Greetings GAA Family!

Back to School Night

We hope you have had a chance to virtually meet the teachers of your students. If you have not yet done so, our Back to School Night Site is available here. Each teacher has given a brief introduction, provided their contact information, and provided a review of the course.

In-Person Precautions

We are anxiously awaiting the return of our secondary students next week! In preparation for their arrival, we have placed several precautionary measures in place.

IMPORTANT! Student Code of Conduct

We have implemented all reopening policies and we strictly follow all guidelines to maintain compliance at school to safeguard the return of students. This responsibility isn’t ours alone and as students of GAA, you must all be dutiful and commit to doing your part in keeping our school safe. This Code of Conduct is designed to create a community of care around all our students; by reading and signing the code and then acting accordingly, you set the example for your friends and fellow students.

Please feel out either one of the below forms and submit to Secondary Secretary at secsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com:

• Student Code of Conduct (in English)

• Student Code of Conduct (in Arabic)

Covid Testing for Students Returning in Person

All students must present negative Covid test results prior to arriving on campus. Here are the instructions regarding testing received from ADEK:

• Students must get tested at SEHA Al Bahia Drive Thru (click here for map), starting from September 23^rd until 24^th of September from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. Note: you can also go to the location near your home.

• The students are required to use the code KS-9086 at this specific location. Any other location is not yet communicated by ADEK for complimentary student testing. However few parents have mentioned that other SEHA drive thru locations also accept our code and do student COVID testing.

• It has also been communicated that if students have a negative test result not older than 14 days to the day the school starts (September 27^th), it is also acceptable for physical school attendance.

• Students without valid Emirates IDs must present their passport.

Please upload the test results through this link: High School Student Covid Test Results

Entering the building

The school day begins for secondary students at 7:45 am; students should arrive between 7:30 and 7:45. Please allow time to make it through the thermal scanners to ensure a timely arrival in classes.

Students may enter the building through 2 entrances that are equipped with thermal cameras.

The main entrance is available for students who are dropped off in the front of the building; the back gate by the buses is available for students who ride the bus. Parents may also drop students off at the rear gate, but must not block the entry of buses.

Lunch Procedures

The cafeteria will be available for the purchase of lunches. All meals purchased from the cafeteria will be individually wrapped for distribution to students. Students who bring lunches from home must bring their own utensils for eating, as they will not be available in the cafeteria.

What to bring to school

At the moment, students will not have access to their lockers. Each day, students should bring their laptops and folders that are needed for the day. Students will also need to bring their own pens/ pencils and paper.

Water fountains are currently not in commission, but water is available for purchase on our designated floor. Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles to stay hydrated. They should NOT share water with other students.

Dismissal

Students who will be picked up will be dismissed to the front of the building. Since there are no after school activities, students must leave the premises at dismissal. We will provide a space for students to socially distance themselves at dismissal. When the parent or driver arrives, please message your student so they know to exit the gates.

A/B Days

Parents, you will have up to 2 weeks to make your final determination of in-person or virtual instruction. Students who will be attending school attending school in person must submit negative Covid test results before arriving on campus.

ADEK guidelines restrict us to 15 students in a classroom. In order to comply with this guideline, students who will return to in-person instruction have been assigned to either an A or B day. Vice-principals will be sending notification to both students and parents notifying them of their assigned day. Students should only come to the building on their assigned day. Students who come to school on the incorrect day will be sent home.

Please see this calendar to determine which group of students will be in school each day.

A/B Rotation Calendar

We truly appreciate the flexibility you have demonstrated so far this school year. The success of our students is dependent on sustained partnership between families and the school. Thank you for trusting us with your students, both virtually and in-person. We look forward to a successful school year!

Best,

Ms. Lumpkins

email: e.lumpkins_gaa@gemsedu.com

FORMS NEEDED

The Health and Travel Declaration form (online form) MUST be completed for all students PHYSICALLY ATTENDING SCHOOL prior to school start. The paper form (English and Arabic) may be emailed to:

• communication_gaa@gemsedu.com

Students without the completed form will not be allowed on campus, as per official guidelines.

COVID-19 undertaking for all students have been emailed by GEMS Education on August 20 and must be completed as per official guidelines

This is a friendly reminder that all families, especially our new families, need to return the following forms to our Clinic:

• HAAD Screening Consent Form

• Emergency Care Information

• Health Information (Pages 1 and 2)

• Medication Authorization

Click here to download the forms.

Should you have any questions, please contact our Nurses at nurse_gaa@gemsedu.com.

Grade 10 Chemistry Class Bubble Experiment

Soap bubbles are marvelous because there is so much to be learned from them. A bubble is a thin film of soapy water filled with air. In this experiment, students designed a lab that showed how the size of a bubble is affected when different substances are added to a bubble solution.

This lab was a great opportunity to learn how to better observe our surroundings and take data from it. It also taught students the importance of following directions as well as documenting their observations.

Attention all students! Are you passionate about the planet? Do you want to take action to find solutions to a global issue? Do you want to be a student representative for GAA at a student-lead virtual global-conference on climate change? I thought so! Take your knowledge, skills, and passion, and put it towards bettering the planet for your future.

The purpose of SCOPE 2020 is to empower students with high levels of climate change awareness, deep climate change research and collaborative global problem-solving skills. This inter-school conference caters to stimulating creative thinking skills and expressions of this generation to come through art, public speaking, creative writing, and a delegation. For more information, and to apply for this amazing experience, please watch the video and read the attached document.

Welcome to GAA Secondary Library website! Your access to the library collection, research databases, learning resources and more!

SECONDARY LIBRARY WEBSITE

• September 27, 2020 - Grades 10, 11, 12 return to campus (A/B Day Model)

• October 1, 2020 - Virtual Senior Night

• October 5, 2020 - Virtual Senior Night Follow-up Zoom Q&A session

• October 6, 2020 - Middle and High School Curriculum Night

• October 4 - 8 - IB Welcome Back Exams

• October 13 - IBDP Night

• October 18 - Half Term / No School

• October 29 - Half Day / School Dismisses at 12:00.