Weekly Communication from our Leadership Team
Week Twenty One - February 13th, 2026
Weekly Communication from our Leadership Team
Nevita Pandya MBE
CEO/Principal
Mirna Hafez-Farah Primary School Principal
Aaron Kane Secondary School Principal
Dear GIS Parents,
A sincere thank you to all of our trip leaders across Primary and Secondary for the leadership demonstrated during our Week Without Walls experiences. These opportunities require thoughtful planning, careful coordination and deep commitment to our students. From managing logistics to guiding learning beyond the classroom, our staff created experiences that will remain with students long after the week has ended. We are deeply grateful for the professionalism, care and energy they bring to our community.
As we reflect on this year’s programme, we are proud to announce an important evolution in how experiential learning is designed at GIS.
Week Without Walls will now transition into:
The Beyond Programme - Signature Journeys. Milestones That Matter.
The Beyond Programme represents a defining pillar of our school’s future direction. It will no longer be a single event within the calendar, but a carefully curated progression of national and international experiences that grow in ambition, depth and purpose as students advance through the school. Each Signature Journey will be intentionally designed to align with students’ interests, talents and future pathways, with experiences taking place at optimal stages of development and, where possible, enriched through meaningful partnerships with industry, universities and partner schools.
Beyond is not simply about travel. It is about challenge and character. It is about perspective and purpose. It is about creating distinctive opportunities that cannot be easily replicated , experiences that expand horizons, inspire ambition and mark meaningful milestones in every student’s journey at GIS. We look forward to sharing further details as this programme develops.
Ramadan Timings
With regard to Ramadan timings, we are awaiting official confirmation, which is dependent on the sighting of the moon. Ramadan may therefore begin on Wednesday 18 February or Thursday 19 February. Once confirmation is received from the Ministry and KHDA, we will communicate immediately. During Ramadan, school hours will run from 8:30am to 1:30pm, with a break included. The start date of the timetable will be confirmed following the official announcement.
Save the Date: Primary School Learning Journey
2 April 2026 | 8:30am
We warmly invite you to join us for our Primary School Learning Journey. This session will provide insight into teaching and learning within the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), exploring curriculum standards and the philosophy that underpins our approach. Please save the date. We look forward to sharing how our students grow both academically and personally.
Third Language in Primary
From next academic year, students will study their chosen third language for the full academic year from Grade 4 onwards, ensuring greater continuity and depth. Sustained exposure and regular practice are essential to building confidence and fluency in language acquisition.
Grade 3 students will explore both language options before making an informed choice.
Grade 4 students will continue sessions in both French and Spanish this year to support their decision.
Grade 5 students transitioning to Grade 6 will confirm their chosen language for Middle School.
Please note that the previous survey deadline shared with Grade 3 and 4 families was set too early. Kindly disregard the original date; the survey will reopen later in April. We apologise for the confusion and thank you for your patience.
New Mathematics Initiative
We are pleased to introduce Times Tables Rock Stars for students in Grades 1–5, an engaging maths fluency platform designed to strengthen multiplication recall through short, regular practice. This complements our existing homework programme. Login details will be shared shortly, along with guidance for supporting learning at home. Once students are familiar with the platform, we will launch a friendly inter-grade competition to celebrate progress and improvement.
As our Grade 12 students approach the final stage of their IB journey, we are pleased to announce online Masterclass Exam Readiness Sessions during Spring Break. These subject-specific workshops will focus on refining exam technique, addressing gaps identified in mock examinations, and building confidence ahead of final assessments. Further details will be shared directly with students shortly.
Following the University Pathways and Guidance Session, our Grade 10 students and families will be invited to attend the Class of 2028 Subject Fair. Hosted in the amphitheatre, this event will provide valuable insight into course expectations and pathways as students transition into Grade 11. We encourage all Grade 10 families to attend and engage in this important stage of planning for the IB journey.
Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and engagement in the life of our school.
Kind regards,
Nevita Pandya
CEO/Principal
(on behalf of the GIS Leadership Team)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Greetings from the GIS School Clinic.
Dr. Nicolas & AP Clinic, in collaboration with Dubai Health Authority will be conducting an oral health awareness program for students through dental education and a dental screening on 23rd and 24th February during school hours on the school campus.
The screening will be conducted only for students whose parents have already provided consent through the DHA medical form.
The dental screening program will be carried out for specific grades (KG1, Grade 1, Grade 4, Grade 7, and Grade 10). The screenings will take place at the school for both primary and secondary students on the same days.
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in maintaining the health and wellbeing of our students.
Best regards,
GIS School Clinic
GIS Jaguar Squad Communication
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Official Jaguars WhatsApp Community. This will serve as a broadcast-only channel where coaches can share quick updates about fixtures, cancellations, logistics, and key dates.
Attached, you will find a QR code to join the Jaguars Community. Once you have joined, please also select and join the squad(s) your son or daughter is currently part of. This will allow your child’s coach to share relevant updates directly with you.
Please note that this number is used for broadcast messages only and will not support two-way conversations. Scan the QR code or follow this link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HBITTrjtqv5ITdKtNHvped?mode=wwt
Photo Consent Preferences
Reminder: Please update your child's 'Photo Consent Preferences' via the GEMS Connect app, to ensure your child has permission to be featured in school marketing photos and videos.
To update your preferences, please follow the steps below:
Open GEMS Connect app
Click on Student Information icon
Click on General Consent (the consent tab is the very last option and will require you to scroll across)
Select Photographs and videos
Select your preference for your child
We require all parents to have manually ticked either 'yes' or 'no' for their child's photo consent.
WhatsApp Channels
Primary and Secondary WhatsApp Channels for our GIS community. These Channels will run on WhatsApp, meaning you will be able to manage your own notification settings and access the updates easily.
It is important to note that only our Parent Relations Executive, Helen Gornall, will be able to post messages to
these Channels and this will only be to share announcements/updates applicable. We encourage you to check
the relevant Channels regularly to remain informed about the latest developments.
We are introducing new trousers and joggers, which will be available through Threads from next academic year. In the meantime, students may wear plain navy blue trousers as part of the core uniform and plain navy blue joggers for the PE uniform if they wish.
GIS house color t-shirts and swim wear will be available to purchase from threads.
For any queries on Slices, please call or WhatsApp Andrea from Slices on 050 504 5908
Kind reminder to ensure students accounts have enough credit loaded so they do not face issues purchasing food.