Secondary School

Head of Secondary School's Message 

Dear Parents & Guardians,

It has been a real pleasure to meet with so many of you this week. Thank you for taking the time to connect with me and the wider Secondary team. These conversations remind us how important it is to work in close partnership. As our students journey through the transformative years from childhood to young adulthood, they need all of us working side by side to provide encouragement, guidance, and consistency.

Working Together on Traffic

Thank you for supporting us as we continue to review ways to ease congestion during drop-off and pick-up. As shared earlier this week, we are piloting a new drop-off process. Please take a moment to read the information that was previously shared HERE. Your cooperation makes a genuine difference, and together we can ensure this daily routine runs more smoothly for everyone.

Upcoming Secondary Learning Conferences (online)

We are excited to welcome you to the upcoming Secondary Parent Teacher Conferences (PTCs) for our students, scheduled for:

• Monday 13th October and Tuesday 14th October - 8am to 4pm on both days

These conferences are an important opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and achievements directly with their subject teachers and we encourage everyone to join, especially the students. These will be online and as all teachers will be in conferences there will be no school on these two days. 

Please use the following link to schedule meetings with your child’s subject teachers.

https://ptcfast.com/schools/GEMS_International_School_Dubai

The deadline for sign-up is 5pm on Friday, October 10, 2025. The teacher Teams’ links will be shared with you 2 days before the conference.

Final Thought

Each week I am reminded that our school is not just about classrooms, grades, or timetables; it is about people. The small acts of kindness and encouragement we show to one another build the culture our students grow up in. I want to take this opportunity to thank our entire team of teachers, assistants, leaders, and support staff for the dedication they show every day. They all contribute to creating an environment that is safe, respectful, and nourishing for our young people.

Equally important is the example we, as adults, set for our children. Every member of our community has the right to work in an environment where they are spoken to courteously, and where interactions are calm, friendly, and positive. Sadly, there have been occasions this week when this standard has not been upheld. There have unfortunately been instances where members of our security team have been sworn at during drop-off, or where parents seeking assistance have been loud, rude, or aggressive towards our support staff and teachers. This is not acceptable and is certainly not the example we want for any of our children.

Please remember that we are one team, united by our shared commitment to our students. Let us continue to value each other as teammates, and speak to one another with the respect and kindness we would want our young people to show in their own lives. Together, we will model the qualities that will help our students grow into the confident, compassionate, and respectful young adults we know they can become.

Warm regards,

Aaron Kane

Head of Secondary