All students who traveled outside the UAE in the past 12 days must:

• Complete Travel Declaration Form (download form here) and submit to nurse_gaa@gemsedu.com

• Submit Day 1 and 6 PCR results to nurse_gaa@gemsedu.com

• Physical return allowed with Day 1 negative PCR result.

Dear Kindergarten families,

First and foremost, I hope that your family is safe and well. The moment your children have all been waiting for is upon us; The First Day of School! Our teachers, educational assistants, and support staff have been working diligently to ensure a safe return to school for 2021-2022 school year. I truly appreciate their effort to facilitate an engaging learning environment for our students; Thank you. For those of you returning, you will know me as Ms. Niamh (Neev) Callanan, Vice Principal of KG. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of our new families on tours and for those I have not yet met, I am excited to see you all for our KG staggered start on August 29th and 30th.

It has been an unprecedented time and we are committed to supporting you and your family through ‘the new normal’ of social distancing practices, wearing of masks and all other guidelines that may seem challenging for our younger students. I have included the below information to ensure the safe and effective drop off and pick up procedure for students. We will continue to keep you informed and updated through our communication platforms.

Kindergarten Kiss and Ride:

We understand that families wish to escort their KG students into school on the first few days. We encourage student independence and recommend families use our kiss and ride drop off in the morning. There will be staff in front of Gate 3 (The KG entrance) at the front of the school. These staff are there to assist your child from the car to the classroom and enables you to avoid parking, set down and drop off.

Parents entering the classroom in KG:

We understand that for some students, the first day of school can present lots of emotions and anxieties, which is expected. For safety reasons, we ask, that if parents wish to remain with their child, they do so in a designated area outside of the classroom. It is imperative that the classroom remains sanitized with approved adults only inside the classroom. A 96-hour valid negative PCR COVID-19 test and vaccination on the Al Hosn application for parents is required. Please have your test result ready to display on the AlHosn App or by SMS on your phones. Security will log the parent/guardian name and mobile number in the Security Logbook (regardless of the presence of Parent School ID).

Designated Entry Points:

Designated entry points will be fitted with thermal imaging cameras which will record temperatures so it is imperative that these entry points are used.

• Gate 1 (Front of School main entrance) - Grades 2 - 12.

• Gate 3 (Front of School KG entrance) - Kindergarten and Grade 1 only.(This entrance is recommended for KG students and is designated specifically for them)

• Gate 4 (Back of School) - Buses and Grades and Grades K-12.

• Gate 5 (Back of School) – Closed for entry.

Thank you for your continuous support during these challenging times and we look forward to welcoming you in the coming weeks.

Niamh Callanan

KG Vice Principal

n.callanan_gaa@gemsedu.com

Please view below video for a warm welcome from Mr. Mike Hopaluk, Elementary Principal

We understand that there is a shortage of uniform pieces and sizes currently at Threads Store. If you were unable to purchase uniform on time, here are the possible options:

• Contact GAA Parent Association, Ms. Maha Younes, at maha.j.younes@gmail.com, to enquire about availability of used uniform at your size

• If still not available, you may wear a plain button-down shirt and trousers/skirts in colors similar to GAA uniform (navy trousers/skirt and a light blue shirt).

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.

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.

Please note that the above non-uniform arrangement is temporary until proper uniform is purchased. We are in communication with Threads management and hope the stock will arrive soon.