Secondary

Message from Middle School Vice-Principal,

Mr. Scott Macdonald

Hello Middle School Parents,

We are seeing the fruits of our labors as our students are thriving being back in the building. We have just wrapped up our strategic invites from teachers for those who receive support from the Student Support Team first, and now we have started admitting all other important requests in intervals of 5 a week, going from the highest request (for needs) from teachers on down. We can now accept parent requests if you wish for your child to attend daily (full time) in person. Please email me directly and I will add your child’s name to our lists, but please understand that we are admitting a limited number per week, so please bear with us until we can admit your child. Scott Macdonald s.macdonald1_gaa@gaa-ad.com

We do ask that all students come to school with the expected uniform and black shoes daily. We are spotting some jeans and pants that are not from Threadz and do not meet the Student Handbook expectation.

We also ask that students are dropped off and in class before the National Anthem starts at 7:45am. We will be following up with parents of students who are repeatedly late. We ask that you leave earlier to drop off your children or if you have a driver, to make a point that they leave earlier to make sure your child is in class before 7:45am.

In our secondary division, we want to encourage parents to speak with their students about course registration. We still have around 30% of our student body who have not completed their course registration form. This process is vital for building a schedule that best meets everyone’s needs, which means that if you have conversations with your students now and discuss which courses fit their aptitudes and plans for future studies then the class schedule we build have a high probability of meeting your students’ needs. If you have not done so already, please verify that your son or daughter has completed and turned in there course forms. Thank you for your help.

We thank all parents and guardians for everything you do. We would not have the success that we are having without you.

Scott Macdonald

Middle School Vice-Principal

IMPORTANT

What if my child feels unwell at school?

Non-COVID-related: If your child develops any symptoms during school hours:

The student will be flagged by the teacher and will be referred to the school clinic for triage. If child does not have fever or any other COVID-19 symptoms, Nurse will contact the parent to investigate any possible illness at home by family member. Depending on the condition of the child, parent may be asked to collect from school.
If student is sent home, parent must provide doctor's medical certificate for return to campus.

COVID-related: Your child will be considered as a suspected case of Covid-19, if displaying any signs and symptoms such as cough, fever or breathlessness and:

Child will be moved to Quarantine Room, where they will be monitored by a School Nurse.
Nurse will contact the parents immediately to retrieve the child from the school.
The school shall not administer any medicines to the child.
The school will inform the parents about the nearest hospital and COVID-19 testing center.
If the child tests positive for COVID-19, parents are mandated to inform the school so that they can take measures to secure the health of other students and staff who may have been exposed to the virus.
If child has siblings at GAA attending in-campus, they must be quarantined at home as well.
Student(s) will be able to return to school after 2 consecutive negative COVID tests and doctor's medical certificate.

COVID-19 Reporting Procedures at GAA

We remind parents of our safety protocols with regards to COVID-19:

What if my child or a household member tests positive?

Notify school immediately by calling GAA's COVID-19 Hotline at 052 1048099 to enable us to activate appropriate response. Or email: pre_gaa@gemsedu.com
Keep your child and other GAA siblings isolated at home for at least 10 days and follow the instructions of Health Authorities.
Distance Learning will be enabled for your child.
Child will be cleared to return to school once they have 2 consecutive negative test results, submitting doctor's note and results to the school nurse.

What's the Return to School protocol?

Positive case: They must show a Clearance Report from SEHA or their Health Care Provider confirming they are clear to return to school. This report shows the high-level history of the case including date confirmed positive, the 2 negative results and that the patient has completed the isolation period.

Contacts of the positive case: contacts must continue their 10 day home quarantine, even if they test negative, and are only allowed back in school after receiving 2 consecutive negative test results (approximately day 1 and day 8 testing).

We thank you for your continuous support.

NEWS FROM SOCIAL STUDIES

SS Newsletter - March .pdf

NEWS FROM SECONDARY ARABIC DEPARTMENT

TEDxYouth at GAA

March 25, 2021

02:00 PM on YouTube

TEDx.mp4

We are excited to continue our annual tradition of hosting TEDx Youth at GAA. Although Virtual, due to safety restrictions, we are looking to hear from many speakers, who will share their views and stories about our ability to make a difference in this world.

How Can I Watch?

This last year has been one to remember, and due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, this year's TEDx conference will be held virtually, streamed live on our Youtube channel on March 20th, 2021 @2:00pm. Unlike other years, no tickets or payment will be required for this event.

TEDx 2021 Raffle

Want something to remember this special event? This year, we are hosting a raffle for a TEDx 2021 shirt that has been made specifically for this year's conference! Simply fill out this form and hope you get chosen for your very own TEDx 2021 shirt!

How Can I Stay Updated?

Make sure to check out our TEDx website, and don't forget to take a look at our Instagram page for more updates!

Website - https://tedxgaa.wixsite.com/tedxyouthgaa
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tedxyouthgaa
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc-alPyxPWwrjgYOtoCRlQA

More information will be released soon, so stay tuned for further updates!

We hope to see everyone at the stream this Saturday!

- TEDxYouth@GAA Team

OCR Park event

Hudayriat Island

March 25 - 26, 2021

Hello Wildcats!

Would you like to participate and get challenged in Abu Dhabi’s No:1 outdoor fitness park? Mr. Rashleigh and Ms. Iliana would like to invite you to compete with your classmates on an exciting obstacle course at OCR Park on Hudayriat Island.

Date/Time:

Thursday, 25th of March; Gr.9-10 from 4:00-6:00 p.m and Gr.11-12 with Faculty from 6:00-8:00 p.m
Friday, 26th March Middle School students Gr.6-8 from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Please make sure you come on time for your session.

Location:

Hudayriat Island. Check the location map, attached on the flyer.

Cost for the event:

100aed. per person. Last day for online payment is on Monday 22nd of March.

Awards:

Top 5 students from each HS/MS division will receive Wildcats spirit gift.

Waiver:

A signed waiver must be submitted prior to entry.

What do you need to Do to participate?

fill in the registration form, attached on the flyer. In the notes section add your grade level and date of birth.
sign and submit the waiver form.
pay online the 100dhs participation fees not later than Monday 22nd of March.

All students are advised to wear comfortable clothing, follow social distancing guidelines and bring water.

Food and beverages will be available on site for purchase.

Everything you need to know about this great sporting opportunity is through this link.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Iliana Jaltova @ i.jaltova_gaa@gemsedu.com or Mr. David Rashleigh @ d.rashleigh_gaa@gemsedu.com

We look forward to seeing you there.

Let’s Go Wildcats!

YEARBOOK 2020-2021

ORDER FORM 2020-21.pdf

We can all agree that this year is very unique and our lives are very different than before.

The 2020/2021 yearbook will have a very personal feel to it and will capture the craziness of this school year.

Due to safety restrictions and considering that number of our students are still on full distance learning, we will not have Stu Williamson take student formal photos at school this year. In case things change, we may schedule the photoshoot for March 2021.

This is where we need our Parents and Students' help:

For KG/Elementary, we ask that parents send a recent picture of their child doing anything they like, eating, playing, exercising... clear face and good lighting.
For MS/HS, we ask that students send us a selfie, that can be funny but appropriate.

Homeroom and advisory teachers will reach out to their students/parents shortly with details. We hope to get the photos before the Winter Break.

Let's make a delicious lemonade out of the lemons, so generously given by 2020!

If you didn't get your copy of Yearbook 2019-2020, it is still available. Contact Ms. Fatma, Parent Relations Executive, at pre_gaa@gemsedu.com for payment details.

SECONDARY LIBRARY

Welcome to GAA Secondary Library website! Your access to the library collection, research databases, learning resources and more!

SECONDARY LIBRARY WEBSITE

Please click the link for Secondary Library February Newsletter:

February Library Newsletter

GEMS Alumni App

As the GEMS community, we understand that it is not just mere nostalgia that we associate our alma mater with, it is much beyond that. Our GEMS alumni across 80 countries are doing amazing things and we want to celebrate their successes every step of the way! Download and join the #GEMSAlumni App today by clicking on the links below:

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details…

App Store : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gems-alumni/id1496962338

GEMS_Alumni_Flyer_Jan2021[2].pdf

EXCITING AFTER-SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

NextGen10: You see things We can't

HSBC and Nextgen are looking for an idea or initiative that will help to solve some of our largest problems and help with the build back in a world impacted by COVID-19.