Absence and Tardy Communication

Dear GAA Secondary Students and Parents/Guardians, 

We have all sat in a movie theater and experienced a group of people coming in late and how disturbing that is to our movie watching experience. Tardiness at school has a similar impact in a classroom, an environment we are doing our best to protect for your child’s learning.

You may have experienced an uptick in emails from GAA recently, if so, it may be due to the fact that each tardy/late to class is now triggering an email home. Our aim here is to not bombard your inbox, but rather partner with you, to encourage and assist your child to be ready to learn before the bell rings.

I would like to share our Attendance and Tardy Policy and Procedures below and I thank you for your partnership as it relates to attendance at school.

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURE

The school day for all grades commences at 7:45 a.m., dismissal time is 3:00 p.m. School doors open to students at 7:30 a.m. Students are welcome to wait in the Cafeteria until 7:30 a.m. Students are required to attend school everyday and be mindful of when doctor appointments and early dismissals are requested. Parents/guardians should communicate all early dismissal requests to the Secondary Secretary. The hours for after school activities vary.  Most activities start at 3:00 p.m. and finish at 4:00 p.m. Some activities conducted off-campus may finish later than this. The school cannot supervise students before 7:30 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m.  We request that students are under parental supervision while on school premises before and after these times.

Good attendance is essential for success at GAA. Therefore, parents are urged to schedule medical, dental and other appointments after school hours or during vacations and align family celebrations to school holidays wherever possible.

Definitions concerning Attendance (directly from ADEK):

Attendance - refers to the total number of school days attended by the student during the school year based on the ADEK approved GAA calendar.

Absence - absence refers to the days when students fail to attend

• Authorized absence - a student is allowed up to 10 authorized absences a year. The following types of absences may be regarded as authorized when confirmed by a signed letter from Parents/Guardians or by way of official documents: 

  • Illness.

  • Scheduled doctor appointments.

  • Official community task.

  • Mandatory appearance before an official body.

  • Essential urgent family travel for matters such as medical treatment or the death of a family member.

• Unauthorized absence - The following types of absences are to be regarded as unauthorized:

  • Unnecessary travel.

  • Other types of absences not included in the authorized absences list. 

Truancy - is an unauthorized absence without Parents’/Guardians’ knowledge or consent, or if Parents/Guardians have colluded with the student so that the student is absent without authorization. 

Dismissal - Students are expected to leave campus within 15 minutes of dismissal time unless they have an Extracurricular activity. Once students leave campus, they may not return unless they have a note or phone call from parents/guardians to the school or are accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Tardy - a student is considered tardy if they are not in their assigned seat, ready to learn by the time the bell goes for the start of the period.

10% Absence Rate - Absence rates above 10% should be regarded as a cause for concern and will be logged as a child safeguarding issue with GEMS.

Attendance Procedure

All teachers will report attendance during the first 5 minutes of class each period as well as keep an accurate record for each class. 

Parental Responsibility 

If your child will be absent it is the parents responsibility to inform the school with the reason for the child’s absence. Parents are asked to contact the attendance secretary by email no later than 7:30 a.m. In the case of a prolonged absence due to a medical issue, a medical certificate is required after 3 days of absence.

Parents must apply for Authorized Absence from school prior to the dates of the absence. If granted, the secretary will mark attendance data accordingly. It may be the case that after the 10 days of authorized absence, the school may decide that the remainder or any additional absence is not authorized and the student will be marked accordingly for those continued days of absence. Extended leave is reviewed on a case by case basis.

Tardy Behavior Management 

• First period of the day

If a student arrives late to school, they are required to go directly to the Secondary Office immediately after arriving on campus in order to get checked in to be recorded as late and present.

• In School tardies

School staff will record every time a student is late to school. During the day, teachers will record tardies in PowerSchool. Consequences for tardiness will escalate with repeated infractions. 

Attendance Management

Based on the 10% ADEK guidelines, a student who has been absent for 18 days of school in a given academic year will be a cause for concern. The student and family will be logged as a child safeguarding issue with GEMS. 

GAA will communicate concerns on the following timetable. It is our expectation that parents/guardians will partner with us to ensure their student commits to the school calendar and attends school throughout the academic year.

Truancy Management

If a student is 20 minutes late to class or more but has been previously recorded as present at school, GAA will regard the student as having been truant. 

If a student is truant for a portion (>20 minutes of a class) or the entire class, his/her parents will be informed by the teacher. The student will meet with the Dean of Students, who will take appropriate action, in line with our behavior policy (Level 2 infraction).

As we have started to get settled, we are noticing that the uniform is not being followed as per the Student Handbook (see page 18) Please note that students are not allowed to wear their Middle School sweatshirt unless it is Friday. We are also seeing a problem with the length of the girls’ skirts/skorts. Please see the requirements below. On Monday, the teachers will begin to log any uniform violations as we are well into the school year.

Please respect UAE and GAA dress code:

• No tight clothes.

• No spaghetti strap shirt

• No exposed mid-riff.

• Skirts must be below the knees.

• No hoodies

• No offensive logos or expressions on clothing

• No skirts/ shorts above the knee.

The Secondary Administration may require a student to return home for the purpose of changing clothing. Our policy is: Wear clothing that is respectful to yourself and others.

Dear Families,

We had our first awards assemblies in Middle School this week. Our teachers recognized students for the month of September, and our students recognized a teacher. It was such a fun time and the kids loved being able to sit in the auditorium during their advisory time.

We have started our MAP testing and the students are working hard. Once we receive the results, we will email them to our families. I will post some useful information in the newsletter to go over how to read the MAP testing results. MAP testing is a great way to see where our kids are at, where they can grow and what their lexile scores are.

Reminders:

• Next week is still a Blue week- the first block on Monday is G.

• Mental Health Awareness day is on Tuesday. Students can wear green to celebrate this day.

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Williams  

MS Vice Principal

OFFICERS

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

Important Dates:

• October 9: US Universities Mini Fair

• October 11: Filling out UCAS Application Workshop 12:30-1:30

• October 13:  American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo 10:30-11:30

• October 23:  NYU Visit 10:00-11:00

• October 25: PSAT for Grade 10 (all students) and Grade 11 (American citizens)

• October 26:  UCAS Personal Statement Workshop at GAA, 12:30-1:30

On Monday, October 9th from 1:00-3:00, GAA will be hosting a mini fair for a group of US universities. The fair will be held in the MPR and you should report there directly after advisory.  The universities in attendance will be: 

• Savannah College of Arts and Design USA

• Bishop's University, Canada

• Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, UAE

• Bradford University, UK

• University of Miami (Florida) USA

• George Washington USA

• University of Rochester USA

On Friday, October 13th from 10:30-11:30, GAA will be hosting  American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo. If you are interested in attending, you must complete the form below by Monday, October 9th at 3:00 p.m.  The visit will be held in the MPR. Fall 2024 applications are now open. The Early Admissions deadline in order to secure a 50%scholarship is the very end of October.

• Programmes Offered

• Scholarships

• Apply Now

• Visit Sign Up Form

If you are interested in attending, you must complete this form by Monday, October 9th at 3:00 p.m.  If you are unable to open the form, you may find it on the  College and Career Google Classroom page.

October 25 - PSATs

In our recent English class activities, our Grade 9 students took on the roles of lawyers, showcasing their creativity and communication skills. They embarked on an exciting project where they wrote a compelling script and participated in a mock trial presentation. This engaging exercise honed their writing abilities and allowed them to practice persuasive speaking, argumentative writing, and critical thinking. The students truly embraced the spirit of the courtroom, making it an educational and enjoyable experience for all.

The GAA Journalism Class has some exciting news! We have just finished updating our latest issue of GAA Roars for 2023/2024. Please take some time today to visit GAA Roars and read the latest articles created by GAA students.    

We thank you for your time, and we hope you have a wonderful day! 

Sincerely, 

Ms. Hack (Journalism Teacher) and the Journalism students

The Buddy Networking System is a new system made by Ayan Bhutani, Grade 10 student. It is a system to make it easier to find buddies and help new students. Also, The BNS seeks to provide a welcoming and accepting community where new students may easily fit into GAA. The system aims to lessen the adjustment process for newcomers, empowering them to navigate school life with confidence and achieve a sense of belonging.

Take a moment to watch his explanatory videos from High School Assembly.

• October 9: Mini University Fair US Colleges

• October 10: Mental Health Awareness Day - WEAR GREEN!

• October 16-20: Mid-term Break, no school in session. Admin offices open 8:00am - 2:00pm

• October 25-26: Matilda Musical Auditions for Middle School

• October 27: Pizza and Popsicle Day by GAAPA and Booster Club - Dress Down Day theme for ELEMENTARY: Real Life Heroes!

• November 2: UAE Flag Day Celebration at school

• November 13-17: Official School Photoshoot for Grades 6-10

• November 18: Fall Festival