Dear GIS Parents,

As we come to the end of the week, I wanted to share a brief community update and invite you to join us for our Parent Engagement Session on Tuesday 3 February, where we will be able to explore in greater depth the developments taking place across the school and the direction we are shaping together.

Since the start of the academic year, our focus at GIS has been on strengthening consistency, clarity and coherence across the student experience. This has included the careful implementation of Teach Like a GEM to support greater alignment in classroom practice, the introduction of more structured approaches to reading to strengthen early and developing literacy, and a school-wide reset around behaviour expectations to ensure a calm, respectful and purposeful learning environment for all students.

Alongside this, we have been developing clearer leadership structures, strengthening safeguarding and wellbeing systems, and creating more consistent approaches to professional learning and collaboration. These developments are not isolated actions; they are part of a deliberate effort to ensure that what students experience day-to-day is predictable, supportive and rooted in high expectations.

As we look ahead, a key priority for us as a community is establishing a clear and shared Vision for Learning. Research and best practice from schools internationally show that the most effective schools are those where there is a common understanding of what great learning looks like, how it is experienced by students, and how it is supported both in school and at home. A strong Vision for Learning is not a slogan or a statement on a wall; it is a shared set of beliefs that guides classroom practice, relationships, routines, curriculum choices and expectations for all learners.

Crucially, such a vision cannot be created or sustained by schools alone. It requires genuine partnership with parents, alignment between home and school, and shared clarity about the knowledge, skills, dispositions and values we want our young people to develop. When parents and educators work together around a shared vision, students benefit from greater consistency, confidence and purpose in their learning, and the school community becomes stronger and more cohesive.

Our Parent Engagement Session on 3 February will provide an opportunity to:

• Share more detail about the developments so far

• Outline what is coming next and why - including the launch of our exciting new International Experience program

• Begin a collective conversation about what our shared Vision for Learning at GIS should be

• Explore how parents can be actively involved as partners in shaping and sustaining this vision

If you have not yet registered, we warmly encourage you to do so. This session is designed to be open, collaborative and forward-looking, and your perspectives are a vital part of shaping the future of our school.

Thank you for your continued trust and engagement. We look forward to continuing to work closely with you as we continue this journey together.

Kind regards,

Nevita Pandya

An update from the  Primary and Secondary Principals

Dear GIS Community,

This week, we are pleased to share a combined newsletter from both the Primary and Secondary teams. Our goal is to provide you with an overview of what is happening across the whole school.

Update from the Primary School 

Home Languages in the Primary classes

As an international school, we deeply value the rich languages and cultures within our community. A child’s home language is a powerful part of their identity and plays an important role in their learning, confidence, and sense of belonging. When children hear stories in their home language, they feel proud of who they are. At the same time, listening to stories in different languages helps all students develop open-mindedness, curiosity, and respect for others - key values of the IB PYP. Through these shared experiences, we nurture internationally minded learners who celebrate diversity.

With this in mind, we are delighted to nurture this together with you and invite you to volunteer on a Friday morning from 7:50 am until 8:10 am . Please fill this form so our Librarian Ms Louise MacLeod can organise the session. She will contact you to confirm. 

Finally and if you do not have a book appropriate for this young age, please contact our Librarian l.macleod_gis@gemsedu.com she will be able to help you.

Week Without Walls

Our team has been working so hard to prepare for the week of February 9 to 11. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Rupali who is organising the week. 

All students who are not registered for a Week Without Walls (WWW) experience are expected to attend school as normal during this period. We are currently finalising the on-site programme for these students, and details will be shared with families asap.

Maths Challenges

Over a six-week period in Term 1, a group of students took part in the ChallengeME Maths Championship 2025–26 alongside more than 40,000 students from across the Middle East. The challenges were completed under strict exam conditions, with minimal guidance, encouraging independent problem-solving and critical thinking.

GIS is extremely proud of these students for their commitment, as they dedicated time after school and, at times, during their lunch breaks to complete the weekly challenges. We congratulate all participants on their effort, perseverance, and hard work.

Well done to Sarp 5H, Hon  5H, Varvara 5G and Ryan 4A who did extremely well. Congratulations to the four students who will join the semi-finals in February:  Shaurya 5C, Jiin 4F, Urvi 5G, Omar 4E.

Update from the Secondary  School

Today marks the final day of our Grade 12 mock examination session. We would like to thank our students for the commitment, focus and resilience they have shown over the past two weeks, and our teachers for the care, expertise and support they have provided throughout this important process. We also extend our sincere thanks to our parents for the encouragement and stability you continue to provide at home.

Mock exams are not an end point. They are a powerful learning opportunity. They allow students to refine their exam strategy, deepen their understanding of how to communicate their knowledge under pressure, and identify exactly where they need to focus next.

What matters most now is what happens next. Success should build confidence but not complacency. Mistakes should be seen as feedback, not failure. The strongest outcomes come from reflection, adjustment and sustained effort.

With the final examinations ahead, this is the moment where habits, discipline and mindset truly matter. We are incredibly proud of the way our students have approached this milestone and look forward to supporting them as they take the next steps towards their final goals.

We would also like to congratulate our MYP eAssessment pioneers for the outstanding way they approached their practice assessments this week. They demonstrated a calm, mature and diligent attitude throughout, and represented the school with real professionalism.

These practice assessments are an important part of our preparation journey. Students will have a further opportunity before the final examinations, and as shared at the beginning of this process, we will be carefully reviewing the progress they make to ensure that this remains a meaningful, supportive and beneficial experience for all students that decide to sit for the final eAssessments in May.

We are proud of the way this cohort has embraced the challenge and set the standard for those who will follow.

All students who are not registered for a Week Without Walls (WWW) experience are expected to attend school as normal during this period (February 9-13th). We are currently finalising the on-site programme for these students, and full details will be shared with families by Friday 6th February.

For students in Grades 9 to 11, there is an additional opportunity to engage in an internship between Monday 9th February and Friday 13th February. Please note that any internships must be organised independently by families and are not coordinated by the school.

If a student secures an internship, approval for leave from school must be obtained in advance. This is done by completing and returning the Internship Form, which is available from the relevant Grade Level Leader:

• Grade 9: Mr. Raheem

• Grade 10: Mr. David

• Grade 11: Ms. Emer

Only students who have submitted a completed Internship Form and received approval will be permitted to be absent from school for this purpose.

Thank you for your continued support. Should you have any questions, please contact your child’s Grade Level Leader.

As Aaron shared in the Secondary newsletter on January 9th, we have continued our behaviour reset across the school with a renewed focus on students wearing the correct uniform, arriving on time to lessons, and transitioning calmly and purposefully between classes.

We are pleased with the progress so many of our students have already made. There has been a clear shift in attitudes and habits across the school. At the same time, we collectively have more to do to ensure that these expectations are fully embraced and consistently embedded in every student, every day.

We want to be very clear that this approach is not about conformity for its own sake, nor is it a boot camp model of schooling. Rather, it is about helping students develop strong professional habits that will serve them well beyond school. School is, in many ways, a dress rehearsal for adult life. Being punctual, prepared and appropriately presented are foundational expectations in universities, workplaces and professional environments.

When these expectations are consistent and calmly enforced, students benefit from clearer boundaries, improved focus and a stronger sense of shared responsibility. Our goal is to support students in building self-discipline and personal accountability, not simply compliance. We appreciate your continued partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home and supporting students as they develop these important life skills.

Save the Date: Our GISPA community is organizing a special event on Saturday, January 31 – World Cultures Day from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. Many parents have volunteered to share their cultures, making this a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the richness and diversity of our community.

Save the Date for Grade 5 parents : The Secondary School would like to invite you to a transition session on February 5th at 8:30 a.m. Further details will be shared soon.

Parent Engagement Session, taking place on Tuesday 3 February at 8:30am, held in the Senior Hub. 

We look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming World Cultures Day on January 31st and as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns as we are here to help.

Warm regards,

Mirna Hafez-Farah and Aaron Kane

Primary and Secondary School Principal.

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.

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. 

GIS Community Calendar 25/6

If you would like to subscribe to the the GIS Community Calendar, please click HERE for the link.  

This calendar will be continually updated to reflect key dates and events.