Week Twenty Two - March 1st, 2024

Secondary Events & Notices

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March 5-7 School Production - MatildaMarch 8 Welcome Ramadan Morning CelebrationMarch 18-21 Grade 12 Art ExhibitionMarch 19 GIS Community IftarMarch 22 Term 2 Reports Published | Last day of term

Secondary Notices

GIS Scholarships

GIS scholarships will be awarded based on evidence provided during the application process. It is therefore imperative that applicants and their families pay close attention to the requirements of an intended target before application to ensure that the application portfolio is efficient and targeted. Please note that, due to the timing of the scholarship application and review process, term 2 report data will be used to inform judgments.

Scholarship applications will be reviewed at the point of application and qualifying portfolios will be presented to the scholarship committee. The committee for each scholarship category will differ according to the theme of the scholarship.

*The scholarship application form is currently closed. Information about the application window will follow.

**Scholarship candidates should develop a portfolio of evidence to support their application. This evidence must meet the stated criteria and should be compiled for review in one linked document (e.g. Google Doc/Slides, Canva).

Secondary School Honor Roll Criteria

At GEMS International School - Al Khail (GIS), we believe in fostering a culture of academic excellence and holistic development among our students. In line with this ethos, the GIS Honor Roll is an esteemed recognition program aimed at celebrating and incentivizing sustained academic endeavors and achievements throughout the academic year. The Honor Roll not only acknowledges students' outstanding academic performance but also underscores the importance of ambition and continuous improvement. To attain Honor Roll status, students must meet clear and rigorous criteria, ensuring that this recognition reflects genuine dedication and achievement. Furthermore, recognizing the holistic nature of education, service learning outcomes, and the embodiment of the IB learner profile are integral components of this program, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and the development of well-rounded individuals. Through the Honor Roll, we aim to inspire and motivate our students to strive for excellence in all aspects of their academic journey, embodying the values of our school community and the IB philosophy.

*Students who make the GIS Honor Roll will be recognized at the Academic Awards Ceremony, which will take place during the final weeks of the academic year.

First Lego League (FLL) Robotics Competition 2024

In the 2024 First LEGO League, the theme "Masterpiece" challenged participants to unleash their creativity and engineering prowess. Teams embarked on a journey of innovation, designing robots that epitomized precision, ingenuity, and problem-solving. Through collaborative efforts and perseverance, these young minds crafted remarkable Masterpieces to address real-world challenges. Two teams participated from GIS in the FLL competition, with one successfully winning the Dubai regional and now gearing up for the UAE nationals scheduled for February 25th, 2024, at the EXPO Center in Dubai.

The Juniors team chose their theme 'MASTERPIECE' as culinary arts; the problem statement is "Customers are not happy with the visual appearance of their food and would like it to be presented artistically".

Solution: Project Flavorlens – A mixed reality glass that lets people view the 3D authentic culinary experience virtually. Immersive menu presentation, voice-controlled, shows animations and pictures on a plate, replicates a chosen environment, and allows you to filter the menu based on preference. The senior team chose their theme 'MASTERPIECE' as ARTS; the problem statement is "Mental Health is becoming a major concern in this generation as suicide rates increased by 36%, depression and stress levels has increased by a lot and many more problems related to mental health".

Solution: Project Nebula - Visual arts skills such as drawing, painting, and colouring are being replaced by modern technology such as AI, making it an unappealing skill for people to learn. Mental health issues such as stress and anxiety have racked the contemporary world by causing mass disruption to millions of lives, leading to a decrease in not only the current state of life but also the person's future. The project's theme is using Art therapy to help people with mental problems. VR application that combines the benefits of art therapy and virtual reality. You can also use VR Therapy to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental health issues, as well as to enhance your well-being, self-esteem, and happiness.

Grade 6 Participants

Sanchitha Balaji

Grade 7 Participants

Ananya Ajayan

Selda Golkhandan

Andy Faddoul

Riccardo Bianchi

Maryam Kauser

Vanessa Almeida

Hamza Hemeda

Riccardo Muraglia

Grade 8 Participants

Aashrit Prathap

Bashir Zantout

Grade 9 Participants

Samridhi Sharma

Moonkang Cho

Fatima Imran

Jasim Khan

Muhammad Musa Ahmad

Tobias Madsen

Congratulations to all the students and to Ms. Sheeba, Mr. Sujay, Ms. Preethy and Mr. Anaswer!

Attendance Matters

Roles and Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians

Ensure that their child(ren) receive(s) a full-time education and those children registered at GIS attend regularly and punctually
Inform the school of any absences/ leave
Discuss with the Homeroom Teacher any planned absences well in advance
Support the school by aiming for their child to have 100% attendance each year
Avoid taking their child out of school for non-urgent medical or dental appointments
Only request a leave of absence if it is for an exceptional circumstance

In case of unforeseen absence, it is the responsibility of parents/guardians to notify the school on the first day of unplanned absence. Notification should be made by 8:30 am or as soon as practically possible, by submitting a Secondary Leave Request.