Dear GAA Community,

Please view the video below to get information on:

• Important Reminders (Attendance, Uniforms & Reading)
• Sports Days
• January 30th Half Day
• Report Cards
• Madagascar Jr.

Please share how your child has shown kindness outside GAA.

Kindness @ Home Form

With thanks,

Mike Hopaluk

Elementary Principal

email: esprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com

Dear Parents,

As the term draws to a close, the school community turns its attention closer to assessment. We all wish for your children to reach their full potential - which will help to ensure the feel happy and successful in school. Conversations about reports can be stressful for students, parents and teachers alike. Children can struggle to understand what is happening or the purpose behind this review and goal setting. These factors may make these conversations strained and emotional.

Education.com magazine shared an article containing tips for taking to your children about their report cards. I would like to pass along __key ideas that may help guide your conversations at home:

• Ask your child you they think they did - it opens up a dialogue and helps you better understand why you child is performing in this way in the classroom
• If you find a negative comment, ask the child why the teacher sees this issue in the classroom - this enables the child to think more on hoe their actions are being interpreted instead of them quickly becoming defensive.
• Offer specific praise for accomplishments, like ‘I see you have been working hard to improve your grades in Math.’ This will have more impact than general comments like, ‘Great job in Reading.’
• Focus on ways to do better instead of just telling a child to do better. Make a plan, write it down and communicate it with the teacher so that you are all on the same page.

There are more ideas shared in the full article, which you can read here: https://www.education.com/magazine/article/Dealing_with_Report_Cards/

All the best,

John O’Neill

Grade 3, 4, & 5 Vice Principal

What is Exhibition?

Exhibition is a student initiated and designed unit of inquiry. It is the culminating experience for students in a PYP school. It gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively on an in-depth inquiry into a topic of interest, while also challenging them to demonstrate the learner profile traits.

The exhibition is centered around the central idea: “Our curiosity creates the passion to learn and the power to act.”

From this central idea, students identify a global, local or personal issue that they are curious about and that they want to find out more in order to take action. Students then spend about 6 weeks tuning in to the issue, finding and sorting out information, going further, making connections and eventually taking action based on their new knowledge.

How can parents help?

This year the grade 5 students will launch exhibition with a “conference day.” Students will spend the day attending “sessions” in which they will be exposed to global, local and personal issues they may be interested in, technology sessions that will provide ideas for their final presentation, and guest speakers who are passionate about topics. If you have a passion that you feel would be interesting for the grade 5 students to hear about - we would love to have you come in and speak to our students.

Also, groups of students are in need of mentors. As a mentor you would meet with a small group of students (usually 3) once a week and help keep them on track through the exhibition process. You might help them find some kid friendly research on their topic, help them take notes, or ask questions to keep them thinking. You might suggest some ideas for field trips or interviews the kids might do and help them craft interview questions or google form surveys. Most of all, you will support them as they go through the process. The kids will be doing the work, you will be guiding them.

Additionally, the grade 5 students are encouraged to do primary research by interviewing community members and visiting sites related to their topic. For example, a group that is inquiring into the effects of desalination on the dugong population may want to visit a desalination plant and a conservation group. A group looking into preventative measures for diabetes may want to interview a doctor and visit a hospital. If you have expertise in an area or work in a location that kids could visit, get in touch!

Please contact the PYP coordinator, Tiffany Pulci at t.pulci_gaa@gemsedu.com if you would like to help out and be involved!

In our most recent unit “How We Express Ourselves”, students learned about creativity and using music and art to express themselves. Students used different apps like Garage Band and Clips to make art while thinking of ways to engage an audience. As a part of this unit, we took a trip to Manarat Al Saadiyat. There students got to visit the current exhibition and learn about the artist who created the art pieces. They got to sit outside in the garden and draw some of the pieces themselves. Students also created personalized bears to take home. This was a great unit for students to express themselves creatively.

Take a look at a sneak peak of students in Grade 1 getting ready for “Art Around the World,” happening on February 20, 2020. In our current unit that ties in with the classroom unit of inquiry, “Celebrations Around the World,” students are viewing arts in cultures and countries from all over! You might see origami from Japan, mandalas from Tibet, landscapes from South Africa, fans from Korea, masks from Brazil, lanterns from Thailand, pottery from the Marajoara culture, necklaces from the Zulu culture, and many more!

Dear Parents of Grades 2-5 Students,

We have a very exciting event coming up, organized by the PYP Library. New York Times Bestselling author/illustrator Matthew Holm will be visiting GAA for 1 day, giving workshops to Grades 2-5 students on Sunday, February 9^th!

We are giving GAA students the opportunity to purchase books by our visiting author, with the kind support of Little Thinker Education Aids who will be supplying the books. Grades 2-5 students will be given envelopes and notices for a book order should you wish to purchase any. (Younger students can purchase books and stop in to have their book signed, but this particular visit does not include KG-G1 sessions.)

The order form is a google form. Students who place a book order should bring their envelope to the library with the correct amount, and their name and class clearly labeled. Books can be ordered while quantities last, and will be given to students on or before Feb 9th. Students are invited to bring their books for an author signing at designated times on Feb. 9th.

Please contact Mrs. Kirby k.kirby_gaa@gemsedu.com directly with any questions, or stop into the PYP Library to order or make a cash payment.

We are looking forward to an exciting event!

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GAA EVENTS CALENDAR

(please note, updated regularly)

• January 26: Madagascar Jr. Ticket Sales @ 3:00pm in Main Lobby
• January 26-27: Grades 1 - 5 Sports Day
• January 28: IFF Planning Meeting @8:30am in GAAPA Room
• January 29-30: KG Sports Day
• January 29-30: Elementary Musical "Madagascar Jr" @6:30pm in the Auditorium
• January 30: Half-Day, school dismisses @12:00. Also a Dress Down Day/Pizza Day
• February 1: Stu Williamson Sibling Photo Session
• February 6: Re-enrollment opens!
• February 9: Stu Williamson make up Student Photo Session