills and gaps in areas known to make a difference to learning and achievement and provides schools with an accurate analysis of your child’s potential for learning. 

Tests will be administered for all students in Years 4, 6 and 8 and any new students in Years 5, 7 and 9 who did not have these in our school last year.

New Group Reading Tests (NGRT)

The NGRT is a standardised, adaptive, termly assessment to measure reading skills against the national average. Schools use it to identify where intervention may be needed, and then to monitor impact and progress made. the New Group Reading Test (NGRT) this week for Years 4 to 8. Next week, Years 2 and 3 will sit for this assessment. 

• Test will be administered for all students in Years 2 to 9

Arabic Benchmark Tests (A.B.T)

Arabic Benchmark Test is designed based on Bloom’s taxonomy and includes testing all four skills for learning Arabic (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening) in students. The tests provide information on the learning abilities of the students according to the years of learning Arabic as a first or as an additional language. The Schedule of test timetable for each class will be sent to the students of Years 4 & 7 & 9 on Google Classroom or Emails

• Test will be administered for all students in Years 4 to 9

Important:

• We request that your child comes prepared with a set of headphones and a fully charged Chromebook, as these are mandatory for all test days.

• These tests are essential and some have associated fees which are to be borne by the parents as indicated in the Parent-School Contract and school fee policy. An external exams notice will be sent to all parents with the test details and the fees associated with each.

Dates:

The initial round of the External Arabic Subject Benchmark Test is scheduled to occur next week (Week 3- 13th-15th September). The timetable for the test sessions for students in Years 4, 7, and 9 will be communicated through Google Classroom.

Students in Years 5, 6, and 8 will have their tests during the following week (Week 4- between 18th and 22nd September).

We would like to clarify our policy regarding early dismissal.

Our school day officially concludes at 1:00 pm for FS students and 2:20 pm for Primary and Secondary School students. We have carefully structured our curriculum and timetable to maximise learning opportunities for all students up until the very end of the day. Dismissing students early, particularly toward the end of the school day, can cause disruptions in the classroom and jeopardise health and safety as we buckle up our bus students.

Random and unjustifiable early dismissals disrupt the normal routine of your child's class, which can be inconsiderate to other students and challenging for our teachers. It's important to note that our teachers are not responsible for repeating lessons or providing make-up work for students who leave school early without a valid reason.

Whilst we understand that medical or dental appointments may sometimes coincide with school hours, we kindly request that every effort be made to schedule such appointments outside of school time whenever possible.

Please notify the school as soon as you are aware of the doctor's appointment with a screenshot of the message or any note of appointment. It is helpful for us to have advance notice so that we can prepare for your child's early dismissal.

As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all students at ASPS, we would like to inform you about an important update regarding our attendance alert system.

Our attendance system is designed to send notifications to parents if their child is not present at the time of registration. This system serves two critical purposes: Monitoring Student Attendance and Tracking Late Attendance.

If you receive an attendance/absence notification and your child has been sent into school or if you receive the alert but were late dropping off your child, we kindly request that you take the following steps:

• If you were late dropping off your child, please indicate this in your communication with the form tutor. Your prompt notification will help us maintain accurate attendance records and support our safeguarding efforts.

• Notice of Absence Form:

As per the directives from the KHDA and in accordance with our school policy, unnecessary absences and persistent lateness are matters of serious concern. Both parents and students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements.

It is important to inform you that we are actively monitoring your child's attendance. Excessive absences and consistent lateness could potentially affect your child's eligibility for re-registration in the next academic year.

To streamline the communication of student absence, please fill in the Notice of Absence Form. 

We are excited to share that we have launched our morning assemblies this week and they have been met with a very positive response from our students in Primary and Secondary School. These early morning assemblies offer our students an opportunity to begin their day well-informed and inspired.

To ensure that every student can fully benefit from these valuable meetings, it is of utmost importance that they arrive at school by 7:40 am and are ready for their classes. Being punctual ensures that they do not miss out on these important gatherings.

Raya, a student from Year 6, took the initiative to engage Year 4 to Year 6 students in a discussion about how they can celebrate International Literacy Day as proud students of ASPS. Alongside Ms. Priya, they emphasised the important role and significance of literacy in our lives. This interactive session provided valuable insights into fostering a culture of reading and learning within our school community.

Students in Key Stage 3 have undoubtedly set a high standard for future assemblies, demonstrating that they are not only capable of delivering impactful messages but are also eager to do so. 

The first assembly earlier in the week was a touching display of empathy and global awareness. Led by the students themselves, the special assembly aimed to emphasise the significance of International Day of Charity. 

In the second assembly, students once again took centre stage to highlight another crucial aspect of personal development: Literacy Skills. 

Both assemblies were a testament to the dedication and creativity of the students at ASPS. Well done!

The UAE places a strong emphasis on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to ensuring access to clean energy, affordable and nutritious food, quality education, and healthcare. Additionally, the nation is committed to fostering sustainable economic growth, preserving a healthy environment, and enhancing resource efficiency. ASPS embraces and supports this initiative. 

As part of our commitment to these goals, we invite students in Secondary School to actively participate and contribute through:

• Plastic Bottle Collection

  • By collecting plastic bottles, we divert them from landfills and encourage recycling. Please make sure they are empty and clean.

• Can Collection 

  • Simply collect aluminum and steel cans from your home, school, or community. Please make sure they are clean and free of any food residue. 

• Paper Collection

  • Gather old newspapers, magazines, office paper, cardboard and any other paper-based items. Please make sure they are clean, dry and free from contamination.

We are excited to recognise and reward students who make the most significant contributions, as they will be the Sustainability Ambassadors of their sections.