One of my favorite things about GAA since I joined the school has been the school community. You can always see me outside of the KG entrance in the mornings, greeting parents and students, dancing along to our music and giving out hugs/high fives. It’s my absolute favorite part of the day and  just a great way to build relationships! I also believe it’s the first step towards building a camaraderie with our families/students.  

This camaraderie fosters lasting friendships and collaborative relationships, encouraging everyone to contribute to a shared mission of learning and growth. When families come together for events, like festivals or volunteer opportunities, they build trust and open lines of communication, enriching the school culture. This vibrant community spirit not only enhances the educational experience but also instills a sense of belonging, making the school a cherished second home for all involved.

As we embrace the vibrant spirit of our school community, we want to highlight the essential role that the GEMS American Academy Parents Association (GAAPA) plays in enriching our children's educational experience and our school community. GAAPA brings together parents, teachers, and staff to foster collaboration and support for our school, helping to create a nurturing and engaging environment for all students.

Mark Your Calendars! We are excited to invite you and your family to the GAAPA Family Fall Festival on November 16th from 4-7 PM at the GAA soccer field. It’s a fantastic opportunity to come together, enjoy some fun, and make lasting memories! 

What to Expect:

• Bouncy Castles: Bounce your way to joy!

• Slippery Football: Get ready for some slippery fun!

• Food Trucks: Savor delicious treats from local vendors.

• Specialty Coffee: Enjoy a warm beverage while you mingle.

• Magic Show: Be amazed by our talented magician.

• Old School Festival Games: Fun games for all ages!

This is a wonderful occasion to relax, connect with other families, and celebrate our community spirit. We hope to see you there (and bring your friends!) I am excited to be bringing several friends that I’ve invited from out of town, and of course Baby Jameela- who already feels right at home at GAA! 

If you haven’t joined GAAPA yet, please reach out! Being part of GAAPA allows you to connect with other parents, share ideas, and contribute to events and initiatives that benefit our school community. Your involvement helps us to organize activities, support educational programs, and enhance the overall experience for our children. If you haven’t joined yet, please reach out to Rihab (GAAPA president) at pre_gaa@gemsedu.com or join the chat (https://chat.whatsapp.com/F5CIpi6kEpKJdAVVdIYB9X). 

Thank you, 

Lauren Sargent Al Khalifah

PreK-Grade 2 Vice Principal

Kindness Week at GAA is an annual celebration dedicated to fostering a culture of compassion, empathy, and respect. It serves as a reminder of the powerful impact small acts of kindness can have on individuals and the entire community. Throughout the week, students, teachers, and staff come together to spread positivity, build connections, and create an environment where everyone feels valued. By highlighting the importance of kindness, we aim to inspire lasting change that encourages inclusivity and supports mental and emotional well-being for all.  

Kindness Week is a time to celebrate the good in each other and remind ourselves that a little kindness goes a long way. There is a different activity everyday of the week including a dress down day (“Brighten up GAA with Kindness”- wearing ORANGE or BRIGHT colors) on Wednesday and a schoolwide kindness day flash mob dance. All parents are welcome to join us on Wednesday November 13 on the field at 8:00 am. 

This week has been filled with excitement and positive energy at our school! We kicked off our first swimming lesson with Ms. Ruth, and it was an absolute blast! Students splashed around, learning new skills and gaining confidence in the water. It was heartwarming to see everyone supporting each other and embracing the joy of learning and independence.

In addition to our swimming adventures, we celebrated the Dubai Fitness Challenge with our first morning of exercise! Mr. Ryan led all elementary students and teachers in a fantastic 30 minutes of movement, completing 30 different exercises. It was a great way to start the week, energizing our bodies and promoting teamwork.

We also showed our support for breast cancer awareness by wearing pink. It’s essential to remember the importance of a healthy lifestyle—not just through exercise, but also by supporting meaningful causes.

Let’s keep the momentum going as we embrace fitness and wellness in our school community. Here’s to more fun and active days ahead! 🌟🏊‍♀️💪🎀

Grade 2A students took their learning outdoors as part of our Sharing the Planet unit! Together, we explored the school grounds of GAA, discovering a variety of plants and learning about how they grow and interact with the environment. This hands-on experience helps us understand the diversity of plant life around us and our central idea that ‘living things are part of an interdependent system.’ 

Grade 2A students also showed off their energy and enthusiasm this week by taking part in an exciting HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workout at school as part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge! They jumped, stretched, and moved through a series of exercises designed to get their hearts pumping and bodies moving. This fun workout not only helped us build strength and stamina but also reminded us of the importance of staying active. Way to go, Grade 2A, for taking on the fitness challenge with such excitement and teamwork!

The Arabic Department in the Elementary stage is dedicated to providing quality education that meets the students' needs and develops their language skills through effective methods.

Over the past months, we have focused on enhancing fundamental skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, using a variety of activities. Listening skills have been reinforced through interactive exercises that help students engage with the content effectively. We also worked on strengthening speaking skills by offering students opportunities to participate in discussions and activities that boost their confidence and ability to clearly express their ideas and opinions.

In the area of reading, we encourage students to practice daily reading, which aids in improving comprehension and understanding. For writing, we take a gradual approach, beginning with teaching the basics of correct writing, then moving to exercises where they write paragraphs that clearly and creatively express their thoughts. We use motivating activities that open up avenues for distinctive writing production.

المرحلة الابتدائية العليا للطلاب الناطقين باللغة العربية

حرِصُ قِسْمُ اللُّغَةِ العَرَبِيَّةِ فِي المَرْحَلَةِ الاِبْتِدَائِيَّةِ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ تَعْلِيمٍ مُتَمَيِّزٍ يُلَبِّي احْتِيَاجَاتِ الطُّلَّابِ وَيُنَمِّي مَهَارَاتِهِم اللُّغَوِيَّةَ بِأَسَالِيبَ فَعَّالَةٍ. خِلَالَ الأَشْهُرِ المَاضِيَةِ، رَكَّزْنَا عَلَى تَطْوِيرِ المَهَارَاتِ الأَسَاسِيَّةِ: الاِسْتِمَاعِ، التَّحَدُّثِ، القِرَاءَةِ، وَالكِتَابَةِ، مِنْ خِلَالِ مَجْمُوعَةٍ مُتَنَوِّعَةٍ مِنَ الأنشطة تم تَعْزِيزُ مَهَارَةِ الاِسْتِمَاعِ عَبْرَ تَمَارِينِ تَفَاعُلِيَّةٍ تُسَاعِدُ الطُّلَّابَ عَلَى التَّفَاعُلِ مَعَ المُحْتَوَى المَسْمُوعِ بِفَعَّالِيَّةٍ، كَمَا حَرَصْنَا عَلَى تَقْوِيَةِ مَهَارَةِ التَّحَدُّثِ، حَيْثُ تُتَاحُ لِلطُّلَّابِ فُرَصٌ لِلمُشَارَكَةِ فِي مُنَاقَشَاتٍ وَتَمَارِينِ تُعَزِّزُ ثِقَتَهُمْ وَقُدْرَتَهُمْ عَلَى التَّعْبِيرِ عَنْ أَفْكَارِهِمْ وَآرَائِهِمْ بِوُضُوحٍ.
فِي مَجَالِ القِرَاءَةِ، نُشَجِّعُ الطُّلَّابَ عَلَى مُمَارَسَةِ القِرَاءَةِ اليَوْمِيَّةِ، مِمَّا يُسْهِمُ فِي تَحْسِينِ الفَهْمِ وَالاسْتِيعَابِ. أَمَّا الكِتَابَةُ، فَنَعْمَلُ عَلَى تَطْوِيرِهَا بِطَرِيقَةٍ تَدْرِيجِيَّةٍ؛ نَبْدَأُ بِتَعْلِيمِهِمْ أَسَاسِيَّاتِ الكِتَابَةِ الصَّحِيحَةِ ثُمَّ نَنْتَقِلُ إِلَى تَدْرِيبِهِمْ عَلَى كِتَابَةِ فَقَرَاتٍ تُعَبِّرُ عَنْ أَفْكَارِهِمْ بِوُضُوحٍ وَإِبْدَاعٍ، مَعَ اسْتِخْدَامِ أَنْشِطَةٍ مُحَفِّزَةٍ تَفْتَحُ أَمَامَهُمْ آفَاقَ الإِنتَاجِ الكِتَابِيِّ المُتَمَيِّزِ.

The Elementary Arts Department would like to invite you to bring out your inner artist and unleash your creativity! 😊 

This year we are having an Art and Music Festival event held on November 21st and November 22nd  for PreK to Grade 5. We will have stations that students will rotate through. Expect a day filled with drumming, dancing, painting, creating, art viewing and lots of fun!  

The event will be held outside at the tennis courts and some on the field. We request that families send students in PE kit/house shirts, hats and with water bottles. More information on the event will be sent out soon! Attached is the poster and flyer that will be sent to families. 

Thank you for all of your support! We look forward to a wonderful event!

We are excited to announce the upcoming tryouts for our competitive elementary school swim teams from Gr.1 to Gr.5. This opportunity is open to swimmers who are eager to embrace the world of competitive swimming, improve their skills, and represent our school in swim meets against other schools in Abu Dhabi.

The tryouts will be during the week of 18th - 22nd of November after school from 3:05-4:15 pm. 

Please note that this is a competitive swim team tryout and not a learn-to-swim program. Participants are expected to meet specific skill and endurance requirements. Swimmers will be evaluated based on their age, skill level, and endurance. The coaches will make selections at their discretion if there are more candidates than available spaces.

Here are the entrance expectations for each age group:

Grades 1 & 2;

• Child's Age: As of September 1, 2024 (Under 8).

• Skill Requirements: Two Competitive Strokes - Freestyle, Backstroke, or Breaststroke.

• Endurance Requirements: Complete four laps (100 meters) continuously swim.

• Start/Dive: Not required

Grades 3 & 4;

• Child's Age: As of September 1, 2024 (Under 10).

• Skill Requirements: Three Competitive Strokes- Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, or Butterfly.

• Endurance Requirements: Swim 300 meters continuously

• Start/Dive: Required

Grades 4 & 5; 

• Child's Age: As of September 1, 2024 (Under 12).

• Skill Requirements: Four Competitive Strokes - Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly.

• Endurance Requirements: Swim 400 meters continuously

• Start/Dive: Required

• Tumble Turns: Required

Swimmers in the Under 12 age group will be timed on 50 meters for Freestyle and Backstroke, and 25 meters for the other required strokes.

We encourage all students who meet the age and skill requirements to participate in the tryouts. This is a fantastic opportunity to challenge yourself. Please come prepared for the tryouts with swim attire, goggles, and a positive attitude. 

Parents, your support in helping your child prepare for the tryouts is greatly appreciated. If you think your child can meet the requirements, please use this LINK to sign-up for the tryouts.

Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. We look forward to seeing your child at the tryouts and to potentially welcoming them to our Junior Swim Teams!

Let's make a splash together and embrace the exciting world of competitive swimming!

GAA Aquatics Director, Ms.Iliana Jaltova

It is that time of year again, no not the cooler weather (yet!!), but GAA’s Dubai Fitness Challenge!

30 minutes of exercise for 30 days with our very own LIVE workouts.

The dates for our LIVE workouts are:

•   Friday 15th November

•  Tuesday 19th November

•  Wednesday 27th November

Like last year, the live session will take place out on the field from 8.00-8.30am on a different day each week, with 30-minute workouts. 

• November 11-15 - Book Fair

• November 11-15 - Kindness Week

• November 13 - Kindness Dance and Dress Down Day

• November 15 - Dubai Fitness Challenge

• November 16 - Fall Festival

• November 19 - Dubai Fitness Challenge

• November 21-22 - Elementary Art Festival

• November 28-29 - UAE National Day Celebration