KG to Grade 5 students will start school on August 30th on Alternating Day schedule. Students of all grades, who chose to do Full Distance Learning, will also start on August 30th.

Grade 6 to 12 students will start on August 30th with Full Distance Learning.

Grade 6 to 12 will return in campus for in-person classes four weeks after school starts. This will allow school administration and Authorities to evaluate the safety measures in place.

KG and Elementary students: 07:45 am - 02:00 pm

Secondary students: 07:45 am - 03:00 pm.

To avoid large queues and crowding, staggered entry and exit times for students will be implemented from 7:30 - 08:00. Please be mindful of staggered arrival times to avoid crowding at entry. There is no supervision before 07:30. If student arrives before 07:30, must wait for gate to open, accompanied by parent/guardian. We strongly remind families to respect social distancing while waiting outside school gates. Bus rider students arriving before 7:30, will be waiting inside the bus together with bus conductors and enter the school building at 07:30.

Late attendance for Elementary will be marked after 8:00.

Late attendance for Kindergarten (as of September 13th) will be marked at 8:15.

Keeping siblings in the same cohort is our priority, while dividing the students into A and B groups in all grade levels. We will be communicating the group placements to families shortly.

KG and Elementary parents, who opted for Full Distance Learning, will be able to switch to In-Campus learning after 2 weeks period.

Secondary students will be able to switch between the models without a grace period, after communicating their decision to Middle or High School Vice - Principals.

All staff and students must quarantine 14 days, if travelling back, regardless of negative COVID-19 test results.

All students will have access to Distance Learning program while on quarantine or in case of delayed return to UAE.

The Health and Travel Declaration form MUST be completed for all students prior to school start and 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

Students above age 12 must undergo COVID-19 PCR test prior to the start of the school. Authorities have not yet clarified the logistics of this procedure.

Please do not get your child tested until final process is communicated by Authorities: early testing may result in retest closer to the start of school.

All staff of GAA underwent COVID-19 testing on Monday August 17th.

All staff and students above 6 years will be required to wear masks. Students will be allowed to take off their masks to have lunch under supervision.

If your child is unable to wear a mask, they may be allowed to wear a face shield if supported by a medical certificate. Students of Determination with hearing impairments may use transparent masks.

It is suggested that students bring two disposable masks to school per day or one reusable option. It will be the responsibility of the students to ensure that they bring the required number of masks each day and ensure any reusable masks are washed in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.

• 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) must present a 72-hour valid negative COVID-19 test at the security gate entrance. 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.

• Admin.areas will also be closed to visitors during school hours and we strongly recommend to use the Parent Portal or GEMS Connect app for payments/bus. Any meeting with school staff must be conducted virtually.

• Click here for the updated Entry/Exit Floor plan.

• There will be no bus transportation for KG1 and KG2 during Staggered Start from August 30th to September 10th. Grades 1 - 5 will have access to bus transportation from August 30th.

• Bus transportation will be operating with limited capacity to follow social distancing. Please contact Bus coordinator Natasha D'Souza at natasha@bbt.ae

• Bus fees will not be reduced, despite the possible reduction in the number of days attended physically in school due to the capacity utilization reduction of buses (50% of capacity). Please refer to ADEK Parent Guidelines dated August 20.

• The GEMS Covid Relief Program was offered for term 3 of 19/20 school year and there is no additional program for this year. There were no increases to tuition for the 2020-2021 school year. Our finance team will work closely with families on a payment plan if you are unable to make payments on the 3-term payment schedule.

• A 4.25% discount is available if tuition is paid before August 31th with the GEMS FAB Card. If full tuition fees are paid via any other means (Cash/credit card/Bank transfer/school counter) before 31th of August, a 4% discount is available.

• More information on payment options and discounts can be found here.

The cohort not in school will access learning online through the use of webcams and numerous platforms used during remote learning. Webcams in the classrooms will allow students to experience the classroom environment, as well as work independently as directed by the learning plan.

All physical education (P.E.) classes, including swimming, are suspended until further notice from Authorities.

P.E classes will follow a push in model into the classroom. P.E will focus on health and wellness, theory-based physical education and skills development. Our P.E team are finalising an enriching program for our students until government regulations allow full P.E to resume.

It is not a requirement to wear a uniform during distance learning. We encourage as much routine and familiarity as possible while learning from home and wearing a uniform daily may help this. Students must be respectful of appropriate dress and wear clothes that adhere to our GAA dress code.

All sports and afterschool activities will be temporarily suspended until further instructions by Authorities.

Prayer rooms will remain closed. We will monitor the advice from the authorities and make prayer rooms available as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.

KG to Grade 5 students will not have access to Cafeteria or classroom delivery. Students must bring prepacked lunch from home with personal utensils. There are no microwaves or refrigerators in classrooms, please arrange accordingly.

Grade 6 to 12 students will be able to purchase pre-packed meals at School Cafeteria. Live Cooking station will be temporarily closed. Please refer to Slices Catering section of the Welcome Pack for more information.