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Week Twenty Four - March 3rd 2023
Kim Conlin
Head of Primary
Dear PYP Parents,
Its been a busy week at school!
PYP exhibition is well under way and our grade five students have been working diligently on their final culminating PYP project. Parents of grade 5 will receive ongoing updates on the grade pages.
Our fabulous Librarian , Ms Louise, has hosted a wonderful week for us focused on Literacy. Each day this week highlighted a new focus and we had lots of fun with it! Reading continues to be known as the most important skill in predicting future academic success. Thank-you to those families that donated books today to develop libraries in underprivildged communities.
Thank-you to all the parents who attended the Information Technology session this week. It is such an important topic and a focus for us here at GIS. Technology is a great tool for learning and it is important that safe behaviors and habits are internalized from a young age.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Newsletter at a Glance
Newsletter at a Glance
In this edition you will find:
Announcements / Reminders / Upcoming dates
Lit Fest
Peek Into Learning: Innovation & Technology in PYP
Primary Pages - link to Grade and Class pages
PYP reminders and resources
Absence Procedure
Whole School Calendar
Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Dates
March 8th - World Math Day & G5 Parent Transition Workshop
March 13-17 - Neurodiveristy Week
March 14-16 - School Musical
March 21 - PYP Exhibition
March 23 - Projected start of Ramadan
March 27- April 7 - Spring Break
Announcements and Reminders:
Announcements and Reminders:
Grade 5 Parents, please click here to share any questions you have about Grade 6 in advance of the session on March 8th
Lit Fest
Lit Fest
We had a wonderful week celebrating GIS Primary Lit-Fest 2023! Classes celebrated reading and literacy across the school by reading books together, decorating their doors with favorite stories or characters and finding new and creative ways to celebrate their love of reading! The week ended today with an InterHouse Literacy Quiz, where students participated in teams according to their house colors.
Here you will see some of the creative ways our community loves to read! Make sure you look out for more of these pictures in the library as Ms. Louise shares them this week and beyond.
You've been 'Caught Reading'
You've been 'Caught Reading'
Crazy Socks and Hats
Crazy Socks and Hats
As part of LitFest 2023, we celebrated Dr. Suess' Birthday with Crazy hat and socks day! Look at some of the very creative (and crazy) hats and socks that were showcased!
GIS Little Jagwire Robotics
GIS Little Jagwire Robotics
On Sunday, February 26th, our first ever PYP robotics team, the GIS Little Jagwires, took part in the First Lego League UAE competition. After working hard through the year, they reached the culmination of their efforts with an exhibition of their challenge to design a sustainable city using robotics models. Our two-student team is comprised of Halle Moukachar and Keyan Farhat, both from grade four. They did an outstanding job and have truly started a robotics legacy we look forward to growing in the years to come. We are super proud of their teamwork and dynamic design skills. They were coached by Mr. Javier with the support on Mr. Ethan.
Peek Into Learning:
Peek Into Learning:
Innovation & Technology in PYP
GIS believes that technology is important for children's education and should be used to support and enhance their learning. Our school has guidelines to ensure that technology is used in ways that align with the PYP's teaching approach and promotes global citizenship, digital literacy, equity and access. Our dedicated technology coaches, Javier and Janice, meet with teams regularly to plan innovative and integrated technology aligned with our curriculum, and they provide resources to help teachers use technology effectively in their teaching.
Below is a presentation from our technology coaches about digital safety at school, and how you can support your kids at home (Link to Common Sense Media). Also, in the video, Mr. Javier walks us through the design for our future STEMI (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and innovation) PYP Lab. Finally, there is a slideshow of pictures to highlight what each grade level has been working on recently.
Here are a few questions from parents who attended the PYP ConnectEd this week along with some answers from our tech team.
Q&A:
1. What can we do as parents/users about the online cookies on a website? In order to access certain sites, you may be asked to accept 'cookies.' If this happens, check the box that only allows necessary cookies or reject all. It's important to do this together with your children so they learn through doing, and encourage children to slow down and read before accepting anything they see online.
2. When kids have free time, are they allowed to play on the iPad at school? Students call many things games; for example, Tynker is a coding program that teaches mathematics (algorithms and sequencing). Kids may see this as a game but just because they feel like they're playing, it doesn't mean that it's a game. As a parent, dig deeper about what 'games' they are playing because it may be an online quiz to check for understanding or a coding app. If you ever have questions about a game your child talks to you about, please reach out to our ICT coaches or the homeroom teacher so that we can investigate.
If you have questions about technology use in the PYP, please feel free to reach out to our ICT coaches (Janice j.au_gis@gemsedu.com & Javier j.lucero_gis@gemsedu.com) or the curriculum coordinators (Helen h.bruce_gis@gemsedu.com & Shannon s.garrettjanes_gis@gemsedu.com).
to check your child's class page
to check your child's class page
Primary Class Pages
Primary Class Pages
Check out for weekly class updates
Information for new/starting families
Information for new/starting families
Overview of communication platforms (PYP)
Overview of communication platforms (PYP)
GIS Primary Handbook 2022_23.docx.pdfPrimary Handbook 2022-2023
Primary Handbook 2022-2023
Drop off and Pick up
Drop off and Pick up
Parents PK-G1 drop/pick up in classroom (through gate 4,6,8)
Grade 2-5 drop/pick up either gate 4 or gate 8
Late/Tardy: any student arriving after the national anthem must get a late slip at front reception/gate 4
My child will be absent
My child will be absent
Email your child's homeroom teacher before 8am so that he / she can mark their absence as excused.
Complete an absence form for an absence of more than 2 days and submit to PYP office or homeroom teacher on the child's first day back.
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)
Email the gis_primaryleaverequest@gemsedu.com and your child's homeroom teacher 24 hours in advance to ensure your child and their leave slip are prepared in advance.
At the time of collection, please come to the Primary Reception at Gate 4.
Keeping our community safe with Covid-19 Protocols: if your child is a close contact or receives a positive test result please inform: gis_medicalalert@gemsedu.com
Key Contacts
Key Contacts
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