Week Six - October 4th, 2024

What does a school counselor do at GIS?

The two secondary school counselors are available to support our students with various needs. The counselors work to support students in a confidential manner, and collaborate with teachers to identify any concerns that may need attention. We believe in a preventative approach, that also entails educating our students on the importance of mental wellbeing and where they can go for support if needed.

As GIS counselors, our doors are also open for parents, and we welcome any concerns you may have about your child(ren), that we could collaboratively work with you to address.

As school counselors, we are also dedicated to spreading awareness and sharing helpful strategies with our parents, to equip them with the tools they may need to address wellbeing concerns at home and foster positive relationships with their children throughout their high school years. If parents are interested in learning more about mental health, specific areas of wellbeing, and how to better support their child(ren), please complete this survey to let us know what you would be interested in, and we will provide you with the relevant information and resources.

Lastly, if you have any specific concerns or questions, please drop us an email or complete the Parent Referral Form.

Twinkle Agrawal (Grades 6 - 8) t.agrawal_gis@gemsedu.com

Daania Fazal (Grades 9 - 12) d.fazal_gis@gemsedu.com

Parents, please feel encouraged to reach out to our counseling team, should you have any queries or concerns, related to social-emotional support matters.

Parent Referral Form

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.

Empowering our students: Safeguarding Training at GIS.

At GIS, our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive community goes beyond the classroom. Our Grade 12 students attended a Safeguarding Training program on Tuesday, 3rd October which was led by the social-emotional counselor, Ms. Daania.

The aim of this initiative was to equip our students with vital skills that would empower them to be empathetic, responsible and compassionate citizens of the world.

During the training, students gained a variety of key takeaways, some of which includes the following:

1. Recognizing what a safeguarding concern could look like.

2. Understanding the protocol in reporting a concern in school.

3. The safeguarding personnel in school.

4. Strategies they could implement, should the need arise.

Safeguarding training is an essential constituent of our commitment to the safety and welfare of our school community. Providing our Grade 12 students with the training equipped them with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate and understand the importance of prioritizing the welfare of our students, particularly with many of them getting involved with developing community support programs for their CAS projects. Together, we are building a safer, more inclusive, and empowered community at GIS.

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