Dear Parents/Guardians,

With the end of the academic year fast approaching all eyes are on curriculum completion, assessments, and end of year celebrations. 

This year, we have been extra careful when scheduling our assessments mainly due to the lost learning from distance learning and rain days. Those subjects who complete the curriculum first will be assessed first and those who complete it last will complete it last. We have done this to get the best possible outcomes for students using our expertise and ask that families trust us. 

Our assessment period concludes on 2nd July and, after this time, learning and special events continue. Until the last day of the term for all private schools in Dubai, 5th July, as mandated by the KHDA. 

As exam season approaches, it is crucial to prioritise our students' wellbeing. Students who are stressed and not mentally prepared may struggle to perform well in their exams. It is important for students to recognise this and know when to seek help.

May is Mental Health Month and students at ASPS have been actively learning about various aspects of wellbeing and self-care. The Wellbeing Heroes and the Student Council have led the charge by organising awareness sessions throughout the school. Senior students visited FS classes to discuss the importance of understanding and managing emotions. They also participated in lower primary assemblies to teach students how to control both big and small emotions.

Students in Higher Primary explored the connection between thoughts, emotions and actions, and learned about the power of positive thinking. Secondary students engaged in a mythbusting session to get accurate information about mental health.

If you are following us on social media, you might have seen that we participated in "The I Can’t to I Can" Challenge. This five-day workshop focused on taking control of thoughts and actions, and building confidence and resilience. Parents, you can find out more about this at https://rtt.com/5-day-challenge-us

ASPS will be conducting the NGRT (New Group Reading Test) for students in Years 2 to 9 from Monday 27th to Friday 31st May.

NGRT is a standardised, adaptive, termly assessment to measure students’ reading skills against the national average. Schools use it to identify where intervention may be needed, and then to monitor impact and progress made. This assessment will provide valuable insights into students’ reading skills and assist us in tailoring our instruction to meet their individual needs.

Required devices during the tests:

• These are computer based tests and require children to use their own Chromebook and headset. 

• We ask parents with students in Years 3 to 9 to ensure their child/ren carry their Chromebook fully charged and a headset. 

• To maintain a distraction-free environment and enable students to concentrate fully on the assessment, we request that your child brings a headset.

• Students in Year 2 will take the tests in our Computing Lab

The external benchmark assessments (GL Progress Tests) and internal end of year exams will start from Thursday 6th June 2024. 

All assessments will be conducted in rigorous testing conditions under our teachers supervision. The rest of the school day will run as normal with regular teaching and learning activities.

End of Year Attainment Grades and Parent Teacher Meetings-

The attainment grades for the internal assessments will be shared with parents via the end of year report cards on Friday 5th July. This will be followed by an online Parent-Teacher Meeting on Monday 8th July.

Parents and Students are expected to be in compliance with the attendance requirement pertaining to unnecessary absences in accordance with the KHDA Parent-School Contract. Please note that attendance records kept by the school are reported to the KHDA. Their view is that there is ample time for holidays to be taken during the school holidays (winter break, spring break and summer months). 

School breaks are mandated and approved by the KHDA for private schools in Dubai and these dates are not proposed by the school but are set according to the KHDA guidelines. We strongly advise parents to schedule vacations or travel plans during the designated school holidays to ensure compliance with attendance requirements. 

Term Dates for AY 2024-2025

Preferred Payment Option: Zenda App

Our preferred and recommended payment option is the Zenda App. This secure platform provides a convenient way for our parents and guardians to make school payments (this includes school fees!)

Payment through Zenda App:

Download the Zenda app today from app.zenda.com/getstarted 

To sign up, please use the school code: alsalam and your email or mobile number registered with the school.

For Support:

If you have any questions or do not remember your sign up details, you can reach out to the Zenda team on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/12515511110