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Week Twenty Three - February 4th 2022
From the Head of Primary
From the Head of Primary
Dear Primary School Parents,
We have officially begun our second academic semester and have big plans ahead! We are so pleased with the turn out of parents at the PTC conferences this week. There is nothing more important to your child's education than a strong home to school connection. Please also take a few minutes to fill in our parent survey on home learning/homework. We want to hear your feedback!
This week, we have also launched grade- specific parent virtual meet-up's. We started with PK parents this week and will offer parent sessions targeted to each grade during semester 2, to address developmental and educational topics specific to each grade. Keep your eye on your grade level page between now and the end of the year for the specific date and time for the grades you have a PYP child in.
We are excited for the PYP local trips to take place the week of Feb 13th. Experiential learning for students is often where we see the most growth and the biggest learning opportunities. As a parent, I can also attest to the emotions parents experience when sending their child to their first "sleep away" experiences. These are big milestones for all! If you did not have a chance to tune into this weeks ConnectEd on learning outside the classroom, please view the recording below. If your child will not attend a trip this year, there will be many more opportunities in later grades of PYP and MYP to experience learning outside the classroom walls.
We welcome February with open arms and with much hope for a great semester of learning! We continue to focus on Trust-Respect-and Ambition as our guiding values as a learning community at GIS. Thank-you for your ongoing contributions and support.
Kim Conlin (Head of Primary)
Newsletter at a Glance
Newsletter at a Glance
In this edition you will find:
Parent ConnectEd- Learning Outside the Classroom & PreK Parent Workshop recordings
Coordinators Corner
Peek Into Learning: Grade 1
Quarantine vs Remote Learning Access
Primary Pages - link to Grade and Class pages.
Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Dates
Feb 2-11 -MAP Assessment Window
Feb 10- New Families Coffee Morning
Feb 11- Friendship Day (dress as twins or as a squad)
Feb 11- Semester One Reports published
Feb 13-17- Week Without Walls (G3-5- information in specific grade page)
Feb 17 - MAP Parent Session - details to be shared
*Fridays- wear your house color shirt
Information for new/starting families
Information for new/starting families
In case you missed it
In case you missed it
ConnectEd: Learning outside the classroom in the PYP
ConnectEd: Learning outside the classroom in the PYP
Click here for other ConnectEd recordings
Click here for other ConnectEd recordings
Upcoming Parent Sessions
Upcoming Parent Sessions
A Peek into Learning
A Peek into Learning
Grade 1
Grade 1
Grade One have been developing inquiries into cycles for their 'How the World Works' Unit of Inquiry, 'Cycles Impact Our Daily Lives'. They have found out about both natural cycles , for example seasons, and manmade cycles like calendars.
This week, classes have been learning about the water cycle, among others. The goal for their experiments was for students to see that water, in all its forms, is what sustains us and that it’s everywhere, in everything. It is a liquid, but it’s so much more. They used their research skills (observing, predicting and recording) while experimenting and playing with water.
Students developed their Communications skills when building a robotic fan. They worked in pairs, with one as a builder and the other a programmer. They utilised their communication skills to give and follow directions.
Inquiring into the cycle of night and day
Developing Communication Skills with Robotics
Experimenting with water after learning about the water cycle
Researching the water cycle
to check your child's class page
to check your child's class page
Primary Class Pages
Primary Class Pages
Check out for weekly class updates
Reminders for Parents
Want to know more about what and how your child learns and school?
Want to know more about what and how your child learns and school?
Check out Coordinator's Corner!
Check out Coordinator's Corner!
click here for more details about MAP assessments at GIS
More info about the curriculum
More info about the curriculum
Keeping our community safe with Covid-19 Protocols: if your child is a close contact or receives a positive test result please inform: gis_medicalalert@gemsedu.com
Not your typical day?
Not your typical day?
My child will be absent
My child will be absent
Email your child's homeroom teacher before 8am so that he / she can mark their absence as excused.
Complete an absence form for more than 2 days and submit to homeroom teacher on the child's first day back at school after absence.
Absence for more than 3 days requires doctors clearance (in some cases a medical certificate is requested )
My child will leave during the school day (exceptional/unavoidable cases only)
My child will leave during the school day (exceptional/unavoidable cases only)
Email the gis_primaryleaverequest@gemsedu.com and your child's homeroom teacher 48 hours in advance to ensure your child and their leave slip are prepared in advance.
At the time of collection, please come to the Primary Reception at Gate 4.
Key Contacts
Key Contacts
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