Dear Students,

As you depart for your much needed break, your administration team wants you to all know that we are proud of all of your hard work and the manner in which you are growing to be greater. For each grade level there are unique challenges and it does seem like everything is happening at once. It is important that you remember that this is when your ATLs pop up.  Below I have listed some helpful ways you can manage your fun and study time.  

This is also a great time to explore what you want to become (career and college) and talk with your parents about your goals and dreams.  Dream Big - Dream Often and Dream Informed.  This means don't place limitations on your dreams but do explore what is required to get there and understand that as you are part of a generation that will reinvent itself so many times - you may have more than one career or study path in your life. That is okay. Lean into the uncertainty of that but plan smart by talking to your parents, counsellors, advisors and school staff. 

Take these talks to make mindful decisions around your course registration cards that are due 21 February 2024.  If you're not sure about next steps make some tentative choices and schedule a meeting with your appropriate counsellor. 

Finally,

Remember that you are all destined for greatness. We are your champions to help you gain the necessary skills to achieve. It is your responsibility to hold yourself accountable to achieving by using your ATLs, the IB Learner Profiles, completing your formatives, studying for your summatives and planning extracurricular activities and learning opportunities to develop your student CV. 

Celebrations 

• Senior Picnic was amazing !!

• Mock Exams begin upon our return for 12th grade IB scholars

• Matilda is upcoming - by a ticket

• New sports tryouts and college visits are happening - stay connected

Study Tips for Breaks

Managing Exam Season Tips Brain Break Ideas

1. Get a study space - just for you: You want to make sure that your study space is designed for you to learn. This can be accomplished by keeping it clutter-free and only having the necessary tools in reach. Turn off all electronic distractions, and if you’re studying online, you can use apps and plugins like a Block Site to make sites like social media unavailable so you won’t go off track.

2. Identify and gather study materials necessary for success: Before you get to studying, be sure to organize your notes, handouts and worksheets. By knowing where the information is, you will be able to make the most of your time.

3. Prioritize: It’s likely that you will have multiple tests around the same time. You should set your schedule and break up your time accordingly. You can do this by working backwards from the test date and assessing how much time you will need for each subject and then allocating the right amount of time to each subject.

4. Review Previous Tests: In order to better understand the test format, you can look at previous tests to get an idea of what to expect. Additionally, the syllabus may serve as a guide that explains how tests are graded and formatted so there won’t be any surprises. If this is the first test in the class and the information you seek is not in the syllabus, don’t be afraid to ask!

5. Practice Makes Perfect: Mix it Up. 

Once you’re in your desired location, you can take advantage of different ways of learning to absorb the most information. Many students may think that reading a textbook or reviewing their notes is the only way to learn. However, you can mix up your study techniques to make it a more interesting experience. Additionally, the more ways in which you can absorb information, the better.

Here are some ideas on how you can study:

1. Take Practice Tests: Many professors will provide you with previous exams to test your knowledge. These will help you understand how the test is formatted as well as how much time it may take you to answer each question.

2. Watch a Documentary on the Topic: You don’t have to just stick to course material to learn. Try searching YouTube or Netflix for a documentary on said topic to learn more in a fun way.

3. Make Flashcards: The mere act of creating flashcards is one of the best ways to learn. Then, you can also use them to test yourself if you prefer to study alone. 

4. Use Color Coding: Visually creating materials that differentiate information can help you on a test. Use color coding to highlight or write information down based on whatever key you need to separate the information.

5. Join a Study Group: Sometimes, the best way to learn is in groups! A study group can help because if there’s something you don’t know, you’ll have a peer who can potentially teach it, and you can also bounce information off of one another.

6. Create Your Own Study Guide: You can utilize your classroom notes and textbook to create your own study guide in whatever style you like to learn. Like flashcards, the creation of a study guide will help you memorize the material.

7. Utilize Memorization Techniques: Memorization techniques like mnemonic devices and the creation of songs can help you retain information. When it comes to test day, you can use a memory dump by writing everything down before the start of a test that you think you may need (i.e. important dates, formulas, etc.).

8. Be Efficient: At the heart of every successful student is time management. Cramming for an exam will only increase your anxiety levels and it won’t give you the right amount of time to absorb the information. Instead, find the right hours to study and start early. On test day, you should be sure to take your time to read the questions carefully and start by answering the easiest questions first. You can always mark the questions that are giving you trouble and come back to them, but it’s most important to get as many right answers as you can in the time you are given.

9. Stay Motivated: Studying should be a marathon, not a sprint. Proper learning goes hand-in-hand with taking care of your overall health. Be sure to get enough sleep and avoid an all-nighter because sleep actually helps you to retain information.

10. Stay Healthy: Furthermore, you will want to fuel your body with healthy snacks rather than sugar-filled junk that will make you feel sluggish and cause your body to crash. Try superfoods like roasted chickpeas or kale chips and antioxidant-rich fruits like berries as delicious study snacks. While you’re fueling your body properly, you may want to also take breaks to relieve stress. Some good ideas include: exercising, meditating, doing yoga or going for a short walk.

11. Teach: One way to really test if you know the material is to teach others. Within a study group or online, you can work together with your peers to see what you really know!

Dear Grade 9-12 Students and Parents, 

We want to bring to your attention important information shared by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) concerning the equivalency of documents.

GEMS American Academy is required by the MOE and ADEK to share this information with you and to obtain your electronic signature, verifying that you acknowledge receipt of, have read, and understood these documents.

To complete this process:

• Read the decrees: Ministerial Resolution 199 in Arabic, English Translation of the Resolution 

• Fill out this form and type your name indicating receipt of the information and your understanding of the decrees by 21 February 2024

• If your Grade 11 or 12 student is a Full IB Diploma Student, please fill out this form and type your name indicating receipt of the information and understanding of the decrees by 21 February 2024

Your prompt attention to this matter is highly appreciated, as it ensures compliance with the regulatory requirements set forth by MOE and ADEK.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the content of the decrees or the electronic signature process, please do not hesitate to reach us.

Best regards,

Secondary Team

Dear Families,

What a week! I think the kids enjoyed sleeping in an extra two days this week and I am sure they will feel the same about next week. 

Our grade 8 students went on their field trip to Sea World. Even though many kids have been, they were so excited to step away from school and enjoy the day with their friends. Please see information below for the grade 6 field trip. 

Reminders:

• Next week is a blue week. Thursday begins with D block. 

• No school for students Feb 19-21st

Have a great weekend. 

Ms. Williams 

MS Vice Principal

Grade 8 Arabic Khalifa Al Jassmi present his speaking video related to the Mercy (types and importance) using the proper Arabic language.

قام الطالب خليفة الجسمي في صف الثامن بعرض وتقديم فيديو التحدث تحت عنوان: الرحمة ( أنواعها وأهميتها بالنسبة للإنسان والمجتمع) موظّفا اللغة العربية السليمة بأسلوب إبداعي ومُنَظّم.

On February 13th, our amazing Middle School students of Arabic foundation A class did a presentation about themselves in the Auditorium in the presence of the parents. Students did introduce themselves and share their interests using the Arabic language which was fun and creative at the same time.

Please see the photos and videos of the event in the link below.

TOP DEGREES TO STUDY

by Abu Dhabi University

FEBRUARY 22 - MINI UNIVERSITY FAIR, GAA

On Thursday,  February 22nd from 2:00-3:00 , GAA will be hosting a group of universities.  The universities that will be in attendance are:

• QUEEN´S UNIVERSITY, CANADA

• UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, CANADA

• MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, USA

• NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, USA

• OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, USA

• TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, USA

• UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK , USA

• UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH, USA

• AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PARIS, FRANCE

• SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY, MADRID, SPAIN

• IED - ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI DESIGN, ITALY

• POLIMODA, ITALY

• KOÇ UNIVERSITY, TURKEY

• HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY, HONG KONG

 Parents are welcome. 

FEBRUARY 28 - UNIVERSITY FAIR, NYUAD

Dear Grade 11 and 12 Student and Parent(s),

GAA's HS Counselors would like to share the below communication from the Council of International Schools regarding a university fair on February 28th.

Wednesday, 28 February 2024

New York University, Abu Dhabi

16:30 – 18:30

We have over 60 universities from 15 countries who will be attending. You can find a list of the universities (more to be added soon) and the registration link on this landing page.

Registration for Students

Students will be required to register for the event. We are using QR scanning technology for students and universities. A student’s registration will produce a QR code that they can print or save to their smartphone. University reps will be able to scan the student QR code to quickly exchange contact information without the need for students to fill in inquiry cards at each university table. Students will need to present their QR code to enter the fair.  The link for student registration is HERE and also provided on the flyer. Please feel free to distribute this flier among your students and families.  (Parents and counsellors do not need to register to attend.)

We recommend students register even if they are unable to attend the event. After the fair concludes, all registered students will receive a “Missed Connections” link, which allows them to share their information with universities they may have missed during the fair, allowing students who were unable to attend to still connect with their universities of interest!

Registration link:  https://www.cois.org/for-students-and-parents/students/events/international-university-fair-abu-dhabi 

• February 19-21: MID-TERM BREAK. NO SCHOOL

• February 23: Pizza and Popsicle Day by GAAPA and Booster Club

• February 28-29: Matilda Jr. Musical

• March 1: Wholeschool Dress-Down Day (Book Character theme)

• March 2: Movie Night and Garage Sale by GAAPA

• March 4-5: Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (no classes in session)

• March 13-14: Absentee and New-joiner Official School Photoshoot

• March 14: GAA Community Iftar

• March 25: SPRING BREAK STARTS!