Week Three - September 15th, 2023

Secondary School

Whole School Newsletter

PYP Newsletter

Parent Information Site

Dear Parents & Guardians

Welcome to the end of another week.

Thank you to all of the Grade 6 parents who attended the Meet and Greet last week. It was a wonderful chance for parents to connect with key Grade 6 staff, and to meet other parents as well. Today we hosted the Grade 7 Meet and Greet Potluck, with a similar outcome. The Ground Floor canteen was packed with chatty parents and hungry Grade 7’s tucking into the vast array of cultural dishes!

MAP testing also took place this week for students in Grades 6 to 10. Should a student have been absent, the window for sitting the assessments stays open for a couple of weeks, so tests can also be completed next week.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask that you ensure that your son or daughter attends school in correct school uniform. In recent days we have seen a decline in the wearing of the uniform. Please note that, senior students are required to have the navy tie (back in stock at Threads since 8th Sept). MYP students also need to wear navy trousers with their daily uniform. Many students are wearing leggings to school instead of the trousers. We have been advised by Threads that trousers are in stock and therefore, there is no reason for students to not be wearing them. Thank you very much for your support with this matter.

For those of you with sons or daughters in Grade 10, Ms Sangita, along with Ms Irasa ran a Personal Project ConnectEd for parents this week. The session was well received by parents who had the opportunity to learn more about the culminating task of the MYP. For those of you who may have missed this ConnectEd, slides are available below.

Have a wonderful week ahead.

Amanda Murphy

Secondary School Expectations, Culture & Curriculum

Parent Information Session_How GIS Supports Your Child

Back-to-School Evening 2023 (Grade 9&10).pptx

Back-to-School Night 2023 (Grade 7&8).pptx

Career-related Programme Presentation for Families

Back-to-School Night 2023 (Grade 6).pptx

DP Expectations, Culture & Curriculum Evening 7 September 2023, Burcu ISIK KESER.pptx

Secondary Parent ConnectEd Schedule

IMPORTANT DATES

Subscribe to the GIS Community Calendar

September 22 Grade 8 Families Meet & Greet (Ground Floor Canteen; 10:30-11:30am)September 29 Grade 9 Families Meet & Greet (Ground Floor Canteen; 10:30-11:30am)October 6 Grade 10 Families Meet & Greet (Ground Floor Canteen; 10:30-11:30am)October 13 GIS 10th Anniversary Celebration | Progress Report published to familiesOctober 27 Grade 11 Families Meet & Greet (Ground Floor Canteen; 10:30-11:30am)November 3 Grade 12 Families Meet & Greet (Ground Floor Canteen; 10:30-11:30am)November 13 School PhotosDecember 6 Secondary School Sports DayDecember 7 Arabic Language DayDecember 8 WinterFest | Term 1 Report published to families

MAP Testing Guidance for GIS Students

Parents, please use your child's gemsisak gmail account to view these slides.

Grade 8 Meet and Greet - 22nd September 2023.pdf

Grade 9 Meet and Greet - 29th September 2023.pdf

Grade 10 Meet and Greet - 6th October 2023.pdf

Meet Our Counselors

Hello and welcome from the Secondary Counseling Team at GIS! We hope you all had a lovely summer break, and are looking forward to a great year at GIS.

This year, we are welcoming 600 new students to our community. As we continue to prioritize student success and wellbeing, we have also expanded our Secondary Counseling Team, now with two social-emotional counselors, one university counselor, and one university counselor assistant to cater to the needs of all our students at GIS.

Here is a short introduction of each one of us…

Hi :) My name is Twinkle, I am the Social-Emotional Counselor for students in Grades 6-8. I have only recently moved to Dubai, and I’m very excited to be here and a part of the welcoming community at GIS. I was born in India, and grew up in Bangkok, Thailand for most of my life. I completed my undergraduate from a joint program between Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, and the University of Queensland, Brisbane, obtaining a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and later a Masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After completing my studies, I returned to Bangkok in 2017, and have been working as a school counselor since then. I’ve worked with a diverse population of students, struggling with various mental health issues such as: depression, anxiety, disordered eating, OCD, grief, trauma/abuse, etc. As a counselor, I believe in empowering young people and helping them gain the skills necessary to overcome any hurdle that may come their way throughout life. In my personal time, I enjoy dancing, cooking/baking, traveling, photography, and spending time with friends and family. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns via my email t.agrawal_gis@gemsedu.com, or the Parent Referral Form for all social-emotional concerns.

Hello! My name is Daania Fazal and I am the Social-Emotional Counselor for students in Grades 9 to 12. This is my third year in GIS and it’s been a great journey so far. I am from Sri Lanka, but I was born and raised in Dubai, and I’ve lived here my entire life. I’ve been working in the field of psychology for 7 years now and my passion lies within supporting and guiding young individuals to identify and value their inner strengths. I truly believe that humans are so capable of reaching their full potential with the right support and guidance, and instilling this into a young person’s mind can do wonders. I have worked with individuals struggling with a variety of mental health concerns such as trauma, grief, disordered eating, depression etc., and I enjoy working on psychology research projects. I currently live with my husband and three year old son in Dubai. In my personal time, I enjoy camping, overlanding, cooking, and traveling. Immersing myself in nature is what brings me joy.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or require any support via my email d.fazal_gis@gemsedu.com, or the Parent Referral Form for any social-emotional support or concerns.

Hello, I am Meena Nambiar, and I am the University Guidance Counsellor here at GIS. Although this is only my 3rd year in this phenomenal international school, I have embarked on my 30th year of teaching English too. Born and bred in Mumbai, India, I moved to London, UK and lived there for eighteen years before moving to Dubai in 2016. I am currently an empty nester with both my sons having moved away for employment and education. However I do have 5 cats and adore them with every pore of my being.
I love what I do- engaging with young adults, listening to their hopes and fears, dreams and desires, aspirations and apprehensions. I enjoy facilitating these university and higher education journeys and look forward to helping more students achieve their first choice university admissions.

Hi! My name is Rejina Georjee, and I am the newly appointed University counselor assistant. Being part of GEMS for the past 6 years the learning and implementation has been rewarding. I worked previously with WSS and was directly involved in the support & day-to-day improvisation of the student’s wellbeing. I am thrilled and excited to be part of GIS and its community. Hailing from India and having been raised in the UAE, I have the privilege of experiencing and embracing multiple cultures, which has added great value in understanding and supporting different cultural emotions of both parents and students. I have been in the field of counseling for over 8 years, in social, emotional counseling and career guidance. I realized that helping students with educational and career plans brought me joy and since then I personally kept growing in the field. Personally singing out loud is my mojo, cooking and baking is like my stress buster and experiential traveling is what I adore.That’s me in short, feel free to drop into our office or even drop an email to r.georjee_gis@gemsedu.com with questions or doubts about your university and career plans.

Slices - Cashless System

Online Safety

No purchases via smartphones or watches

Slices are delighted to have integrated the Slices cashless system in the GEMS Parent Portal / GEMS Connect App. The system is designed for ease of use and to host all the relevant data in one space to make life easier for the parent and student community.
Parents can top up and view consumption through GEMS Parent Portal https://oasis.gemseducation.com - all student data is held in this portal without the need to create a secondary account.

Catering Payment is accessed from the ‘fees’ drop-down option
Parents can top up via credit or debit card through the system and balances will be immediately available for student spend
Parents can also use the cash top up facility in the schools, and this will be reflected in the parent portal catering balance
Parents can also check recent catering balance top up history from the fees drop down options
Transaction history will also be updated to allow parents to review their child's daily spend

Any parent queries can be directed to the customer service team at Slices customersupport@slices.ae Technical issues can be processed through the Slices Support ticket page: https://support.slices.ae/

Keeping Our Children Safe Online

Digital devices, such as smartphones and tablets, make online platforms and content easily accessible. And, while there are many benefits of seamless accessibility and connectivity, there are also many potential risks - to the health, well-being and even the safety of young people - that must be considered by young people themselves, as well as by parents and schools. Technological advances are faster than ever and new online platforms are released at a rapid rate, making it challenging to effectively monitor and control (for their own well-being) the online activity of the young people in our care. Young people will, at times, seek out and/or be inadvertently exposed to inappropriate online content. If and when this is the case, it is important that they feel comfortable and confident to disclose and discuss the matter with trusted adults. While banning smart devices may not be practical (or desirable), implementing agreements around device usage (for instance) is a healthy and productive approach to online media balance and safety. There are a number of useful tips and strategies available to support healthy and well-informed approaches to media use. Please take some time to explore the E-safety: Parent Guidance, which has been created to support GIS parents in this regard.

From the Classroom (and beyond)

Jaguars Updates

Throughout the year, you will be able to review information about the week's sports results and scorers, in addition to action photos, match reports, sports news and much more on our Jaguar Sports website.

You will also be able to read reviews of the latest GIS sporting action via the GIS PHE site.

Jaguars Sports

Grade 6-12

The first few weeks of school were a whirlwind of excitement as students eagerly participated in tryouts for various sports teams. From the football field to the basketball court, the swimming pool, and the cross country trails, athletes showcased their talent, determination, and teamwork. It was a tough competition, but the dedication of these young athletes shone brightly. Congratulations are in order for all those who made it onto the Jaguar sports teams! Your hard work and passion have earned you a well-deserved spot, and we can't wait to see you proudly represent our school in the upcoming season.

Go Jaguars!

Grade 6 Meet & Greet (Friday 8th September)

Grade 6 Families

Friday, Sept 8th Our Grade 6 homerooms, homeroom teachers, and parents are coming together to savor the flavors of the world right here at school. This recent event was a celebration of our school's commitment to inclusiveness as an international community.

We shared not only delicious dishes from various corners of the globe but the event allowed us to bridge the gaps between cultures, creating a stronger sense of belonging and understanding among our school community.

From savory samosas to mouthwatering sushi rolls, every bite was a journey of flavors and a testament of our school's multiculturalism. Parents, teachers, and students alike had the opportunity to connect over their shared love for food and their appreciation for the diverse backgrounds that make up our school family.

Language Acquisition - French

Grade 7

Learning the language is obviously crucial, but the first few days were also about setting the tone, discovering what we would be learning, and how.
In the MYP, one of our ATL skills is Collaboration - Social. We strive to embody it in our Language Acquisition classes and last week, we focused more specifically on “building consensus” and “listening actively to other perspectives and ideas” around our ways of working (WoWs!!)
Now, we are ready for a great year of success in French, as we know what the expectations are and we have set our goals!

If you want to develop your own collaborative skills, and “encourage [your child] to contribute” and “help [them] to succeed”, you can always ask them what they have been learning in class, what concept they are exploring or how their learning relates to their lives. Actually, better yet, register on Duolingo and challenge them to get a higher streak than they do! What language will you be learning?

Islamic Studies

Grade 8-10

The Islamic department welcomed the Muslim students into the rooms and conducted activities on the feeling of their Muslim identity with a focus on Surah Hujraat and Surah Al Kahf. They extracted values from the Surahs and linked them to the global context of Identities and relationships. They also created a tree of Gratitude and had a discussion on the learner profile attribute of ‘’Caring’’ which GIS is following this month. The life story of Prophets and Muslim heroes was discussed as role models, for the young Muslims.

Business Management

Grade 12 (DP2)

Business students are delving into the worl of Finance, specifically cashflow - very important skills for our future Entrepreneurs.

HL Chemistry IAs and EEs

Grade 12 (DP2)

Throughout this week, the second-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP2) students have dedicated themselves to the rigorous task of delving into their Chemistry Internal Assessments (IA). Their journey began in the summer with preliminary research, and they have now taken the exciting step of conducting the experiments they have designed.

Witnessing their application of knowledge acquired over the course of the year has been truly gratifying. Each student has embarked on a distinct scientific exploration: Shayna has immersed herself in the intricacies of the Winkler method to determine the impact of pH on the concentration of dissolved oxygen in mg/L and the biological oxygen demand (BOD) in a sample of water, Arav is delving into the captivating realms of reaction kinetics and electrochemistry, Daniella is unraveling the mysteries of the impact of temperature on aspirin hydrolysis, measured by its absorbance at a fixed wavelength using a spectrophotometer, and Jeeya has undertaken the challenge of dissecting the structure of alcohols and exploring the impact of increasing their carbon chain length on the standard enthalpy of combustion utilizing calorimetry, among many other captivating experiments.

As for the extended essays, Shayna’s research is centered on the effect of triethanolamine as a pH adjuster and emulsifier on the percentage of moisture measured using a corneometer in the skin creams she is creating ! Meanwhile, Lara has been researching the impact of certain monomers in copolymer binders in acrylic paint on the preservation of a painting under a controlled room temperature.

The dedication and effort these chemistry students have demonstrated is nothing short of impressive, and it fills us with immense pride. We eagerly anticipate the final presentation of their papers and we are excited to witness the depth and breadth of their scientific accomplishments.

By Shayna Katra (DP2)