Dear GAA Community,

Over the past two months we have had the privilege to witness an incredible range of GAA student artistic presentations; from “Aladdin Jr.”, “High School Musical”, and most recently the outstanding Middle School production of “Little Mermaid Jr.”

Additionally, over the same period, our 12th grade IB Art students showcased their truly impressive work, and our Secondary Band treated us to a Spring Concert and their repertoire of Jazz, Pop, and Movie songs. 

I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to our amazing faculty and staff that made this possible for our students and enriched our wider community. Through the arts our GAA community came together with an increased sense of pride and belonging. 

At GAA we believe that a well-developed arts program is vitally important in the lives of our students. Not only as a creative outlet, but also to teach skills such as discipline, collaboration, and perseverance. The performances and exhibitions that we have seen show the hard work of our students and we are proud of what they have accomplished. 

As we move into Spring Break and begin the Holy Month of Ramadan, I extend my warmest wishes to all members of our community. Ramadan is a time of reflection, self-discipline, and spiritual renewal. I encourage us all to take this opportunity to learn more about Ramadan and the values it promotes as we embrace and celebrate the diversity of our community. 

I wish everyone a safe and peaceful break and blessed Ramadan.

Ramadan Kareem!

Robert Rinaldo

Head of School

Dear Families of Elementary Students:

We love celebrating at GAA and we are so incredibly grateful for all the generosity our families extend to our school and the students of GAA. As we come into a busy season of celebrations I would like to direct all of our parents to the elementary handbook page 12 regarding snacks, birthdays, and food sharing.  

Please note the following that we will be monitoring closely as we need to ensure the nutritional and dietary needs of all our families:

1. Nuts and nut products are not permitted in any shared food . Food that is brought in to share that contains nuts will need to be returned to the home. 

2. All snacks sent into school must be pre-approved by the class teacher and/or Vice-Principal. Snacks or birthday celebrations should be limited to a cupcake/muffin/healthy snack. Snacks, food trays, fast food items, etc that are not approved by the teacher or admin will need to be returned to the home. This ensures we have everyone’s safety, food allergies, and dietary needs met. 

We are committed to providing a healthy school environment and celebrating our children is certainly part of a healthy culture. Thank you for adhering to the Handbook rules related to providing healthy foods and good communication to our school ahead of time so we can plan for special events.  

Elementary Handbook

Page 12 of Elementary handbook:

Lunch/Snack

At GAA, we encourage students to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Water is provided for all students, and students are required to bring their own refillable water bottles. Children should bring a healthy snack from home to eat during the morning break. Any food sent to school should not contain any nuts or nut products. Please ensure you send your students to school with a healthy packed lunch from home or order from the GAA ‘Slices Cafeteria’ link.

Birthdays

Birthdays can be celebrated in Kindergarten from 2:30pm onwards. Birthday celebrations in grade levels above Kindergarten are limited to a sharing of a cupcake/muffin or healthy snack during the class’s allocated snack time as these celebrations take away time from our teaching and learning. All snacks sent into school must be pre-approved by the class teacher and/or Vice-Principal. 

Reception must be informed of a delivery at least 24 hours in advance. Deliveries will be sent back if not approved. Class celebrations are arranged with the classroom teacher in advance. This will ensure that there are not multiple celebrations on one day. In connection with our ‘healthy food’ initiative, parents are encouraged to make appropriate choices when planning the celebration for their child. For birthdays we prefer snacks to be individually wrapped or in individual portions, such as fruit and vegetables. No birthday cakes please. For drinks, water is preferred. Please be aware that no soft drinks are allowed. Please arrange cups, plates or napkins, as the school does not provide these items. Please do not send hats, balloons, party favors or gift bags. Invitations to out of school birthday parties can only be sent via school if all students in the class are invited. If you plan to invite only a few classmates, please be aware that this can cause uncomfortable or awkward situations, and/or hurt feelings.

Reading Month Activities:

• Grade 4 Students singing Arabic song about the importance of reading: Video

• Grade 5 Students reading to Grade 1 students: Video 1, Video 2

• Grade 8 parents visit to non-native Arabic class to read a story in Arabic with questions and games: Video

Ramadan Celebrations:

• Grade 4 students performance: Video 

• Elementary Students performance: Videos

• 1st day of Ramadan photos: Link

ESM holiday camp would like to thank those parents who have already registered their children for the final week of the spring camp which starts on Sunday at GEMS American Academy Khalifa City.  

We are delighted to offer a discount of 50% for weekly bookings (AED450 after discount) for the camp week of the 27 – 31 March 2023 to the first 30 parents who register online.

This limited offer will be a first come first serve basis, to avail this amazing deal parents are required to register online through our website and use the discount code of ESMcamps50. (valid till the 3rd of April 2023 only) 

Your children will have a chance to kick back, learn something new and have some fun, while being active indoors taking part in our multi activity camp. 

As parents you will have peace of mind that your child is well looked after and enjoying the camp experience.

Below is a draft of the activities which will be taking place each day:

REGISTRATION

• Registration and payment for the Spring Camp MUST be done online – no walk ins will be accepted. 

• All new parents will need to create an account with us if you haven’t done so already.

• Places are limited, to avoid disappointment, CLICK HERE to register.

TIMINGS:

• Drop off from 8.15 – 8.45am 

• Activities start from 9.00 – 1.30pm

• Pick up from 1.30 – 1.45pm

BUS SERVICE

• Please note that there is a BUS SERVICE available for this camp from STS but it would be for venue specific camps and the closest venue to where you live – please make sure you look at the covered areas below.

• We require the bus bookings to be done before every Tuesday afternoon 2pm for the following weeks bookings.

• Bus fees are AED250/child/week to the same pick up and drop off area.

Holiday Camp Options: 

• SCHOOL NAME: GEMS American Academy Khalifa City

• AREA THAT CAN BE COVERED: Al Reef Villas, Al Zeina, Raha Beach, Al Raha Gardens

 If you have any questions, please do connect with us and we’ll help you as soon as possible, for more information please email us on holidaycamp@esm.ae   

 Looking forward to seeing all our young campers soon!

 ESM Holiday Camp Team

• March 27 - April 7: SPRING BREAK (No School in session. Admin offices will remain open 9:00am - 2:00pm Mon-Thurs, and 9:00am-12:15pm on Fridays)

• April 10: Term 3 Starts

• April 13: GAA Community Potluck Iftar DInner

• April 14: GAAPA Board Meeting (everyone welcome)

• April 18: Senior Walk

• April 28: Pizza Day by GAAPA