Dear GAA Community,

As I join the GEMS American Academy Wildcats, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation for the gracious welcome and incredible support I have received from our staff, students, and families. The spirit of kindness, togetherness and commitment to excellence truly sets GAA apart. Thank you for making my transition such a positive and uplifting experience—I am deeply grateful to be part of this brilliant community.

Book Week in Full Swing!

The school was buzzing with excitement this week as Book Week unfolded across our campus. Our students immersed themselves in stories, author visits, and creative activities—all in celebration of a shared love of reading. The week concluded with our much-anticipated Book Character Dress Down Day on April 25th. Our hallways came alive with magical, adventurous, and inspiring characters, making it a joyful end to a memorable week!

Community Heroes Day & Civil Defense Visit – April 23rd

As a school, we prioritize the safety of our community members and these drills are done to ensure we have a practiced process for evacuation. This drill also provides the Civil Defense to practice their processes in the event of an emergency response.

Our drill went very smoothly. Students exited the building and went to their dedicated areas for attendance. Teachers reported on attendance to ensure that no students were remaining in the building. As part of our evacuation process, key staff are identified to check every room in the building before they themselves exit.

We will continue to remind our students of our high expectations during all evacuation drills including: remaining silent (to hear directions), not running (so as not cause injury to themselves or others), and to proceed to their designated area for attendance.

Author Visit: Kathy Urban

On April 17th, students were treated to a dynamic and inspiring author visit from Kathy Urban. Her sessions ignited imaginations and encouraged our young readers to become confident storytellers. Thank you to everyone who participated, and to those who captured these special moments in photos and video. Please check out the video in THIS LINK.

Re-Enrollment Reminder

A reminder to families to complete your reenrollment for the upcoming school year as soon as possible. Deadline to pay the re-enrollment fee is Monday April 28th. Securing your child’s place early helps us with planning and ensures continuity for your family.

Ambassador Program Update

We are delighted to share that our GAA Ambassador Program incentive has been increased to 8%. We encourage our families to refer friends and colleagues to our vibrant community—your word of mouth is our greatest endorsement! For more details, please check out THIS LINK.

Celebrating IB Excellence

On April 15th, we recognized our outstanding IB scholars at a memorable Awards Ceremony and IB Visual Arts Exhibition. Congratulations to all our award recipients for their hard work, resilience, and dedication. Special thanks to Elliot Brodie for organizing the ceremony.

IB Diploma Programme Awards (Based on Overall Predicted Score):

• IB DP Scholar (Highest Overall Score): Yashbrata Ghosh

• Platinum Level: Maria Alsaadawy, Bogdan Delcea, Manaka Yamakawa

• Gold Level: Iasonas Ioannis Michalopoulos, Mishka Ramirez

• Silver Level: Sara Ahmed, Aariz Mustafa

• Bronze Level: Jacobo Muñoz Hurtado, John Dagher, Hannah Lee

• IB Course Scholar (Highest Average): Fares Alkatheeri

• Platinum Level: Siwon Lee, Azan Ahmad Azan, Jace Mcdonald, Jacobo Sierra Gallo, Noah Tamasker

• Gold Level: Yousuf Taylor, Angelina Galiullina

• Silver Level: Anaahat Tung

• Bronze Level: Hussein Ayyad, Lamiah Dawood, Sana Aray, Sultan Alobeidli

• CAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Creativity, Activity, and Service: Mishka Ramirez

Share Your Positive Stories!

If you have a great GAA experience or story to share, please consider leaving a review on Google using THIS LINK. Your feedback helps prospective families learn more about our school. 

Parent Calendar & Mid-Term Break Rationale

The parent calendar for the 2025–26 academic year was shared on Friday, and we appreciate the feedback we’ve received. While February does not include a traditional mid-term break, it offers a longer scheduled holiday to support rest and family time. October features a shorter, two-day mid-term break, intentionally designed to maintain academic momentum during the first term. As always, our calendar decisions are guided by what best supports student learning and well-being.

Thank you again for your partnership, enthusiasm, and trust. As always, my door is open—I look forward to our good work together and increasing connections in the weeks ahead.

Dr. Ethan Hildreth

Dear Parents,

Please take a moment to familiarize yourselves with ADEK (Abu Dhabi Department for Education and Knowledge) Student Protection Policy and GEMS Safeguarding Presentation.

Please Note: On Wednesday, May 7th, I welcome all parents interested in learning more about The ADEK Inclusion Policy and implications for additional support for students.

Please congratulate the talented students who participated in Family Fusion Arts and Poetry Competitions:

Dear Grade 2-6 Parents & Guardians,

The system for signing your children up to join the Little Wildcats Sports Teams is now open!

Dates: 14th April – 31st May

We are excited to begin Season 3 of the Little Wildcats Sports! This season, we will be offering the following activities:

• Grade 2-3 Mini Wildcats Basketball (no games)*

• Grade 4-6 Girls Basketball (JEAC League)

• Grade 4 Boys Basketball (JEAC League)

• Grade 5 Boys Basketball (JEAC League)

• Grade 6 Boys Basketball (JEAC League)

Please note that there will be a limit on the number of students who can join each team, and registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

*Some of these activities are designed to expose students to more sports and to help them develop and learn new skills. These are not part of any official league and may only involve internal games.

How to Sign Up:

To sign up for any of the above activities, please use the booking system at www.esm.ae.

This week only:

The booking system will be open from today until Saturday, 12th April – 12 noon

For future weeks:

The booking system will open every Thursday evening and close on Saturday at 12 noon for the upcoming week.

If your child has not been signed up by the deadline, they will not be able to attend until the following week. This is a health and safety requirement.

Important Reminders:

• Best Experience: Please use a laptop or computer to complete the sign-up process.

• New to the system? We have created a Step-by-Step New User Guide. If you already have an ESM account, you can skip to Step 15.

• For all Little Wildcats Sports, please be sure to select Little Wildcats Sports - Season 3 as the term.

Thank you, and we look forward to another fantastic season of sports!

• April 30 - Wear Blue for Autism Awareness (PreK-Gr12)

• May 1-June 11 - MAP Testing

• May 15 - International Day of Families breakfast

• May 15 - Athletics Banquet (Grade 6-12)

• May 21-22 - Jungle Book Elementary Musical Production

• May 26 - PYP Exhibition

• May 27 - Senior Walk

• May 29 - Senior Graduation