Dear GAA Parents,

We have several important dates coming up in the Secondary Division:

Mock exams for IB students will take place February 23-March 5^th. Students have received notification of their schedule. Students will have study leave the day before each of their scheduled exams and will be excused from classes on the day of the exam.

Parent teacher conferences will take place in the gymnasium Wednesday, March 4th, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, March 5th, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for Elementary and Secondary. There are no classes on these two days. This is the perfect opportunity to speak to your child’s teachers in person to receive feedback and updates. We hope to see you there!

In preparation of student course requests, our illustrious counselors have been quite busy meeting with secondary students to discuss their college and career plans over the past few weeks. This has been quite the undertaking, but has helped all of our students consider the best pathways to meet their future goals.

Thank you for your partnership with us as we develop global citizens with the confidence and conviction to pursue their dreams and impact the world!

Kind regards,

Erin Lumpkins

High School Vice Principal

This is what has been happening in Spanish and French classes this term…

Spanish MS2

MS Spanish 2 students have been working on a project where they had to balance their communication, research and self-management skills to succeed. As it was a project about Internet they had to use several online tools to create a video presentation, a QR code and a poster. After their project they had an interactive Quiz where they had to go around the class scanning the QR codes found in the posters to get the correct information.

Spanish HS 2/3

Just like the tradition dictates in Spain, HS2/3 students started the new year eating grapes. This tradition consists of eating a grape with each bell strike at midnight on 31^st December. We could not do it on the exact day, but we certainly did as soon as we got back to school! These 12 grapes represent each month of the year and it is believed that only those who manage to eat all of them in 12 seconds, will be lucky from January to December. Most students were successful at it. Let’s see what 2020 has in store for them…

Spanish HL (Grade 11)

In the past few weeks, grade 11 IB Spanish HL students have started reading and analyzing their first novel in Spanish. It is called ‘La Aventura de Saíd’and is written by Josep Lorman. The novel is about xenphobia, human rights and the problems related to ilegal migration in Spain.

Prior to reading this novel, students explored and discussed the different aspects of migration, its causes and consequences. Students are engaged in group reading sessions in class and participate in various spoken and written activities based on each chapter. Through every chapter, students acquire new vocabulary, conventions and idiomatic expressions in context. After every chapter, students engage in individual or group activities in spoken or written format that help them analyze the various aspects and thus demonstrate high order thinking skills in the target language.

French MS1

This last month, students in French MS1 learnt how to talk about their daily routine. Some classes became creative having a welcome break from the usual class pattern and made this collaborative board game to tell their classmates what they often do in a normal day. Other classes made a video of their classmates talking about their daily lives. It was all fun for them to understand how different is their own life from other’s.

French MS1/2

With Middle School, we are exploring the theme of “celebrations and traditions”. We celebrated a National French tradition, the "Galette des Rois" or “cake of the kings” which is a cake generally shared in Epiphany, on the 6^th of January. The puff pastry cake is filled with an almond interior; containing a small charm hidden inside, "the fève." Students enjoyed the delicious cake and two of them were crowned King/Queen by finding the fève in their slice of cake.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GAA EVENTS CALENDAR

(please note, updated regularly)

• February 21: 9th Annual International Food Festival @5:00 - 7:00 pm, GAA Field
• February 27: Half Day/Pizza Day, school dismisses @12:00. Theme of Secondary School Dress Down: International Day.
• March 4-5: Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school days)
• March 10: GAA Spring Concert @6:00pm in the Auditorium
• March 10 - 23: IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition
  • March 10: Exhibition Opening Reception @4:00-6:00pm
• March 11: DP2 Celebration Dinner @6:00pm in Mezzanine 1st Floor
• March 18-19: "Little Mermaid" High School Theater Production
• March 26: Varsity Cup
• March 29 - April 9: Spring Break

Our preferred Apple provider, JTRS (Just The Right Solutions), has created an e-store from which you can purchase a number of Apple products below retail costs. JTRS Education is offering discounts on MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and iPads, as well as add-ons, cases and extended warranties.

Below, you will find a document on how to locate and sign-up for the e-store to see the discounted products and make a purchase. Once purchased, JTRS Education will be in communication with you about when they will be delivered to the school. Once they have been delivered to GAA, you may pick your devices up from the ICT office here at the school.

If you have any further questions, please contact JTRS directly at +971 4 338 0990 or info@jtrs.ae