Week four - September 24th 2020

Secondary school

From the Head of Secondary

I was speaking to a group of students this week about their time in the school. It was so nice to hear a large number of them reflect on their long period of time at the school (8 years for some) and how they have enjoyed playing a part in the growth and development of the school. They described how they feel that they have grown with the school and they spoke with such pride and passion; they often used the term "our school".

What was equally delightful was to hear of the warmth that our newest students described when they spoke of the way that they have been welcomed by the students in their classes. Friendly, open, welcoming and kind were used to describe the way that our newest students had viewed our returning students. One young man said that he already felt like the school was like his home.

School pride and ownership amongst young people is so precious and it's amazing to hear so many of our students speak of the school as if it belongs to them. This is their school, we want them to care for it and care for everyone that makes it such a great place to be every day.

Niccolo has been at GIS now for 6 years and has developed incredibly during his time at the school.
He is keen sportsman and has represented the school many times in football, badminton, handball and basketball. He was awarded the 'most improved player' in both basketball and football and was also a member of the league winning basketball team for his age group.
Nicocolo is also very proud to have won the 'commitment to learning' award last year.

Moving through the continuum at GIS

Niccolo Consolini (Grade 10)

I have been in the school since grade 5 and when I joined I found it very challenging because I didn't know anyone and I was scared that people wouldn't like me. My English was very poor and my confidence level was low. Throughout my time at GIS my English has improved and I now have a great group of friends. I'm most proud of my improvements in English language but I have improved in so much more than just my language. The skill that I feel has been the most important one that I have developed has to be self-management skills. As an IB student, self-management is essential to successfully manage school work and life.

I'm really excited about transitioning into the IBDP next year because I can finally focus on subjects that I want to take and will shape my future. I'm very thankful to all of my subject teachers as they have helped me prepare for the IB Diploma Programme. Grade 10 is all about getting in the mindset for DP and acknowledging what subject and career path you want to take and I'm really happy with the start that me and my friends have made.

There was a big focus on Theory of Knowledge (TOK) this week with Grade 12 students presenting the work that they have developed over the last few months. Students gave their TOK presentations individually or in pairs (some doing so remotely) to their TOK teachers, the DP Coordinator and visiting staff, leaders and students through the day. The presentations were also broadcast live to allow G11 students to observe and learn from their peers. We are so proud of the work that they produced and the quality of their thoughts and understanding of the TOK expectations. GIS has really improved their TOK provision in the last 12 months and the outcomes this summer were testimony of this but our current G12 class really stepped up their game!

In Grade 8 I&S this week students are explored Human Rights, specifically looking at the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR). The students are selecting a case study (current or from historic) and analysing which human right is being broken/taken away. For their product, they are creating a digital poster on canva to raise awareness for their issue.

We stopped into some of our ELL lessons this week as well and we were so impressed with the early progress of our students that are learning English at the same time as managing their MYP studies.

We were also delighted to see the video that was created by two of our Grade 10 Islamic students. The video was designed for anyone that is new to the region and has little to no knowledge of Islam. The video can be found in the link below.

Grade 10 students developed a lovely video on the basics of Islamic

TOK presentations

Amber, proudly showing the work that she has produced in Art this week

Grade 8 students exploring Human Rights in Individuals & Societies. They looked at the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR)

Intrinsically motivated students!

One of our missions as an IB school is to develop intrinsic motivation within students and a passion for learning. Students demonstrated a love of learning from PHE this week and Mr Kieran caught it for the tweet of the week.

Head over to twitter and check out Mr Kieran's username to see the short video of the students in action.

Reminders & Updates

Absence

Please can we remind families that they must make contact with the absence email address on days where their child is sick and staying home from school.

Any absence that is longer than 3 days requires a doctors certificate for this to be an authorised absence.

gis_secondaryleaverequest@gemsedu.com

Distancing at pick up

We please ask that parents remember to honor social distancing during pick up in the afternoons.

This is particularly important on Tuesday pick up as this is a busier period.

It is important that all adults in the lives of young people role model what we expect of them on a day to day basis.

MAP testing

MAP Testing will commence on Sunday 4th October. In preparation, remember to:

Update your laptop's operating system to the latest available version. This update must be completed at home.
Install the latest version of the NWEA Lockdown Browser on your BYOD device.

The latest version (for Mac and Windows) can be found HERE

MAP testing

Our MAP testing begins on October 4th this year and students will be completing the Language use, Reading, Math and Science tests through the week. MAP testing is a 'standardized test' and does not provide us with any MYP grades so will not show in your child's school report. We will provide you with your child's MAP outcomes and guidance on how to read the MAP report and make sense of the information. In school, we use the MAP data to inform our planning and lesson delivery to personalize the learning experience of your child

As a standardized test, we have strict protocols and procedures that we follow to ensure validity and fairness of the test. With this in mind, it is not possible for students to complete MAP testing remotely. Any families that wish for their child to complete the MAP testing will need to bring them into school out of school hours. We will develop a schedule for this based on the number of families that intend for their child to come into school. If you are currently accessing learning remotely, can you please indicate in the survey linked HERE if you intend on bringing your child, out of regular school hours to complete MAP testing. It is important to note that we will develop a schedule based on staff and facility availability and will not be able to plan based on parental request.

It's time to pass the baton!!!

It is now time for the StuELT from 2019 - 2020 to pass on the torch to the next crop of leaders. Grade 11 and Grade 10 students are now welcomed to offer their applications for StuELT 2020-2021 and the process can be see below.

Please note a few points about our StuELT:

We do not vote leaders in - this is not a popularity contest, this is a critical role within the leadership structures of the school
We want the most effective students in the right positions - this means that the newest student in the school, could be the right person for a place in our team. Do not think that you cannot apply because you only joined GIS this year (our outgoing Vice President is testimony to this!)
Committee members need to be committed - our committees are open entry but you have to show us that you mean business. We value commitment above skills - we can develop your skills but only you have control over your commitment
Our student leaders work hard and we work in our own time - please think about the time requirement of being in our team. We usually meet during our lunch breaks and we work in our own time. At the moment, we have to meet in the late afternoons or evenings so make sure you're ready for this.

What to do next if you're interested in Student Leadership 2020-2021

Example CV

SECONDARY SCHOOL SPIRIT WEEK

Throughout the week of October 11 to 15, the StuELT invite you to dress up according to the listed themes in the posters below. Students are asked to contribute 10AED for the week and the proceeds will help to fund student activities through the year. GET CREATIVE EVERYONE!