Dear GAA Community,

Please view the video below to get information on:

• Update on Elementary student attendance in 2021

• Jewels of Kindness

• GAA House Teams

Mike Hopaluk

Elementary Principal

email: esprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com

Growth Mindset

At GAA we promote the concept of growth mindset with all of our learners .T he term ‘growth mindset “describes the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence”. According to author Carol Dweck, students with a growth mindset believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through hard work, persistence and dedication – they feel encouraged to take risks and not cower away from failure, but instead see it as necessary to success. On the other hand, students with a fixed mindset believe qualities like intelligence or talent are unchangeable traits and are likely to avoid developing them. They shy away from challenges to ultimately avoid failure. Having a growth mindset is essential to lifelong success, and it is something that students can develop with practice.

How to Help Your Child Develop a Growth Mindset:

A big part of having a growth mindset is not letting failing at something stop you from working to improve. It’s important for children to know that setbacks can actually help to provide a way forward. Tell your child it’s OK to speak up when something isn’t working. Encourage self-advocacy and asking for help.

Children also need to know that the people around them believe they can find ways to fix mistakes. It’s natural to want to say something like “Don’t worry about it. Maybe science just isn’t your subject.” That reaction can promote a fixed mindset, though. It teaches that science is something your child can’t improve at. Instead, it’s better to have a conversation about next steps. Talk about what your child learned from the experience: “How would you study differently next time? Would it help to talk to your teacher? What could we try to do differently?”

Developing a growth mindset is an ongoing process. Getting and taking feedback from others, learning from mistakes, and finding new ways to approach tasks isn’t easy. But it’s a valuable way to help kids learn that talents can be developed.

Joe Aldus

Elementary Vice Principal

This term has been an exciting time for 4E both in class and online as the students grow and adapt to the challenges of this year. Students have met these obstacles with a strong sense of determination and flexibility. They are focused on improving and perfecting their self-management skills with an aim to become more balanced learners. Friendships have blossomed within our class and 4E has a strong sense of community spirit and responsibility towards each other.

This month, we have been exploring and using Achieve 3,000 and students are inspired to increase their points as a reflection of how they are growing as knowledgeable and reflective readers. Math has challenged us with a variety of multiplication methods as students perfect their skills in this topic. Students are proud of their research biographies that focused on inspiring leaders in a range of fields such as acting, art, singing, writers and innovative scientists.

The area students seem most excited about this month though has been our unit of inquiry about How We Express Ourselves. We have been examining and critiquing art with a focus on street art and cultural masks. This has tied in nicely with their visual arts class where they have begun looking at cave art, and imagining what Europe was like thirty thousand years ago—long before roads, cities, and countries—with Ice Age animals, like wooly mammoths, wooly rhinos and cave lions roaming around. Students will try to do their own versions of cave art as we think about why our ancestors were making amazing and beautiful paintings in dark caves lit by flickering torches.

In Performing Arts this semester students have been learning how to read and play sheet music. They were also able to learn how to play 4 chords on the Ukulele. Students were able to explore different dances from around the world (Mexico and India). Ms. Pugh will be sending home recorders with students so that we can work on playing the recorder next semester (virtually) on the days the students are home.

We had lots of fun this month as we celebrated National Day and had fun wearing the traditional dress and colours of the UAE. We read some great stories by local authors and examined the idea of symbolism in the iconic buildings of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Finally, we had a nice relaxing and comfortable start to the winter break with pajama day.

Here in 4E we are excited and enthusiastic to see what lies in store for us in 2021!

اللغة العربيّة :

يسعى قسم اللّغة العربيّة في المرحلة الابتدائيّة إلى تقديم تعليم نوعي ومُتميز ضمن بيئة تُـلهِم الطلاب وتُحفزهم على الابتكار والإبداع وذلك من خلال تفعيل مهارات القرن الواحد والعشرين واستخدام استراتيجيات حديثة في التدريس والتي تعمل على تطوير مهارات الطالب اللغوية والمعرفية بهدف بناءِ جيلٍ مؤمنٍ بهويّته الوطنية والإسلاميّة والعربيّة.

الرّابط في الأسفل يحوي صورًا لبعض الأنشطة لتلاميذ الصّف الأول والثاني .

Arabic Language :

The Department of Arabic Language in the elementary stage seeks to provide quality and distinct education within an environment that inspires students and stimulates them to innovation and creativity, through the activation of the skills of the twenty-first century and the use of modern teaching strategies that work to develop the student's linguistic and cognitive skills with the aim of building a generation that believes in his national, Islamic and Arab identity.

Here is the link for some pictures for grade 1 and 2.

Grades 1-3 have been celebrating the culture, landscapes and art from the UAE.

• December 13 - January 2: Winter Break

• January 3: School Resumes

• January 28: Half-Day, school dismisses at 12:00

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GAA EVENTS CALENDAR

(please note, updated regularly)

Delta Learning and ESM brings you the Enrichment Programmes via online platform with the aim to equip students with right set of skills.

We offer a wide range of educational and fun programmes for children aged 5 – 18 years.

Enroll your child this term 2 on a journey of educational enrichment and skills development.

Please see below E-flyers for online enrichment programme courses.

To register, please refer to the below link.

• Start Date: 10th January 2021

• End Date: 20th March 2021

• Term 2 - 10 sessions, 1 hour/session a week

Online Courses Registration Link

• Online Language & Culture: https://www.deltalearning.ae/online-language-courses

• Online Science & Technology: https://www.deltalearning.ae/online-science-technology

• Online Enhanced Learning: https://www.deltalearning.ae/online-enhanced-learning-courses

• Online Performance & Creative Arts: https://www.deltalearning.ae/online-performance-and-creative-arts

• Offsite After School Activity: https://www.deltalearning.ae/offsite-after-school-activities

For any further clarifications please feel free to contact us via email: info@deltalearning.ae or call us on 052-5509676.