Dear Parents,

We would like you to know that we are constantly monitoring drop-off and pick-up procedures. With your continuous feedback we are revising the procedures and will continue to do so until the solution is in place to ensure student safety. However, we cannot implement any of the solutions without parents/guardians cooperation. We appreciate you practicing student safety and GAA Culture of Kindness.

From our side we are in touch with relevant authorities to support our parking issues, especially with the recent landscaping changes on the side of the road (sandy area).

As After school activities (Athletics Program and internal ASAs) started, we hope to see a settling of the traffic conditions.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

• Parents with students BOTH in Elementary and Secondary - Please use Front Gates – Secondary students with elementary siblings may exit from front gate (coming down from Staircase 4 through Student Cafeteria) and be collected from front gate parking area. We request that parents follow this recommendation to collect both children in front gates and NOT DRIVE TO THE BACK GATE TO COLLECT SECONDARY STUDENT AFTER PICKING UP ELEMENTARY CHILD. This will only aggravate the traffic blockage.

• Parents with students ONLY in Secondary - Please use Back Gates

DO'S

• 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.

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.

We hope that as a Community we can work together for the safety and wellbeing of our students.

Thank you for your continued patience, flexibility and feedback.

Robert Rinaldo

Head of School

أولياء الأمور الكرام،

نود مشاركتكم بأننا نراقب باستمرار إجراءات الوصول والمغادرة من المدرسة، ومن خلال مشاركتنا كافة الملاحظات سنستمر بمراجعة الإجراءات للوصول إلى الحل الأمثل الّذي يضمن سلامة الطّلاب، ولكننا لا نستطيع تطبيق هذه الحلول بدون تعاون أولياء الأمور معنا. نشكر لكم تعاونكم والتعامل بلطف من أجل سلامة طلابنا.

من جهتنا فنحن نتواصل مع الجهات المختصة لتقديم الدّعم في مشكلة المواقف وخصوصًا مع وجود أعمال الحفريات والتغييرات على جانب الطريق الرملية.

تحديثات هامة:

• يرجى استخدام البوابة الرئيسية من قبل أولياء الأمور الذين لديهم أبناء في المرحلتين الابتدائية والثانوية، كما يمكن لطلاب المرحلة الثّانوية الّذين لديهم أخوة في المرحلة الابتدائية استخدام البوابة الأمامية عند الانصراف(باستخدام السلالم رقم ٤ خروجا من الكافتيريا نحو البوابة الرئيسية للانصراف مع ذويهم. كما نرجو من أولياء الأمور الالتزام بهذه التّوصيات باصطحاب أولادهم من البوابة الرئيسية وعدم القيادة نحو البوابة الخلفية لاصطحاب طلاب المرحلة الثانوية ، وذلك تجنبًا لتفاقم عرقلة حركة المرور.

• يرجى استخدام البوابات الخلفية من قبل أولياء أمور طلاب الثّانوية الذين ليس لديهم أخوة في المرحلة الابتدائية.

ما علي فعله

• كن منتبهًا واتبع تعليمات موظفينا، فسوف تراهم يوجهون حركة السّير للتّأكد من سلامة الطّلبة.

• قم بإرشاد السّائق بالتعليمات التي عليه اتباعها أثناء توصيل وانصراف الأولاد .

• الوقوف في أماكن وقوف السيارات المخصصة لذلك فقط.

• استمر إلى الأمام ولا تتوقف في منتصف الطّريق بانتظار وصول ابنك/ ابنتك وخصوصًا عند انطلاق السيارة الّتي أمامك.

• حافظ على الأرصفة والممرات خالية من أي ازدحام.

ما علي تجنبه

• لا تقف بشكل مزدوج بجانب أي سيارة أخرى فهذا يؤدي إلى إغلاق الطريق.

• لا تترك سيارتك أثناء الانتظار.

• لا توقف سيارتك على الأرصفة فهذا انتهاكًا لقواعد المرور وقانون السير في دولة الإمارات العربيّة المتحدة.

إجراءات المواقف أثناء الوصول والانصراف

• قمنا بتعيين نقطتي دخول ونقطة خروج واحدة في منطقة المواقف الخلفية( يرجى الاطلاع على الخريطة المرفقة). ولا يسمح بأي خروج من خلال نقاط الدخول.

• يرجى استخدام إحدى نقاط الدخول المشار إليها في الخريطة عند الدخول لنقطة المواقف الخلفية. تقع نقطة الدخول الأولى بجانب ملعب التنس مقابل عيادة الأسنان، أما النقطة الثّانية فهي من خلال موقف حافلات المدرسة. وإذا كان المدخل الأول مزدحم يرجى الاستمرار إلى الأمام باتجاه المدخل الثّاني.

• يرجى الاستمرار بالسير نحو الأمام عند انتظارك لخروج ابنك/ ابنتك ولا تقف في منتصف الطريق للانتظار.

• يرجى استخدام نقطة الخروج فقط كمخرج كما هو موضح في الخريطة المرفقة، كما نؤكد على ضرورة التّعامل بلطف واتباع إرشادات موظفينا.

• سينتظر الطّلاب في الأماكن المخصصة للانتظار ، كما يرجى التّأكد من مناقشة وقت وصول الأهل مع الأبناء قبل الذّهاب إلى المدرسة.

التّوصيات:

• يرجى الأخذ بعين الاعتبار بأنه في حال وصولك مبكرًا للوقوف في المواقف المخصصة قد تجد صعوبة في الخروج فورًا بسبب وجود الكثير من السيارات، فلذلك نوصي بأهمية الوصول على الوقت، أو استخدام المواقف المخصصة في الجانب الآخر من الطريق .

• التفكير باستخدام حافلات المدرسة.

• استخدام الدّراجات الهوائية أو المشي في أوقات لاحقة من السنة إذا كنت تسكن قرب المدرسة.

نأمل أن نعمل سويًا كمجتمع مدرسي واحد من أجل الحفاظ على سلامة وأمن طلابنا.

نشكر لكم سعة صدوركم ومرونتكم ودعمكم الدّائم

السيد روبرت رونالدو

مدير المرسة

• Access to the school building (including classrooms) will be restricted. All parents wishing to enter for specific reasons (accompanying young students with separation anxiety or students of determination) a 96-hour valid negative PCR COVID-19 test AND COVID-19 Vaccination Proof. Please have your test result ready to display on the AlHosn App or by SMS on your phones. Security will log the parent/guardian name and mobile number in the Security Logbook.

• We request that students enter and exit the school premises independently. Students who require support will be accompanied by staff members if needed.

• Please use the dedicated KG entrance (Gate 3 at the front of school) for KG and Grade One students, where our staff will assist them to the classrooms.

• Parents and/or guardians cannot enter any classrooms under any circumstances. There will be designated areas for parents to wait if they need to drop-off or pick-up.

LATE ARRIVAL

• All Elementary Student/Students must be signed in at Main or KG Reception, if they arrive after late:

  • Late attendance for Kindergarten and Elementary will be marked after 7:45 at Main and KG Reception.

  • Late attendance for Middle and High School will be marked after 07:45. Secondary Students must sign in with Secondary Secretary (room 233) for late arrival and early leave.

EARLY PICK UP BY PARENT

• Parent to email Teacher or call school in advance, if they wish an early pick up for their child/children stating child’s full name, pick-up date and time.

• Teacher to notify GAA Reception (gaa_reception@gemsedu.com) as soon as possible regarding the early pick up with all relevant details.

• Teacher to ensure the child/children are sent to Main or KG Reception for the pick up as stated in the parent’s email, except KG & Grade 1 students, who may be collected from the classroom by Parent Only.

• On arriving at the school, Parent to sign out child/children at Main or KG Reception and to obtain the “Early Slip” prior to pick up.

• “Early Slip” only shown to Teacher/EA in order to release student/s.

• On leaving the premises the Parent will hand over the “Early Slip” to Gate Security.

EARLY PICK UP BY NANNY/DRIVER

• Parent to email Teacher or call school in advance if they wish an early pick up for their child/children stating child’s full name, pick-up date and time, except in a GENUINE emergency.

• Teacher to notify GAA Reception (gaa_reception@gemsedu.com) as soon as possible regarding the early pick up with all relevant details.

• In case of an Emergency only, Reception staff will email Teacher and Elementary Secretary immediately regarding the early pick up or may come and fetch the student/s, depending on the situation.

• Teacher to ensure the child/children are sent to Main or KG Reception for the pick up as stated in the parent email, as nannies and drivers are not issued ID cards, only guest passes, and are not permitted to walk around the school.

• Nanny/Driver to sign out students at Main or KG Reception and obtain the “Early Slip”.

• On leaving the premises the nanny/driver will hand over the “Early Slip” to Gate Security.

SCHOOL GATE ACCESS (PARENT ID):

With new guidelines to ensure the efficient contact tracing in case of a potential COVID case, all parents and visitors entering school must be registered by Security, regardless of the presence of Parent ID.

To gain access to the campus, you must have your GAA Parent ID Card. If you do not yet have a GAA Parent ID Card, you can enter campus by presenting the Security Guards a valid ID (Emirates ID, Labor card, Driver’s License, passport) and receive a Visitor Card (in a sticker form).

• • • The security guards have the right to ask all visitors and parents to present their GAA Parent ID Card or obtain a Visitor Card (sticker form) by presenting a valid ID. We ask that you comply with this request.

    • Please wear your Parent ID card or Visitor Sticker at all times while you are in the school premises.

New Parents, you may obtain your Parent photo identity card by emailing a photo (jpeg format) along with the parent’s first and last name to supports_gaa@gemsedu.com. Please also include your child/children’s full name and grade in the email as well.

Please Note: Parent identity cards will only be issued to parents (Mother & Father), and will NOT be issued to domestic helpers, drivers and guardians.

Dear Parents,

This is a friendly reminder regarding Bus Attendance Procedures. Please read through the information below thoroughly and let us know if you have any questions,

MORNING PICK UP

BBT Terms & Conditions clause 7:

It is the responsibility of the parent(s) to ensure that their children are at the pick-up point at the designated time. Buses will not leave from collection points ahead of schedule. However, buses will not be able to wait at pick-up/drop-off points after the scheduled time. Inclement weather and traffic delays may cause delays to scheduled times.

ABSENT

• Should your child not be attending school, please notify the following parties:

  • Bus Conductor

  • Classroom Teacher

  • Divisional Secretaries:

    • • KG & Elementary Secretary: elemsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com

      • Secondary Secretary: secsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com

NOT TAKING BUS TO SCHOOL

• Should your child not be taking the bus TO school in the morning, please notify the following parties,

  • Bus Staff

NOT TAKING BUS FROM SCHOOL

• Should your child not be taking the bus home FROM school in the afternoon, please notify the following parties,

  • Bus Staff

  • Classroom Teacher

  • Divisional Secretary

    • KG & Elementary Secretary: elemsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com

    • Secondary Secretary: secsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com

    • Transport office : Natasha D'Souza natasha@bbt.ae

Should you have any questions regarding the above please contact us.

Best Regards,

Abdullah Afridi

Bright Bus Service Delivery Executive