Dear GAA scholars and families,

As part of our learning experience, students in grades 9-11 will begin their End of Course Assessments starting this week with the English assessments. Over the next two-three weeks, students will be summatively assessed in all of their classes. DP1 students have been informed of their assessment dates via their teachers and on Managebac. Some of the assessments will be project- and/or performance-based and others will be through submission of written exams. During this time and through the 26th of June, learning is still our priority. Instruction after the examination period has the opportunity to support the learning continuum and help students connect with their current class curriculum in a deeper manner as well as more project-based learning and fostering of passions in learning.  We will continue to support engagement and our learners all the way through the end of the year. 

Important notices regarding End of Course Assessments

If a student misses an assessment, they must provide supporting medical documentation to explain why they missed this. If this is provided, the student will be able to complete the assessment at a later date.

Assessment events, such as exhibitions, concerts or End of Course Assessments, may not be eligible for reassessment. Please encourage your scholar to prepare for them, with this in mind. 

Math End of Course Exam on Friday May 26th

On May 26th, all High School (non-IB) students will be taking their Math End of Course Assessments. Students will follow their schedules until they are scheduled to test. The schedule is below: 

Students, please read the following guidelines:

• Find your class section when entering the location

• Exams will begin 5 minutes after the block begins

• Exams will be 60 minutes long

• No additional time will be given to students who are late!

• Bring pencil, eraser and appropriate calculator 

• Leave your phone, smart watch and earphones in your backpack outside

• No food or drink in the auditorium 

• Please make sure you go to the restroom before you start the exam.

• Please note that it is very cold in the auditorium. You may bring your school uniform sweater.

Once the time is over, students will return to their regular scheduled classes. Parents, please remind students to bring their supplies so they can begin testing once time starts. 

Study Tips

In preparing your students for success in the final few weeks of the school year. We recommend the following:

• Find a good place to study

• Minimize distractions, by leaving your phone in another room and turning off notifications on your laptop

• Plan and take breaks (ex. Work for 30 minutes, and then take a 10 minute break)

• Use an agenda/ sticky notes/ a whiteboard - plan out what you will study and when you will study, making sure that you are specific about which topics/concepts you aim to review

• Set goals and means of reward as you accomplish your mini goals 

• When you can - study with a group, and evaluate how successful you were during the session at the end

• Review your notes/ revise what you didn't understand with your learning resources/ practice problems or take practice tests

Upcoming Events

• May 17 - Digital Music Showcase (planetarium 6:00 p.m.)

• May 18 - Band Final Recital (library 6:00 p.m.)

• May 25 - Sports awards (auditorium 6:00 p.m.)

• May 29 - Grad rehearsal and senior brunch

• May 30 - Graduation (5:30 p.m. Zayed University - all teachers invited to attend)

• May 28-June 16 - MAP testing

• June 9 - HS Talent show (blocks C-D auditorium)

• June 23- Varsity Cup

As you may know, our school has been growing rapidly in recent years since the return from COVID lockdown. While we are thrilled to see so many families choosing us as their educational home, it also means that space is becoming limited. Some grade levels are at capacity and some are very close to capacity. In order to ensure that your child has a seat reserved for them in the upcoming school year, it is crucial that you complete the re-enrollment process by May 16.

 We want to ensure that our current students have their seats for next year guaranteed. 

 New students apply daily to GAA. On May 17 we will begin to accept these students into any open seat available. 

 Please don't delay! Re-enroll today by visiting our website or stopping by the registration office. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us - we are here to help!

 Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education and being such an important part of our community.

 The Secondary Team

إعادة تسجيل الطلاب للعام الدّراسي القادم ٢٠٢٣-٢٠٢٤

أولياء الأمور الكرام،

تحيّة طيبة وبعد،

 نحيطكم علمًا بأنّ أعداد طلابنا بدأت بالنمو مما زاد الطلب والرغبة في انضمام الكثير من الطلاب لمدرستنا وخصوصًا بعد انتهاء أزمة كورونا. كما نفخر برؤية الكثير من العائلات تختارنا كمؤسسة تعليمية تلبي طموحاتهم مما يؤدي إلى سرعة اكتمال المقاعد الدراسية. نرجو من أولياء الأمور السرعة باتخاذ الخطوات المناسبة لحجز مقعد دراسي لابنك/ ابنتك قبل تاريخ ١٦ مايو بسبب اكتمال بعض الصفوف أو المراحل الدراسية بالقدرة الاستيعابية المخطط لها أو على وشك ذلك.

نود التأكد من أن جميع طلابنا قد حجزوا مقاعدهم الدراسية للعام الدّراسي القادم قبل البدء بقبول طلبات تسجيل الطلاب الجدد.

تستقبل مدرستنا طلبات تسجيل بشكل يومي، وسوف نبدأ بقبول هذه الطلبات بتاريخ ١٧ مايو لجميع المقاعد الدراسية المتاحة.  

يرجى عدم التأخر فى إعادة تسجيل ابنكم/ ابنتكم لحجز مقعد دراسي من خلال زيارة موقعنا على الانترنت أو زيارة مكتب التسجيل.

كما يرجى عدم التردد في التواصل معنا في حال وجود أي سؤال أو استفسار!

نشكر ثقتكم وإيمانكم بنا 

وتفضلوا قبول فائق التقدير والاحترام!

قسم المرحلة المتوسطة والثانوية

GAA math department will hold the Gauss Mathematics contest on Thursday, May 18th, in room 221 at 2pm.

There are five GAA students from grades 7 and 8 registered for this year’s Gauss contest. 

The Gauss contest is one of many Mathematics contests organized by University of Waterloo’s Center for Mathematics and Computing (CEMC). Students from around the world participate in the CEMC contests to strengthen their school portfolios which increases the chance of university admissions. CEMC Math contests are competitive when applying to university programs related to computer science, engineering and mathematics. GAA acts as a testing center for CEMC for all UAE. Students from other schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have participated in the Fermat, Fryer and Euclid contests at GAA campus in February and April 2023. 

For general information on the Gauss contest visit https://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/contests/gauss.html 

GAA’s registrations for next year’s CEMC contests will be starting in September 2023.

Frantisek Plasil, GAA math department

Workshop for parents | Managing transitions: dealing with the stress of change | Delivered by GEMS For Life partner, UnifyMe

Thursday, 25 May 18 00-19 00hrs ( Online )

The last years of school and kids moving to university can be an exciting but also emotional time for parents, as your child takes a big step towards adulthood and independence. These changes often go beyond applying to university and can include moving career and family dynamics. If you are dealing with anxiety around this change and want to learn how to support your family better as well as adjust, join us for an interactive presentation on Managing transitions: dealing with the stress of change.

We will be addressing:

• Common sources of worry for parents and how to deal with them

• How to set realistic expectations

• Strategies for managing stress and anxiety during different types of change

• Using change as an opportunity for growth

• Tools to help with transitions

Magda Kozlowska is a qualified educational consultant, psychologist, and accredited coach. For more information visit her website.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsc-Ctrz0tGNfILt86T86RuiQFQR-r-mNK 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

• May 16-17: Applied Islamic Exhibition by Middle School

• May 17: Digital Music Class showcase @6pm GAA Planetarium

• May 18: Recital by secondary students @6pm Secondary Library

• May 19-20: Used Book Sale by GAA Parent Association

• May 25: Sports Gala for Grade 9-12 Athletes @5:30pm

• May 29: Senior Graduation Rehearsal

• May 30: Senior Graduation @Zayed University

• May 29 - June 2: Teacher Appreciation Week by GAA Parent Association

• June 16: Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony @8am

• June 26: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL