Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the academic year in just a few short weeks. We have been blessed with being able to resume to near normal and recently celebrated the senior prom and the graduation ceremony for our 256 seniors at the coca-cola arena.

In these last few weeks of instruction for our students in grade 9-11 we have developed a schedule to wrap up our school year and transition smoothly to the next.  This not only  includes final examinations but also time for deep reflection on students' learning and development over the past year. 

As an IBDP school, our mission is to support you to be a reflective, open-minded communicator.  

We decided to mirror the best practice from IB in the ‘Viva Voce’ which is a reflective discussion in which students think back on their experience of writing the extended essay in their senior year. They are pushed to voice what they learned about themself and what they would do differently, if given the opportunity.

We took this practice and extended this down to our grade 9, 10 and select grade 11 students. We set students up in pairs and ask them to reflect on their school experience this year, what they learned about themselves and how they could bring this learning into the following year.  A lovely example from last year, from a remote student is as follows: 

Q.1 What was the most valuable experience that you took away from the process? 

The most valuable thing I took away from e-learning was finding that love and care can be shown in so many different mediums. It isn’t just a compliment, encouragement, or a pat on the back- it’s the little things. The small gestures, mannerisms, a smile, a reaction; I quickly realized how much that could mean. I was extremely insecure knowing I would do my first year of high school online, and was soon thrown into Group Theatre, a class that manifested all of my worries about connecting with people on the other side of the screen. I vividly remember one of the first groups I was put into. They each had a chair and placed them in a circle, discussing ideas for the play we were to create. One of them joined zoom, and when we went into a breakout room, I found that they had placed me (their laptop) on its own chair, and it was as if I was sitting and talking with them in person. I remember being so touched by it that I almost got emotional. Such a small thing made such a tremendous difference. Ever since then I’ve always paid attention to the little things. A “Good morning”, a “thank you”, a “goodbye”, a smile and nod; being online made me grasp how much that could mean- and it’s helped me be better to those around me. For that I am grateful.

This week in CREW, we will introduce the Viva Voce to our students and select their partners for discussion. 

We wish you a restful weekend ahead.

With Gratitude,

Tammy Jochinke

High School Principal

Kenya - Tsavo

During HSC week I got to go to Kenya and learn building skills and painting, I also got to deworm goats and feed them medicine and made bead bracelets hosted by a women's group supporting local communities. The trip was amazing and I loved how I got to meet more people and helped out the community there. 

-Tara Henderson, Grade 10

UK University Trip

During the trip to London we learned about universities around the UK, but also how to be independent. Exploring London was awesome and gave us a sense of independence and excitement that is difficult to come by in Dubai. This trip was made even better by Miss GillGooool and Mr W, who were always super fun and super trusting of us.

-Cyrus Takesh, Grade 10

Kenya - Muhaka

I'm very thankful I got the chance to experience the culture in Kenya. Everyone we met there was so kind and welcoming to us, which really made the experience special. It was incredibly fulfilling to work alongside the children of the community in service and conservation acts that would directly benefit the people living there. To know that we made a positive impact on someone's life and to see how grateful they were for it was so heartwarming. 

-Zeina Khedr, Grade 9

This trip taught me a lot of life lessons indirectly and I enjoyed it so much. I would do it all over again. It made me way more grateful and made me realize that the happiest people are the ones who have nothing to lose.

-Katherine Hanna, Grade 9

It was such a pleasure to celebrate with you at our recent graduation ceremony at the Coca-Cola Arena. Being able to share this with so many of your family and friends made it even more special. We loved experiencing the amazing student performances, inspiring speeches and the recognition of all of our graduates and their accomplishments. Pictures from Stu Williams will be shared soon. To watch the video of the ceremony, please click here.

The Final Transcript will be prepared via the directives the student has provided in the Senior Exit Survey for the university the student identified they will be attending. If UniFrog was indicated, the counselor will submit the Final Transcript via UniFrog. If direct email was indicated, the counselor will submit the Final Transcript via the email address the student provided. If Parchment was indicated, the student must place the order directly with Parchment. If a hard copy was indicated, the Counselor will prepare a printed and sealed copy and email the student with the date/time it will be ready for pick up. Please note that Senior Clearance must be completed in order for Counselors to submit/prepare the Final Transcript. 

Release of IB results

• The IB results will be issued on July 6, 2022 (12:15 GMT). 

• Here is a link to the website where results will be released.

• The student’s personal code and PIN will allow them to view their results online. This information is currently on Managebac. (Please make sure that this information is kept in a safe place for any future requests made to the IB).

• HARD COPIES of the IB transcripts and/or diplomas usually arrive by the end of September. If you have requested legalization, this can take up to a month longer. The IB and DAA have no control over this as certificates are sent directly to the embassies concerned. 

• You may collect transcripts and/or diplomas in person, designate another person to collect them for you or pay for a waybill and have them sent to you by courier.

IMPORTANT - Requesting a remark (EUR)

If you wish to request a remark as you are concerned the grade is lower than expected you can request an “Enquiry upon Results.” 

• Once results are issued, students may have one or more of course results remarked.

• If a course is remarked but the grade is lower than the original one issued, the grade will be changed to reflect the lower grade. 

• The deadline to make this request is September 10, 2021. The fee to have an IA remarked is Euro €88 - per subject. (387 AED) 

• Click here for how to request a EUR (Remark).

• I will be available to support students by email from the 6th to the 20th of July. After the 20th of July please contact Mr. Doubleday: j.doubleday_daa@gemsedu.com 

If your IB Results are lower than expected resulting in you being at-risk of your university admission offer being rescinded, please review THIS LETTER with resources available to you.

Your Managebac account will be deactivated on the 1st of September 2022, so please make sure you keep your IB personal code and PIN for any future use. 

Students will receive an email to their College Board accounts between the end of July and early August with instructions on how to access their results. It is the students responsibility to send off these results to their universities, and typically this can be done face-to-face once a student is already registered and on campus at the student affairs office. For more information and for any queries on score reports, students should speak directly to College Board. 

The Pre-University Program for the Class of 2022 is running from Monday, June 6th, 2022 and finishes June 30th, 2022. The Pre-University Program offers you the chance to attend DAA teacher-led live webinars, take part in a student-led Cultural Exchange Language Program, engage in online courses, and get guidance about living on campus.

For all the parents, there are also resources for you on the changes you will experience as your child takes this next life step.

Please take some time to check out the home of the Pre-University Program here.

Please note that the DAA google suite (email, Drive etc) will be disabled on the 1st of September 2022. This gives you three months to go through your emails and google drive and download any documents or information that you may wish to keep as you move onto post-secondary education or employment. 

As we look towards the end of the year we wanted to share with you the end of year exam schedule. These exams are an important opportunity for students to showcase their learning and progress against the standards under exam conditions. Teachers will be communicating with the students about the content of the exams. 

The week after exams are completed students will have an opportunity to review the exams as well as complete some enrichment activities and explore the next year's course work for grades 9 and 10 and grade 11 will complete the IB mid-course review.

Please note:

• The schedule has been developed so that students should not have more than two exams in any one day.

• If you have a conflict with two exams scheduled at the same time or more than two exams scheduled for the same day please complete this Conflict Form and one of the exams will be rescheduled to the make up exam day

• During the exams normal classes will not occur, students only attend school for their exams. 

• If a student has two exams in one day they can not leave campus between the exams.

• If students are absent for exams they will require a DHA doctor's certificate explaining the absence

• Students are able to dress down during exams.

• Slices will be open for students to purchase food.

Dear Leopards,

Just a few weeks to go! Since we are approaching the end of the school year, we are now recruiting your ideas and skills for the TEDxYouth@DAA 2023 Event. 

Why become a speaker? First of all, the TEDxYouth@DAA platform is an excellent opportunity for you to advocate for a cause you care about and speak about your idea worth sharing! Giving a TEDx speech also builds writing, communication, and public speaking skills. Not to mention the possibility of going ‘viral’ through official TEDx channels, where some of our past speeches received over a hundred thousand views. 

You can also become a team member by applying for the Speaker Team, Media Team, or Logistics Team. Please visit this document for job details. If you are confident in any of the fields, please consider applying for the TEDxYouth@DAA Team!

This year our theme will be ‘Inertia’. Many of you may have encountered this concept in physics, however, don’t be limited by the scientific definition. Essentially, the theme will be focusing on a tendency to remain unchanged. If you have an idea worth sharing, or you wish to work on the organizing team, please fill in this form by July 1st. 

We hope to work with you next year