Dear GAA Families,

I hope this message finds you well. I want to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our GAA Parent Association (GAAPA) for last evening’s Community Iftar. It was a beautiful occasion, bringing together our diverse community to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan. For some of our international families, it was their first experience of Iftar, and it was inspiring to witness the warmth and inclusivity of our school community.

As we approach the upcoming Spring break, I want to remind everyone of the continued importance of timely pick-up at the end of the day, especially during the coming week of Ramadan school hours. It is crucial to ensure the safety and supervision of all students, and your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Looking ahead, please note that next week is the last week of school before break. Upon return, we will hosting a synchronized reaccreditation visit from our Council of International Schools (CIS), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and IB accreditors. Your ongoing support is appreciated as we strive for excellence in our program offerings.

Once again thank you for your commitment to our school community. 

Warm Regards,

Robert Rinaldo

Dear GAA Community,

Yesterday, our beloved institution resonated with warmth, laughter, and the joyous spirit of togetherness as we gathered for a memorable Iftar. It was a beautiful occasion that symbolized the breaking of fast and embodied the essence of community and solidarity.

The Parent Association meticulously planned and heartfeltly dedicated the Iftar event, which brought together parents, staff, and students to celebrate diversity and unity. From the delicious aroma of traditional dishes to the vibrant conversations echoing through the venue, every moment was filled with a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

As we sat together to share a meal, we were reminded of the importance of coming together as a community, especially during this blessed month of Ramadan. The Iftar provided an opportunity for reflection and gratitude and fostered deeper connections.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the members of the Parent Association, whose unwavering commitment and tireless efforts made this event possible. Their dedication to fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity within our community is commendable. Their meticulous planning covered every detail, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the joyous festivities.

Moreover, we would like to thank all the parents who attended the Iftar, contributing to the vibrant atmosphere and making the event a resounding success. Your presence and participation added warmth and richness to the occasion, strengthening the bonds that unite us as members of the GAA family. Thanks to our facilities team, which worked long hours to make this Iftar happen.

As we continue our journey together, let us carry forward the spirit of unity, compassion, and generosity that was palpable during yesterday's Iftar. May it serve as a reminder of the values that define us and inspire us to embrace diversity, extend kindness, and uplift one another.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the GAAPA and all those who contributed to making yesterday's Iftar an unforgettable experience. Your dedication and support embody our community's spirit, and we are profoundly grateful.

With warm regards,

Samah Awad,

Deputy Head of School

أولياء الأمور الكرام 

تحية طيبة وبعد،

لقد أبهرتنا الأجواء الرمضانية البارحة خلال  افطارنا الرمضاني بالأمس وغمرتنا مشاعر مليئة بالبهجة والدفء الذي ملئ ساحات مدرستنا، ولقد كانت مناسبة جميلة وجسدت جوهر مجتمع مدرستنا المتضامن.

كان مجلس أولياء الأمور قد خطط بدقة لهذا اليوم الرائع وخصص أمسية الإفطار هذه لتجمع أولياء الأمور والموظفين والطلاب لنحتفل بوحدتنا، وقد شعرنا بذلك في كل لحظات الأمسية المليئة بشعور الانتماء والصداقة، ومن رائحة الأطباق التقليدية اللذيذة إلى المحادثات النابضة بالحياة التي يتردد صداها في المكان.

نحن ممتنون لجلسة الإفطار هذه، والتي تم تذكيرنا خلالها بأهمية تضامننا معًا كمجتمع، خاصة خلال شهر رمضان المبارك، مما أتاح لنا فرصة للتأمل والامتنان وعزز الروابط العميقة.

نتقدم بخالص الشكر والتقدير إلى أعضاء مجلس أولياء الأمور الذين ساهم التزامهم الثابت وجهودهم المستمرة  في جعل هذا الإفطار  ممكنًا، إن تفانيهم في تعزيز الشعور بالانتماء والشمول داخل مجتمعنا أمر يستحق الثناء، حيث غطى تخطيطهم الدقيق كل التفاصيل، مما سمح لنا بالانغماس بالكامل في احتفالات الإفطار المبهجة.

علاوة على ذلك، نود أن نشكر جميع أولياء الأمور الذين حضروا الإفطار، وساهموا في نشر  أجواء مفعمة بالحيوية. لقد أضاف حضوركم ومشاركتكم الدفء والإثراء  لهذه المناسبة، مما عزز الروابط التي توحدنا كأعضاء في مجتمع أكاديمية جيمس الأمريكية. والشكر ممتد أيضًا لفريق المرافق لدينا، الذي عمل لساعات طويلة لإنجاز هذا الإفطار.

وبينما نواصل رحلتنا معًا، دعونا نواصل روح الوحدة والرحمة والكرم التي كانت واضحة خلال إفطار الأمس، نرجو أن يكون ذلك بمثابة تذكير بالقيم التي تحددنا وتلهمنا لاحتضان التنوع وتوسيع نطاق اللطف والارتقاء ببعضنا البعض.

مرة أخرى، نتقدم بالشكر الجزيل لمجلس أولياء الأمور وكل من ساهم في جعل إفطار الأمس تجربة لا تُنسى.

لكم جزيل الشكر على تفانيكم ودعمكم الذي يجسد قيم مجتمعنا.

أطيب التحيات، 

On this important day, our Grade 1 & 2 students received heartfelt messages from their parents, filling our hearts with happiness on Emirati Children’s Day.

Thank you so much for those parents who joined the Dots and Links presentation on the Seven Secrets of the Brain on March 13th. It was very engaging and informative! If you were unable to attend, but are interested, you can join their virtual presentation on March 20th.

Register via this link: https://76764xb6yqs.typeform.com/to/WNRIhB9I?typeform-source=l.instagram.com 

Regards,

Jackie Wyncoll

K-12 Inclusion Director

National Math Competition

GAA High School students, under the guidance of Mr. Julius Kurian, Math Teacher,  took part in the 11th National Math Contest organized by Abu Dhabi University in their Al Ain Campus. 

This year, 305 teams from 82 schools attended the competition and our Grade 11 students, Siwon Lee & Hanseo Lee, as well as Yashbrata Gosh & Manaka Yamakawa, showcased their brilliance. Yash & Manaka secured a spot in the top 12 teams out of 305, a remarkable accomplishment!

We couldn't have done it without our wonderful school parents - a heartfelt thank you to Siwon's mom for her invaluable support.

GWAMUN

Last week GAA High School teacher Ms. Susana Kanyi led our MUN team to Model United Nations by GEMS World Academy Dubai with determination!

From online debates on Friday and Saturday to driving up in heavy rain to Dubai, our delegates showed resilience.

Congrats to:

• Shrey Rajkumar for best chairperson award,

• Aisha Abdelhakim for the best position paper and 

• Zainab Zubair for being the best delegate!

Embracing the beautiful new tradition initiated by our GAA Parent Association last year, the volunteers from GAAPA visited classrooms on March 7th to deliver delightful treats for our students and staff members to celebrate the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan. 

LOST AND FOUND

Please visit our Lost and Found sections from Monday through Thursday between 7:30AM to 4:30PM and Fridays 7:30 - 12:00 (except on public holidays) to retrieve your child's lost items:

• On the way to Clinic: all clothing items, lunch bags, books, folders, water bottles, etc

• Main reception: all valuables, such as, phones, headphones, airpods, ipads, jewellry, wallets, etc.

Any unclaimed items will be donated to charity during Spring Break.

Please label all clothing items of your child.

GEMS CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARD

GEMS American Academy has partnered with First Abu Dhabi Bank to offer our parents discounted school fees*. 

• Apply for your GEMS card with FAB and avail amazing discount and instalment plan on your child's school fee

• Avail up to 4.25% discount on advanced payment on GEMS school fee

• Convert school fees into Easy Payment Plan for up to 12 months

• EPP 1st 3 months with zero charges no processing fee & no interest, 6 months 1% , 9 months 2% and 12 months 3% processing fee 

• Card is free for the 1st year 

Apply through our School Assigned Staff:

• Amjad Nazir

• Mobile: +971564010406

• Email: Amjad.nazir@bankfab.com

*Terms and conditions apply

PHOTOGRAPHY CONSENT

Dear GAA Families, 

Occasionally, we take photographs and videos of the students at school. We use these images as part of our school displays, school website, social media, yearbook.

Note: Official school photoshoot by Stu Williamson is mandatory and to be used in school records for identification purposes. Parents can choose to purchase the printed or digital photograph from the photoshoot. Stu Williamson photos are used for school yearbook.

• In Social Media or Website, if we use photographs of individual students, we will not use the name of that child in the accompanying text or caption.

• In Social Media or Website, If we name a student in the text, we will not use a photograph of that child to accompany the article.

• In Social Media or Website, If a student has won an award or achieved an accomplishment and parent would like the name of their child to accompany the picture, we will obtain permission from the parent before using the image.

• From time to time, our school may be visited by the media who will take photographs or film footage of a school event. Students may appear in these images, which will sometimes be published in local or national newspapers (digital or paper). 

To comply with the Data Protection Policy and Federal Law No. 5 of 2012 on Combatting Cybercrimes and its amendment by the Federal Law No. 12 of 2016 of UAE, we need your permissions before we can photograph or make any recording of your child.

Our records show that not all parents completed the consent form.

To complete the consent form, please access your parent Portal, and check the relevant boxes:

1. If using GEMS Connect app: please go to Student Info, scroll right to General Consent and tick relevant boxes. 

2. If using website version on http://connect.gemseducation.com, please go to Requests, scroll down to Update Student Details, scroll right to General Consent and tick the relevant boxes.

3. If you do not remember your login credentials, please contact pre_gaa@gemsedu.com.  

SCHOOL TRAFFIC COURTESY

DO'S

• Please be mindful of UAE Traffic Laws (UAE Government Website and LIST OF TRAFFIC OFFENCES AND VIOLATIONS)

• Please exercise Culture of Kindness towards your Community members.

• Be attentive and follow the guidance of our staff members! You will see them directing traffic and ensuring the safety of our students.

• Instruct your drivers to follow the pickup/dropoff guidelines and instructions of our staff members.

• Park in designated parking spaces.

• Please continue forward in the pick-up lane if the car in front of you has picked up his/her child and is exiting. Do not stop midway – continue forward to allow cars lining behind you to enter parking.

• Keep the sidewalks and crosswalks clear.

DON'TS

• Do not double park.

• Do not exit your car if waiting in pick up lane.

• Do not park on the sidewalks (red-bricked areas near back gates) – this is in violation of UAE Traffic Rules.

• Do not drop off or pick up students from the Main Road. For the safety of your children and to avoid traffic congestion, PLEASE DROP OFF AND PICK UP FROM DESIGNATED SCHOOL GATES.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• If you arrive early to park in designated areas within school parking, please be mindful that you may find it difficult to exit immediately after pick up, as transiting cars may be blocking your way. We recommend to arrive during dismissal time. Alternatively, please park in designated parking areas in public roads (for example, after Beverly Cakes pastry shop, on Al Mutaabid Street, or Al Waqaa street).

• Carpool when possible

• Consider using school bus service

• Weather permitting, consider using bikes or walk, if living near school. 

PARKING ENTRY/EXIT PROCEDURE

• We have assigned 2 entry points and 1 exit point in the back parking area (see attached map). NO EXIT IS ALLOWED THROUGH DESIGNATED ENTRY POINTS.

• To enter the back parking area, please use one of the entry points indicated in the map. The 1st entry point is near tennis courts (in front of SmileRite), the 2nd entry point is through Bus parking. If the 1st entry is full, please continue forward on the main street towards the 2nd entry (through the Bus Parking). 

• Please continue forward in the pick-up lane if the car in front of you has picked up his/her child and is exiting. Do not stop midway – continue forward to allow cars lining behind you to enter parking.

• Exit from center (EXIT ONLY POINT) as indicated in the map. Please use common courtesy and Culture of Kindness when exiting from parking and follow our staff members’ directions.

• Students exiting from the back gates will be waiting in the designated waiting areas to be picked up. Please make sure you discuss the pick up timing with your child before school.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• If you arrive early to park in designated areas within school parking, please be mindful that you may find it difficult to exit immediately after pick up, as transiting cars may be blocking your way. We recommend to arrive during dismissal time. Alternatively, please park in designated parking areas in public roads (for example, after Beverly Cakes pastry shop, on Al Mutaabid Street, or Al Waqaa street).

• Carpool when possible

• Consider using school bus service

• Weather permitting, consider using bikes or walk, if living near school. 

• March 25: SPRING BREAK STARTS!

• April 15: First Day of Term 3