Greeting GAA Families,

The Secondary Division continues to settle into the 2019-2020 school year. This is our second full year of implementing standards-based learning and assessment and all of our classes are focused on meeting and surpassing our learning targets.

Back to School Night

Wednesday, we welcomed the GAA community to Back to School Night. During this time, teachers and staff introduced themselves and provided an overview of their courses for the year. Parents followed their students’ schedules and attempted to navigate the halls with the assistance of our student ambassadors.

Student Government

Next week, students in grades 9-11 will begin their campaigns to be student government representatives. This is an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills and get involved in the GAA community.

Powerschool Reminder

Have you checked your contact information in Powerschool lately? Please make sure your phone numbers and email are up to date so we can contact you if necessary.

Thank you for helping us get off to a great start to the school year!

Kind regards,

Erin Lumpkins

High School Vice Principal

Our preferred Apple provider, JTRS (Just The Right Solutions), has created an e-store from which you can purchase a number of Apple products below retail costs. JTRS Education is offering discounts on MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and iPads, as well as add-ons, cases and extended warranties.

Below, you will find a document on how to locate and sign-up for the e-store to see the discounted products and make a purchase. Once purchased, JTRS Education will be in communication with you about when they will be delivered to the school. Once they have been delivered to GAA, you may pick your devices up from the ICT office here at the school.

If you have any further questions, please contact JTRS directly at +971 4 338 0990 or info@jtrs.ae

It is expected students will attend class every school day. All teachers will report attendance each period as well as keep an accurate record for each class. 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 obtain a Student Late Pass. School clerical staff will record every time a student is late to school.

• ADEK Requirements:

For the purposes of this policy, absence refers to the days when students fail to attend school. A student who does not miss a single class throughout the year is said to have a 0% absence record or a 100% attendance record. Absence rates above 10% should be regarded as a cause for concern.

• Absences from school:

All absences from class, with the exception of field trips or school sponsored activities/sports, are considered as absences for the minimum attendance policy. In an effort to help our students maintain good attendance, the Secondary office staff will contact parents at four (4), seven (7) and ten (ten) absences, and Secondary Administration will contact parents after ten (10) absences to discuss the importance of attending school regularly. Every effort must be made by the student and the parents/guardian to ensure that students are in all their classes every day. Extraordinary situations will be reviewed and considered by the administration. After twenty (20) total absences a student a student may be considered a candidate for retention.

Excused absences include only school sponsored field trips. If a student is sick, he/she must contact their teacher to see what was assigned. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all work he/she has missed.

• Unexplained Absences (Truancy)

If a student skips a class, his/her parents will be informed, and the student will meet with the Vice-Principal, who will take appropriate action.

• Supervision Before and After School

Students are expected to leave the campus promptly upon completion of their scheduled classes and after school sponsored activities.

• September 26 - Half Day (school dismisses at 12pm); Student Government and GAA Booster Club present Dress Down Day (AED5 donation) and Pizza Day @12pm on Veranda
• October 6 - October 10 - Secondary Stu Williamson School Photo Session
• October 1 - Senior Night @ 5:30 pm
• October 8 - MS / HS Program at GAA Presentation @ 5:00 pm
• October 15 - IBDP/ College Night @ 6:00 pm

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GAA EVENTS CALENDAR

(please note, updated regularly)