Embedded Files
Week Twenty One - February 23rd, 2024
Kim Conlin
Head of Primary
Dear GIS Primary Families,
It has been a fantastic week at GIS, with activities and meaningful engagements. First and foremost, we are impressed with our student leaders for their exceptional efforts in making Spirit Week a success. Their enthusiasm and dedication truly exemplify the spirit of our school community. Please see the new "Student Life"section of the newsletter for highlights of student initiated action.
This evening, we look forward to welcoming our community to celebrate world cultures with the evening community event as part of our International Day. I commend the hard work of GISPA in organizing this celebration. It is truly a testament to our vibrant and diverse community. I look forward to sharing highlights from the event in the upcoming week.
Monday, we celebrate Hag Al Laila together with our Emirati community before school in front reception, where sweets will be served. The annual event is usually celebrated on the night of Shaaban 15 of the Islamic calendar - the month before Ramadan. It can also be celebrated early.
Looking further ahead a few weeks, we will be celebrating Literacy Week. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, March 7th, as we will be hosting a fun dress-up day! On this day, students are encouraged to come dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland and join us for a delightful primary school Mad Hatter's tea party.
On a related note, I'd like to remind you that the holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin soon, pending confirmation by the moon sighting committee in March. As per KHDA regulations, schools in Dubai will observe modified timings during Ramadan. You can find the school timings for Ramadan below. We will communicate modified schedules promptly upon receiving a confirmed start date.
Thank you once again for your ongoing support and cooperation. Together, we continue to create an enriching and inclusive learning environment for our students.
See you all this evening at our International event on campus from 5pm. Bring your friends, everyone is welcome!
Newsletter at a Glance
Newsletter at a Glance
In this edition you will find:
Announcements / Reminders / Upcoming dates
Peek Into Learning
PYP curriculum resources
Absence Procedure
Whole School Calendar
Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Dates
Feb 27 - Hag Al Laila
Mar 4-8: GIS Lit Fest
March 7th - Primary School Dress Up - Alice and Wonderland Theme
March 6th - ConnectEd - Grade 5-6 Transition
March 8th - Welcome Ramadan Morning Celebration
March 9th - Projected Beginning of Ramadan
March 19th - GIS Community Iftar!
Announcements and Reminders:
Announcements and Reminders:
Primary Lit Fest
Primary Lit Fest
The Primary Lit.-Fest 2024 will be 4th-8th March. There will be a whole Primary School Alice in Wonderland read-aloud in each class, culminating on World Book Day, Thursday, 7 March, with a fun Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with everyone dressed a little crazy!
Student Life
Student Life
We're thrilled to announce an exciting addition to our newsletter: a new column featuring insights from our students in the Gems International School (GIS). Authored by the students themselves, this column will spotlight their leadership initiatives aimed at fostering global citizenship, international mindedness, and intercultural competencies within our school community. These self-initiated activities exemplify the spirit of student agency, showcasing how our students actively engage in shaping a diverse and inclusive environment. Stay tuned to learn more about the impactful contributions our students are making to our shared journey towards global understanding and cooperation.
Friendship Day - 22 Feb
Friendship Day - 22 Feb
In GIS we believe it's important to celebrate friendship, because friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. So how we celebrate friendship day is that we dress the same with some friends in the idea that we look like twins. This year the student council team decided to make friendship bracelets and sell them to the students in hopes to raise money to Dar Al Ber’s children's cancer hospital. Friendship day was a huge success.
(Abigail 5B)
SAVE THE DATES for our future Connect Eds
The purpose of the Connect Eds is to support our parent community with information related to social, emotional, and academics for their children.
We have a plethora of knowledge and expertise in our Primary School Team, and they will provide practical information and strategies.
The parent community is an integral part of GIS, and we feel it is essential to make them part of our learning community.
We hope to see many of you at the Connect Eds, and closer to the time, we will send you more information on the ConnectEds in our Newsletter for times, locations and the facilitators.
Peek into Learning: Ambitious
Peek into Learning: Ambitious
Over the past few weeks, we've introduced four of our GIS Learning Principles: purposeful, engaging, connected, and innovative. This week, we're excited to shine a light on our fifth principle: ambitious. It's all about making sure every student's journey through education is as rich and full of meaning as possible. Our goal is to help students aim high in their learning, recognizing that each of them faces unique challenges and holds unique potential.
From the start, we integrate ambitious learning into inquiry-based activities for our youngest learners, sparking curiosity and encouraging them to engage deeply with their environment. Through hands-on exploration and purposeful play, we aim to nurture a sense of wonder and encourage a quest for understanding. As students progress to upper primary, ambitious learning adapts to include structured challenges, maintaining a focus on personal growth journeys. Teachers promote resilience and a growth mindset, viewing mistakes as learning opportunities.
In specialist classes, the approach allows students to apply their knowledge in focused areas. GIS is committed to creating a supportive environment that encourages students to explore, challenge themselves, and push beyond their perceived learning boundaries.
Keep up to date with what is happening in your child's class!
Keep up to date with what is happening in your child's class!
Parents have all received a notification to sign up for the Toddle platform. This is an exciting enhancement to our parent communication, and this year you will receive weekly updates through the Toddle platform.
This IB affiliated platform will offer opportunities for parents to remain up to date with their child's academic progress.
The below class pages will host resources for parents and will no longer have weekly messages. All information will be sent through Toddle, so please inform your class teacher if you have any trouble registering.
Please remember that weekly updates will come to you through Toddle.
Please remember that weekly updates will come to you through Toddle.
Information for new/starting families
Information for new/starting families
Drop off and Pick up
Drop off and Pick up
Drop Off (7:50-8:10): Parents PK-G1 drop in classroom
Drop Off: (7:50-8:10) Grade 2-5 through gate 8 or gate 4
Late: any student arriving after the national anthem must get a late slip at front reception/gate 4.
----------------------------------------------------
Pick up (3:05 or 11:30 on Friday): PK-G1 pick up from classroom
Pick up (3:15 or 11:40 on Friday) Pick up through gate 8 or 4
*due to crowding at gate 4, we have allocated a safe space near the pirate ship for PYP students to wait for parents. During adverse weather or lengthy waits, students will be moved to the canteen. Follow up with with a parent or guardian will take place after 30 min. We appreciate parents effort to collect children in time.
My child will be absent
My child will be absent
Any absence (whether it is planned or unplanned ) must be communicated via email to the homeroom teacher and gis_primaryleaverequest@gemsedu.com by 8:00 AM. STS/bus users must also copy the STS manger on the email. vijesh.kumar@sts-group.com
A planned or extended absence beyond 2 days requires the completion of an absence request form.
Absence for more than 3 days requires prior approval if planned or a doctors clearance for illness related leave (in some cases a medical certificate is requested )
My child will leave during the school day (exceptional/unavoidable cases only)
My child will leave during the school day (exceptional/unavoidable cases only)
Parents are urged to schedule medical, dental and other appointments after school hours or during vacations.
A request must be submitted before a child can be released once in school for health and safety and reasons.
Filling in the form 24hrs in advance is expected where possible.
At the time of collection, please come to the Primary Reception at Gate 4.
Key Contacts
Key Contacts
GIS Primary Behavior Policy 2.pdfPage updated
Report abuse