Welcome back GAA families and a very happy new year!

It has been wonderful to reconnect and see your smiling students return in the New Year. From stories of travel outside the country to shared ‘staycations’ in the Emirates, they have been regaling us with tales of their adventures over the winter holiday! InshAllah, that was a restful and enjoyable experience reconnecting with family and friends! Staff and students were excited to see each other and get started on the next phase of their learning.

As we settle into the new year, I like to take a moment to reflect on the past year and how far our students have come since the beginning of the year. It’s a chance for us to think about how much they’ve achieved in their studies, reflect on any challenges, and set action/goals moving forward. For myself, this has been an opportunity to reflect on all I’ve learned from GAA and in a new system - and make some new plans moving forward with my teachers and leadership team. What might that look like for you and your student when thinking about their learning?

As we look ahead at 2023, we are excited to support those goals and work right alongside you to help your learner reach their full potential along their learning journey and continue our commitment to our school culture.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Lauren Sargent Alkhalifah

Lower Elementary (PreK-Grade 2) Vice Principal

"Why Failure is an Important Part of Learning"

We often hear the phrase "failure is not an option," but in reality, failure is an inevitable and important part of learning. It is through failure that we learn and grow, and it is by embracing failure that we can ultimately achieve success.

One of the main reasons failure is so important is that it helps us to understand our limitations and strengths. When we fail at a task, we are forced to examine what went wrong and what we could have done differently. This process helps us to identify our weaknesses and areas for improvement, and it allows us to focus our efforts on the things we are good at.

Failure also helps us to develop resilience and persistence. When we face setbacks and challenges, it can be easy to become discouraged and give up. However, by persevering and continuing to try despite our failures, we build mental and emotional resilience that will serve us well in the future.

Failure can serve as a valuable source of motivation. When we experience failure, it can be a powerful catalyst for change. It can inspire us to work harder, to seek out new knowledge and skills, and to push ourselves to be better.

It is important for educators to allow students to experience failure because it is through failure that students learn and grow. When students are allowed to take risks and make mistakes, they are able to learn and develop in ways that are not possible when they are constantly shielded from failure.

Here are a few reasons why it is important for educators to allow students to fail:

• Failure helps students understand their limitations and strengths. When students fail at a task, they are forced to examine what went wrong and what they could have done differently. This process helps them to identify their weaknesses and areas for improvement, and it allows them to focus their efforts on the things they are good at.

• Failure helps students develop resilience and persistence. When students face setbacks and challenges, it can be easy to become discouraged and give up. However, by persevering and continuing to try despite their failures, students build mental and emotional resilience that will serve them well in the future.

• Failure can be a valuable source of motivation. When students experience failure, it can be a powerful catalyst for change. It can inspire them to work harder, to seek out new knowledge and skills, and to push themselves to be better.

In short, allowing students to experience failure is an important part of the learning process. It helps them to understand their own abilities and limitations, and it helps them to develop the skills and resilience they need to succeed

In conclusion, failure is an integral part of the learning process. It helps us to understand our strengths and weaknesses, develop resilience and persistence, and find motivation to improve and succeed. So the next time your child faces a setback or failure, remember that it is not a sign of defeat, but rather an opportunity to learn and grow.

Douglas Sherrill

Upper Elementary (Grades 3-5) Vice Principal

It has been a wonderful first week back in school! This week in KG2, we have enjoyed spending time reconnecting with their friends and sharing all about their activities from their winter breaks! We have started working on our new unit of writing, “show and tell,” where students are working on adding more and more details to their writing. We have enjoyed playing games reviewing our sight words and CVC spelling! In math, students are starting to learn all about non-standard measurement by using items from our classroom to find out who is the tallest student. We look forward to a great rest of the year in KG2!

4A has had a busy start to the new year. We have started our latest unit of how we express ourselves by looking at art. We have been looking at famous artists and art styles, and have started to create some of our own works of art. This week we have been looking at graffiti style drawing. Have a look at some of our work below.

In Math we have been learning about division. This is a new concept for most children, but with lots of focus, determination and commitment we are starting to get the hang of it. We have also been busy learning our times tables also and learning that knowing our multiplication tables is linked to division. Adam is leading the way, having learnt nine of his times tables so far.

Please check out the Welcome Back Update by our Student Leadership comprised of 4th and 5th graders.

• January 10: GAAPA Parent Coffee for Elementary (PreK-Grade 5) Parents @8-10am, Parent Cafe

• January 13: Book into Movies event @GAA Planetarium

• January 26-27: Aladdin Elementary Musical at GAA Auditorium @6-8pm

• January 27: GAAPA Used Uniform Sale

• January 27: Pizza Day by GAAPA

• February 13-14: Mid-term break (no school)

• February 25: International Food Festival