Dear Middle School Families,

As a Middle School team, we will be placing a strong focus on reinforcing our uniform policy starting next week. Wearing the correct school uniform plays an important role in building a sense of identity, responsibility, and pride within our student community.

To support this, we kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring your child arrives to school each day in full uniform. For your convenience, a copy of the approved school uniform is attached below.

If a student arrives out of uniform, families will be contacted, and we will request that the correct uniform be brought to school.

Thank you in advance for your continued support as we work together to maintain high expectations across our Middle School.

Warm regards,

The Middle School Team

Dear Senior Students and Families,

Please find our final reminders and details about our upcoming Graduation events below. Seniors have been and continue to do a fantastic job of preparing for final exams. They are leaving the exam hall feeling confident about their efforts. You are in the final stretch with only a few weeks left before you are officially an alumni of GEMS American Academy. Well done to all and keep up the good work! 

Upcoming graduation events:

• May 27 - Senior Walk and Final Awards Assembly - 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Immediate family invited)

• May 28 - Graduation rehearsal and Brunch - GAA at 8:45 a.m. (students only - details below)

• May 29 - Graduation at National Theater Abu Dhabi - 5:30 p.m. start (5 free tickets + purchased for extra guests)

May 27 - Senior Walk

Students should arrive at 10:00 a.m. to don their graduation gowns in the MPR. The walk will start in the MPR at 10:30 a.m. and end in the Auditorium. Parents are invited to celebrate the Seniors last walk through the GAA hallways as a student and attend the final assembly directly afterwards.

May 28 - Rehearsal and Brunch (and Movie Night - if interested)

Buses will leave GAA at 9:00 a..m. to the National Theater. All Seniors are expected to meet at school. Rehearsal will take 90 minutes. We will leave from the National Theater by 12:00 noon to the Marriot Al Forsan.

Each student ticket for the brunch is priced at 200 AED. The Brunch will run from 12:30 and end at 2:30 p.m. Payment can be made to the Finance Department at GAA or via this link:

• https://connect.gemseducation.com/Fees/FeePayment Login with user name & password. Select the “Activities” and “Enroll”  SENIOR REHEARSAL - GR12 (AED 200) options, then proceed with payment.

• Please pay by May 20 to ensure our booking with the hotel is accurate.

If you would like to participate in the Senior Brunch, please fill out this form providing permission for your child to attend graduation rehearsal, be transported to the National Theater and then to the Brunch.

If your graduate will not participate in the Brunch, please fill out this form providing permission to attend rehearsal with school transportation and then return to GAA after the rehearsal.

Here is the link for the permission slip for the Movie Night that we will have after the Brunch:

• Movie Night - High School Musical 3 - The Senior Year. A memorable last time together at GAA!

May 29 - Graduation

• Graduation Tickets - Extra tickets will go on sale from the finance department on May 20. 150 AED per ticket.

• Graduation seating arrangements. Please find the revised assigned seating plan here. 

• Once you have your number, you can see where your 5 tickets will be seated for the ceremony here.

We appreciate your continued support as we work to make these events exceptional for our students.

Garth Wyncoll

Secondary Principal

PE Department Wrap-Up: A Year of Energy, Effort, and Excellence

As the academic year draws to a close, the PE Department celebrates another action-packed and successful season filled with competition, teamwork, and school spirit!

Students in Grades 6-9 kicked things off with spirited Sports Days. Each event saw incredible participation from all four houses - Falcons, Vipers, Foxes, and Scorpions - with every team demonstrating determination, fair play, and enthusiasm. Whether sprinting across the track or rallying in team games, students truly embodied the GAA spirit.

High school students experienced a new and exciting format in this year’s Varsity Cup. For the first time, Junior Varsity teams competed against Varsity in preliminary rounds before the ultimate showdown against the teachers. In a series of intense and thrilling matches:

The teachers triumphed in basketball and volleyball after fierce battles on the court.

A draw in flag football showcased both sides’ tactical strength and teamwork.

In football (soccer), the students claimed victory, thrilling the crowd with skillful play and passionate support.

Throughout the year, students across all grades embraced a dynamic and diverse curriculum featuring a range of sports and physical activities. From football, basketball, and badminton, to gymnastics, swimming, recreational games, and traditional games, the PE program offered something for everyone—supporting physical development, confidence, and teamwork.

Thank you to all students, staff, and families for your continued support and energy. Here's to another incredible year of movement, growth, and GAA pride!

John Coulter

Head of PE Department

iOS Design Challenge 2024/25

What was the iOS Design Challenge?

The iOS Design Challenge is a national initiative for students aged 13–18, launched by Sandooq Al Watan in partnership with Apple Professional Learning Specialists. The goal of the challenge was to inspire and develop the UAE’s next generation of app developers.

It provided students with a hands-on, real-world learning experience that immersed them in mobile app development using Apple’s iOS platform. The 2024/25 challenge ran from October 2024 to March 2025, giving participants the opportunity to learn Swift programming, explore UI/UX design, and build apps that addressed real-world issues.

Participants from GAA

Three Grade 10 students proudly represented our school in the challenge:

• Kay Bejjani

• Obaid Almansoori

• Zayed Alkhemeiri

What challenges did students face, and how did they overcome them?

A key challenge was that the students began with limited or no prior experience in Swift programming. It was initially overwhelming to understand how different parts of an app, such as the interface, logic, and data worked together.

The students overcame these challenges by:

• Collaborating as a team

• Seeking support from their mentors (Mr. Muhammad and Ms. Azra)

• Utilising online resources

• Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps

Debugging and ensuring that the apps functioned smoothly was another significant hurdle. However, through perseverance, teamwork, and a commitment to learning, the students developed both their technical skills and their confidence.

Key Takeaways for Students

• Resilience: Every obstacle became a learning opportunity. Mistakes were embraced as stepping stones to success.

• Teamwork: Effective communication and collaboration were essential. Each student played a critical role in the team's achievements.

• Creative Problem-Solving: The challenge empowered students to think innovatively and turn their ideas into practical digital solutions.

A Proud Moment

We are thrilled to announce that the GAA student team was selected as one of the winning teams of the 2024/25 iOS Design Challenge!

As part of their award, each student received a MacBook and a place in the Swift Accelerator Program which is a 180-hour coding course running from June to December 2025. This prestigious program will be delivered through a blended learning model, combining in-person workshops with online sessions, and will lead to a certification in Swift development.

This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to advance their coding skills, gain in-depth knowledge of app development, and build a strong foundation for future careers in technology.

Awarding Ceremony

The students’ hard work and achievements were formally recognised at the iOS Design Challenge Final Awarding Ceremony, held on Tuesday, 29th April 2025. The event was a celebration of the team's dedication, creativity, and the remarkable progress they made throughout the challenge.

A well deserved congratulations to Kay, Obaid and Zayed!

Muhammad Qureshi, Computer Science Teacher

Azra Hanif, Inclusion Teacher

• May 1-June 11 - MAP Testing

• May 15 - International Day of Families breakfast

• May 15 - Athletics Banquet (Grade 6-12)

• May 21-22 - Jungle Book Elementary Musical Production

• May 27 - Senior Walk

• May 28 - Graduation Rehearsal

• May 29 - Senior Graduation