Please bear in mind that this link will be regularly updated to reflect the most recent information, as received from ADEK (Abu Dhabi schools governing body).
Dear GAA Families,
It is a great privilege and honour to welcome you to GEMS American Academy for the 2022-2023 academic year. This pack is designed to provide you with all the information you require to gain a solid understanding of the policies and procedures in the division in which your child is learning.
The information provided in this Welcome Pack gives you the basis of a successful start at GAA.
If you have a question that is not covered here, our Parent Relations Executive (PRE), Divisional Secretaries, Reception and the Senior Leadership Team are all great next stops in helping to find answers.
Monthly newsletter GAAzette is also a great source of information, but please also connect with us on our Facebook Page, Instagram Page and Twitter to stay up to date.
Welcome Message from our Head of School,
MR. ROBERT RINALDO
Dear New Families,
Welcome and thank you for choosing GEMS American Academy!
At GAA our principles of teaching and learning emphasize a personalized learning environment, giving students more choice in their learning and making learning more purposeful. Each year we are seeing more student projects that address real world problems and scenarios, and create tangible useful products that are shared with their communities.
From these student successes and the success and quality of our academic programs we are strengthening the connection with our students, parents, and the community. We are sending a message that says, “GAA is a school of opportunity.”
In the business world, companies that succeed are ones that stay true to their core values over the years, and create a culture that employees and customers are proud to associate with. For GAA to continue to thrive and impact our world, as stated in our mission, we must all incorporate, uphold, defend, and live out a shared set of beliefs about what it means to be a member of GAA. A set of GAA beliefs that center on the importance of positive relationships, where Human Interaction is the most important role, characterized by trust and support. As a faculty and staff, we must model our expectations and demonstrate in everything we do, a strong conviction in the potential of young people.
I ask that every member of GAA to become active participants in our community - students, teachers, administration, and parents by living out these beliefs, and helping us define what it means to be student centered in instruction and in relationships.
As an educational leader my purpose is very clear: To help each student find their self-confidence and pathway. I look forward to meeting each of you in the year ahead.
Warm Regards,
Robert Rinaldo
Head of School
Need help finding your child's classroom or offices? Here are the floor maps:
SCHOOL TIMINGS AND CALENDAR
IMPORTANT:
Please inform your department secretaries if your child is expected to arrive later than the school start date.
Elementary Secretary: elemsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com
Secondary Secretary: secsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com
*Extended "stay & play" available for Pre-K students. Please contact Elementary Vice Principal Ms. Lauren Sargent at l.sargent_gaa@gemsedu.com
IMPORTANT DATES:
17-19 October: Half Term Break (no classes in session, ADMIN open from 08:00 am to 02:00pm)
9-11 November: Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
12-30 December: Winter Break
13-14 February: Half Term Break (no classes in session, ADMIN open from 08:00 am to 02:00pm)
1-3 March: Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
27 March - 7 April: Spring Break
26 June: Last day of School
Admin Offices Timings:
Monday - Thursday: 07:30AM - 04:30PM
Fridays: 07:00AM - 01:00PM
Offices will remain open during Summer, Winter and Spring Breaks (except on public holidays) from Monday to Thursday between 08:00-16:00 and Fridays 08:00-13:00.
Please refer to Procedures & Policies Section for more information if you wish to visit Admin Offices during school hours.
Please click on this link for School Calendar.
Calendar Color Coding is as follows:
Pink: school holidays
Red: public holidays
Dark Blue: school event days
Light Blue: Islamic holidays (can only be confirmed by the moon sighting and are subject to change)
Green: school start days
Yellow: Ramadan or staggered start
Please take time to familiarize yourselves with important procedures, set in place to ensure our students' safety and wellbeing:
PARENT WHATSAPP GROUPS
(initiated and moderated by volunteer parent ambassadors)
Our wonderful parent ambassadors have set up WhatsApp groups by grade level to help connect our families. You have received your child's grade level whatsapp group in your Welcome Pack Email. If you have not, please feel free to email pre_gaa@gemsedu.com
IMPORTANT!
Please take a moment to familiarize yourselves with group rules.
To know more about GAA Parent Association, please make sure to check out GAAPA page of this Welcome Pack.
IMPORTANT MEDICAL FORMS FOR GAA CLINIC
This is a friendly reminder that all families, especially our new families, need to return the following forms to our Clinic:
HAAD Screening Consent Form
Emergency Care Information
Health Information (Pages 1 and 2)
Medication Authorization
Should you have any questions, please contact our Nurses at nurse_gaa@gemsedu.com.
PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION - PHOTO PUBLICATION CONSENT - PARENT ID
Please complete this form by providing both parents' contact information and an alternative contact. Contact information (email and mobile number) is required in order to ensure that our communication reaches you. Also please complete the consent section of the form for photograph authorization. Where there is no respond, consent will be implied.
At GEMS American Academy, we issue parent ID cards to our parents only. No ID Cards are issued for guardians, domestic helpers, drivers or relatives.
The Parent ID includes photos of the parent. The Parent ID does not expire and is valid as long as the child attends GAA. You will be asked to return Parent IDs, should you withdraw from GAA.
New Parents, you may obtain your Parent photo identity card by emailing a photo (jpeg format) along with the parent’s first and last name to pre_gaa@gemsedu.com. Please also include your child/children’s full name and grade in the email as well. You will be notified when your ID cards are ready.
HOUSE ALLOCATION
At GAA, the school is divided into 4 house teams. The house system is designed to further foster community spirit as well as provide students with the opportunity for some friendly competition. Once families are assigned to a house at random then they will remain in that house for their duration of study at GAA – this helps to let students develop a sense of identity or belonging and learning that their achievements can have an impact on the school community. It is important to note that siblings are assigned to the same house as their siblings, so any new students who already have siblings in the school will be assigned to the same house.
The 4 houses at GAA were created to infuse different aspects of the UAE in them. They are all animals that can be found in the UAE and the colors are the 4 colors of the UAE flag. The teams are as follows:
Falcons (white)
Scorpions (black)
Vipers (green)
Foxes (red)
Within the school there are different interhouse competitions that take place. The potential for many interhouse competitions is endless, and each year new challenges are added. Here are some the competitions that have taken place:
Sports Days
Coin Wars
Reading Marathon
Student Leadership Challenges
Throughout every day, the students also have the opportunity to earn house points for their house. They do this by demonstrating that they are responsible members of the GAA community. In KG1 to Grade 5 they earn their points by exhibiting the 10 Learner Profile Attributes that are a core part of the PYP Framework that we follow. At the end of each semester, we reward the winning house with a fun prize for their hard work – this is based on the number of house points that they were able to earn collectively.
In order to allow the students the opportunity to show their house spirit, we allow them to buy and wear their house t-shirts at school. In elementary, the house shirts can be worn on PE days as well as every Friday. In secondary, the students are informed when they can wear the house shirts based on each department. You can purchase the house shirts by contacting Claire Davies who is the Elementary Innovation and Technology Coach and a member of the PBIS Team by emailing her at c.davies_gaa@gemsedu.com
IMPORTANT CONTACTS
GAA Landline: (+971) 02 2019555
Head of School
Robert Rinaldo, email: hos_gaa@gemsedu.com
ADMISSIONS
Registrar: registrar_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 515
Admission Secretary (GR6-GR12): c.dumo_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 603
Admission Secretary (KG-GR5): h.barriga_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 604
FINANCE
Email: finance_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 102
CLINIC
Email: nurse_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 688
Parent Relations Executive
Fatma Chabanova: pre_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 502
Government Relations Executive (ADEK related issues)
Shahd Hamdan: s.hamdan_gaa@gemsedu.com ext. 505
SLICES CATERING
Email: slicesgaa@gmail.com, ext. 566
BBT BUS TRANSPORTATION
Rameez Rasheed, email: rameez.rasheed@sts-group.com, ext. 608
GAAPA (GAA Parent Association)
email: gaa.parentsteam@gmail.com
IT
Email: support_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 666
ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
Email: athletic_gaa@gemsedu.com, ext. 627
Elementary Principal
Leia Kraeuter, email: esprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com
Elementary Vice Principal (Gr. KG-2)
Lauren Sargent, email: eslgvprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com
Elementary Vice Principal (Gr. 3-5)
Douglas Sherrill, email: esugvprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com
Elementary Secretary
Secondary Principal
Garth Wyncoll, email: ssprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com
Middle School Vice Principal
Alicia Bakey, email: msvprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com
High School Vice Principal (Grades 9-10)
Zahra Bhatty, email: hsvprincipal_gaa@gemsedu.com
High School Vice Principal (Grades 11-12)
Monica Martin, email: m.martin1_gaa@gemsedu.com
Secondary Secretary:
Email: secsecretary_gaa@gemsedu.com
Middle School Counsellor
Nora Eldrageely, email: n.eldrageely_gaa@gemsedu.com
High School Counsellors (by students' last names)
Catherine Sciolis (Ali-Alp, I-P), email: c.sciolis_gaa@gemsedu.com
Lia Noronha (Aaa-Alh, B-H), email: l.noronha_gaa@gemsedu.com
Pushpa Dasari (Alq-Azz, Q-Z), email:p.dasari_gaa@gemsedu.com
IBDP Coordinator:
John Thompson, email: j.thompson2_gaa@Gemsedu.com
For absence notification, please contact your child’s department secretary (Elementary or Secondary)