The Panther Perspective

GEMS United School Monthly Newsletter

8th Edition

Kate Vavpetic

Head of School

Dear GUS Community,

Class of 2020--CONGRATULATIONS!! What a story you will have to tell to your children and grand-children about graduating during a global pandemic, about celebrating "together apart," about simultaneously grieving the loss of traditional rites of passage and enthusiastically commemorating your graduation by dressing up at home and watching a video. (Video here. Use code GEMS2020 to view.) Still, in spite of these odd circumstances, you are officially high school graduates, ready to take on the world and make it better. Good luck and best wishes!

Elementary Student Council--you deserve many high fives and congratulations as well! I'm so proud of you for imagining and leading four virtual assemblies for your friends, teachers, and parents last Thursday. Your inventiveness, creativity, and persistence is inspirational. Well done!!

With graduation completed, we're in the home stretch. More bittersweet moments await us as we start noting the first "lasts" of the year. It's been a long 10+ weeks of remote learning. For the next four weeks, it'll be more important than ever to extend extra patience, extra care, and extra understanding as we wrangle with the full range of normal emotions associated with the end of a school year, which are heightened during theses uncertain times worldwide. Let's lean on each other and the collective power of the GEMS United Panther community. We are United!

Please read this newsletter carefully--there's a lot of information about upcoming dates. Thank you for supporting one another, for your partnership, and congratulations again to the Class of 2020!

Warmly,

Kate

ANNOUNCEMENTS

News & Announcements

  • Zumba Session - Let's Get Active: The United Parents are hosting a virtual Zumba session for our GUS parents and family on Tuesday, Jun. 2nd at 4pm. Register your interest at 0569914319.
  • Spirit Day - Fancy Top & PJ Bottoms: On Wednesday, June 3rd we are ready to add a little fun to online learning once again. Go through your closet and pull out your fanciest shirt with sparkles or wear a dress shirt and tie and look smart for class, but don't forget to wear your favorite pajama bottoms! Send US a picture of your suberb attire to Lisa Khoury at l.khoury_gus@gemsedu.com.
  • Secondary Sports Awards - On Thursday, Jun. 4th we are pleased to announce we will hold an online sports award assembly during advisory.
  • Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL for students on Sunday, June 7th. All online classes will resume on Monday, Jun. 8th and this will be a "B" week, Day 1 (for Secondary).
  • Spirit Day - Hat Day: Open the closet and pull out your favorite hat on Wednesday, June 10th and wear them for classes. You don't have to comb your hair. Yay!!!
  • High School Final Exams: Due to the extenuating circumstances this year, we will not have end of year traditional final exams. Instead, exams will be replaced with a variety of assessments taking during regular class time. Further guidance will be provided by the teachers to students for each of their subjects.
  • Registrar's Message: Please finalize your child's re-enrollment by paying the re-enrollment fee. if you are leaving, please complete your child's withdrawal request (TC) to avoid delay in receiving your child's end of year report card.
  • Document Requests: If you require any documents from the school, please contact our Registrar, Kambree Moses, at k.moses_gus@gemsedu.com . Please allow at least two business days for processing.
  • Spirit Day - Mismatch Day: Anything goes on Wednesday, June 17th and the more ridiculous the outfit, the better. Show us how creative you can be!
  • Parent Teacher Conferences (PTCs): We are offering an opportunity for students and parents to check-in with their teachers and receive quality feedback as we end the school year. There will be NO CLASSES for students on Sunday, June 21st & Monday, June 22nd as we hold these conferences. You will receive registration information as the date draws nearer.
  • End of Year Procedure: A plan for the collection and return of items will be communicated via email this week. There will be important information to review to ensure we conduct this process efficiently in the safest manner.
  • Spirit Day - Blue & Gold: It's the final spirit day of the year. Show your pride on Wednesday, June 24th. Wear blue and gold and be proud to be a Panther!
  • Last Day of School: The last day of school this academic year is Thursday, June 25th. Classes ending at 12pm.
  • Academic Year 20-21: Per KHDA approved calendar the first day of classes next fall will be Sunday, August 30th.
  • Academic Year 20-21: We are finalizing our staffing for the fall based upon the number of students registered for the 20-21 academic year. Please confirm your return or departure as soon as possible. Thank you!
  • 2019 KHDA Final Report - Please see the official report released by the KHDA for this year's government inspection results.

CELEBRATING SENIORS

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

On behalf of all of us at GEMS United School, we would like to congratulate each and every Senior and wish them many happy days and months ahead as they enter new adventures and navigate future paths in their journey through life. We will miss you, but will not forget the memories you shared with US!

We want to celebrate our Seniors and share their GEMS US Class of 2020 graduation video with you as the unique circumstances this year prevent us from holding traditional ceremonies with family and friends. To view the video, please enter the code: GEMS2020

Additionally, our Senior Advisors - Ms. Ribeyro, Ms. Singleton, Ms. Ramnarace and Ms. Massaquoi - prepared a special message for our Seniors to celebrate this special occasion.

Message from the Principal

By: Stefanie Lahbil

It has been my pleasure to serve as the Secondary Principal for the graduating class of 2020. Graduation didn’t go as we planned, but I’m happy that we were able to recognize students with a video which will serve as a keepsake of fond memories.

It was with great pride that I watched Seniors respond to this crisis with resilience and dedication. Many of you formed online study groups and called each other to offer support. I know you are more than capable to lead your generation on a new and uncertain path. Your ability to modify and adjust will serve you well in your future endeavors which I’m sure will be filled with great adventures. I wish you all the best and want to congratulate you once again! Thank you for allowing me to support you in your final year of High School.

Lastly - A Message for Senior Parents

We would like to remind parents to complete the address form below to have your child's diploma, gift, and lawn sign delivered to your home:

PANTHER SPORTS

Secondary Sports Awards

We are pleased to announce we will be hosting a virtual sports awards ceremony for our secondary athletes on Thursday, June 4th during Advisory.

We look forward for this opportunity to celebrate our Panther success!

JEWELS OF KINDNESS

Jewels Of Kindness Recipients

The students highlighted in this section are nominated by family and recognized by the school as children learn best when there is close collaboration between home and school on core values.

Share Your Story With US!

Tell US how your child exhibits core values of compassion, kindness, respect, helpfulness and empathy. Share your story and let's build a stronger and kinder community together. Kindness is contagious!

ELEMENTARY

Elementary Community Sharing

On Thursday, May 28th your ES student council pulled off four very successful Virtual Community Sharings. It was a truly amazing experience to get to come together as a community and see all our favorite people “in one room”.

We did a GUS Quiz to see how much we know and remember about our beautiful campus and people. We got up and danced with our wonderful PE teachers, Mr. H and Ms. Jung. We shared some wonderful memories of our times together in the past. And last but not least, we celebrated the successes of our incredible panthers. Panther Way Awards and Jewels of Kindness Awards were distributed with lots of cheers and applause from our classmates and families.

We celebrated everyone in our community for all of the strength, perseverance and growth they have shown through this new adventure we all find ourselves on. It was a great experience and we are looking forward to our next one coming up in June.

panther way awards.pptx

Pre-K Discovery - Nature All Around Us

By: Simone Van Der Merwe

Recently, the students listened to a read aloud of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and engaged in various activities including: a retell of the story using pictures and arranging fruit the Caterpillar ate in the correct order. The focus of inquiry for this unit is Nature Around Us and our Pre-K students explored the butterfly and its life cycle.

Our students evaluated a picture of a beautiful butterfly and explained what they observed. They made butterflies using all natural items for fine motor development and some students took the opportunity to paint fruit from the story. The little ones made butterfly face masks and our curious learners went on a virtual field trip to Butterfly World (not the same one as in Dubai).

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) - Natural Disasters

By: GR4A

This month 4th grade students are learning about tectonic plates and changes to the earth. They explored natural disasters and used their research, persuasive writing, and video editing skills to create a public service announcement to inform others about how they can prepare for/survive a natural disaster. Have a look.

COUNSELING

Build a RAFT or LEAP - Managing Transition in 2020

In the groundbreaking book, Third Culture Kids, David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken discuss the emotional impact of change on families living overseas. TCK explores the range of feelings our children experience as well as our own as parents. Change is difficult living overseas….add the additional uncertainty created by Covid 19…. and well that could be a tipping point for some depending on their situation….or the day.

At school the counseling team has been addressing transition during counseling lessons and advisory blocks in both elementary and secondary. Our secondary talks address the feelings associated with change and uncertainty. I use the following visuals (credit to artist...me) to illustrate the connection between Malsow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the process of TCK Transition.

Identity Through Transition Process

How do we move past stress, anxiety and sadness and find belonging, security and peace? Pollock and Van Reken developed the RAFT model when they wrote Third Culture Kids and later added the LEAP model to empower TCKs. Both stress... leave well = enter well.

RAFT MODEL LEAP MODEL

Building a RAFT or “LEAPing” works best when we are together as a community, supporting one another through the transition process. It’s a heart thing not a head thing. Please know the counseling team is doing our absolute best to support our GUS Panthers. Transition impacts all families. If there is anything we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Megan or myself.

RAFT

Reconciliation - Mend relationships

Affirmation - Acknowledge emotions

Farewells - Bring proper closure

Think destination - What’s next?

LEAP

Leverage- Use your strengths

Express- Be honest about your feelings

Adapt- Write your new story

Partnerships- Find your people

GEMS UNITED PARENTS

Appreciation of our Support Staff

Every year we strive to recognize all of the Support Staff during Ramadan to express our appreciation for all they do for our school. This year the United Parents and Students Councils collaborated and provided Iftar meals and fruit to our GUS family.

Iftar meals were delivered on three occasions and copious amounts of fruit on a different occasion for over 60 staff members including Security, Support Staff, Cleaners, Maintenance, Bus Drivers, Slices Canteen Staff and Gardners.

All of this is possible due to your continued support in United Parents and Student Council Initiatives. As such we are not only thankful for our Support Staff and their help but also thankful to you and your family because we are one GEMS US family.

Expressing Our Gratitude

"Gratitude is one of the most powerful human emotions. Once expressed, it changes attitude, brightens outlook and broadens our perspective." - Germany Kent

Ready to Zumba?

We are excited to offer an opportunity for parents, and your children, to have a little fun and get active. Join us for an online Zumba class specifically for GUS! It's time to have some fun, take a break and burn some calories.

Join US this Tuesday, June 2nd at 4pm. Register at 0569914319 to hold your spot!

We want your feedback!

Please help us build our community. We can't do it without your input. We thank you for your continued support of UP initiatives ! Select the link below to complete the form.

EVERYDAY NEEDS

Stay tuned for menus when/if on-campus classes resume.

Slices Registration

Want to register for Slices canteen services? Click the parent Sign-Up link below.

Absences

When your child is ill or will not be attending school, you will need to inform the school about your child's absence to the following GEMS US staff member:

Please include your child's name, grade & section along with a day of expected return (if known).

For extended absences , please complete the absence form and return to the appropriate staff member noted above for approval by the Principal.

To view your child's report cards, grades (Gr. 6-12), MAP results and CAT 4 (for applicable grades), visit our Plus Portals login page (Secondary). Elementary families need to login at Plus Portals login (Elementary)

Your user name is your registered email (each parent has a separate account) and your password is specific to your requirements.

You can select "can't access your account" to recover/reset your unique password. If you need assistance, please contact Suja at s.vijayakumari_gus@Gemsedu.com

GEMS EDUCATION

Interested in applying for the FAB GEMS Credit Card?

Contact Kiran Sharma, mobile #0556143351 or email Kiran.Sharma@bankfab.com to learn more about the GEMS FAB credit card.

Have you downloaded GEMS Rewards?

Don't miss the opportunity to save! Download the app today from the App store or Google Play and begin saving today.

There are many discounts on food, entertainment, beauty and attractions and you can apply for the GEMS FAB credit card to save on tuition and apply for the the GEMS Ambassador program at your fingertips.

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