Week Nine - November 5th 2020

Primary School

This week we kicked off the 30x30 challenge with a focus on active lifestyles as well as healthy habits. As the weather has cooled, we have also focused on getting the students outside, with all safety protocols in place.

Students are well into their second units of inquiry, going deeper into their learning and asking meaningful questions.

It was great to see so many parents at this weeks ConnectEd as we dug into how children learn to become good spellers. This is the first of a series of workshops to help parents understand the various aspects of learning in an IB school.

Thank-you for your ongoing support for your children and for GIS.

Diwali Celebrations

Mr. Barry has been in touch with Grade 5 students about the sign up process.

A Peek into Learning: Arabic

Arabic is an important part of our curriculum at GIS. In the PYP Arabic classes look a little different than they have in previous years and we wanted to share how they work in different parts of the school!

Arabic in Early Childhood

Early childhood classes are in pods, where students are spread across two classrooms. Arabic Teachers and TAs collaborate to support learning across the two rooms.

The teacher and TA move between the two rooms to support differentiated learning activities including vocabulary introduction, singing and developing phonological awareness.

Arabic in Grades 1 - 5

Students in Grade 1-5 begin each Arabic lesson with live instruction from an Arabic A or B teacher using Zoom to develop listening, speaking and collaboration skills with their peers.

This lesson sets students up for differentiated learning tasks. It is an opportunity to practice speaking, ask questions and share new learning with the other students in their class.

Students then complete learning tasks to consolidate their learning, or deepen their understanding.

While students are completing learning tasks, the Arabic team of teachers check in on their learning to assess their knowledge and understanding. This time offers more individualized attention and allows teachers to identify next steps for learners.

UAE Flag Day

We celebrated the UAE Flag day on 3rd November by dressing in UAE flag colors or UAE National dress. Our Emirati students honored this wonderful country in a special flag hoisting ceremony.

#WERTALENTED

The first 2020 #WeRTalented Talent Show is finally here! We have Amir the Gymnast, Mrs. Nomah the Calligrapher, Dalida the Songstress, and more! Children all across PYP tuned in to watch the show in their Homeroom classes this morning to marvel at the skillful and knowledgeable GIS students. If you would like to gather and watch our talented students as a family in the comfort of your own home, please click below:

Seasonal Flu Awareness

Please see the letter from our clinic to help keep our community healthy and safe.

Feeling unwell? Stay Home!

Please help us out. Students and teachers will be sent home from school with ANY of the following symptoms:

Fever - you should not go to school/work if your temperature is greater than or equal to 37.5°C.
People need to be fever-free for 24 hours without the help of a fever-reducing medication
Myalgia (muscle aches and pains) or fatigue
Diarrhea or nausea
Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing
Cough
Headache
Sore throat
Runny nose or nasal congestion
Loss of sense of smell or taste
Pneumonia /acute respiratory distress