GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

Another great week at GPS with lots of learning and enjoying ourselves.  The school has adjusted nicely to the change in operating hours and no one is missing out on learning.  

We kicked off our "Sharing is Caring" campaign to support the Red Cresent.  If you'd like to donate we are happy to receive anything on the list found on your Seesaw page up to next Wednesday.  A great big thank you to those who have already contributed.  The school will now have an officially registered "Red Cresent Committee" to continue activities to help support this wonderful organisation throughout the coming years.

Save the Date: 

Monday 3rd March - Ramadan Hours start - Monday - Thursday 7.50-12.45, Online for Fridays

Ramadan Kareem

Ms Jan

Dear Students and Parents,

This year, as part of our Ramadan Drive, we have planned several meaningful activities to help and give back to those in need. The first activity, which is already ongoing, involves the collection boxes placed around the school. We encourage all students to contribute generously to these boxes, helping those in need during this blessed month. Your kindness and generosity will make a big difference in the lives of others, and it’s a wonderful way to embrace the spirit of giving this Ramadan.

In addition to the collection boxes, we are also excited to announce the visit of some children with different challenges, who will be coming to our school for an interactive session with all of you. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to share care, help, and support with these children. These children may need a little extra help in some areas, but just like each of you, they have many unique and amazing qualities. They bring their own special talents, and by interacting with them, we have the chance to learn from one another and create a more understanding, caring world.

Students, you might be wondering, “How can I help?” Here are a few ways:

1. Be Kind and Patient: Some children with different challenges may take a little longer to complete tasks or communicate. Your patience and kindness can help them feel more comfortable and confident in participating.

2. Share Your Friendship: A simple smile, a greeting, or even just sitting together can brighten someone’s day. Showing kindness is one of the easiest ways to make someone feel accepted.

3. Learn from Each Other: Everyone has something special to offer. Maybe a child with a different challenge has a talent like drawing, telling stories, or singing. You can learn from them, and they can learn from you too!

4. Celebrate Differences: We all have unique strengths and abilities, and that’s what makes us who we are. Embracing and celebrating each other’s differences helps us grow and work better together.

Why Helping is a Blessing:

When you help others, you’ll find that it makes you feel happy, proud, and energized. The joy and positivity you bring to someone’s life can also come back to you, boosting your own well-being. Helping others not only brings us closer together but also helps us grow in empathy and kindness.

So, let’s all open our hearts and minds to the children with different challenges who will be visiting us this week. The time we spend together will make our school a more caring and special place, and we will create beautiful memories that we’ll cherish for a long time.

Remember, the real gift of helping others is how it helps us become better people. Let’s make this week one filled with kindness, learning, and friendship.

Dear parents, I also encourage you to support your children in becoming active participants in these activities. Your encouragement at home will help them understand the importance of sharing, helping, and supporting others, and it will contribute to their personal growth. By fostering an environment of care and generosity at school and at home, we can make this Ramadan truly special for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support in nurturing an environment of kindness and empathy in our school community.

Warm regards

Ms Jikku

This week, we had a glorious time in EAL! We had an interview for the job of an astronaut, a listening test, and vocabulary matching games. The student also interviewed me for the job of a teacher at Al Ghaf. Long story short, I got the job! 

We also played Taboo, where the students had to guess the word based on clues provided by another student. The catch-the students are not allowed to say certain obvious words, which makes it all the more interesting! We had a good time learning about Ramadan and creating guidebooks to it.  Students created cards wishing everyone Ramadan Mubarak!

We also expanded our sentences using the questions Where? When? and How? in the classroom. Finally, we learned how to express our opinions and participate in a debate, with the topic chosen by the student: Why I think people should have pets.

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Thrive Hive Newsletter! This week, we explored the exciting world of fruits, learning about their bright colours. From recognizing fruits by their vibrant shades to understanding how they help our bodies stay healthy, we all enjoyed nature’s colorful gifts together.

We also worked on improving our “th” sounds! Whether it was the soft “th” in words like “think” or the stronger “th” in words like “that,” every student had fun practicing this important skill.

Additionally, we focused on building simple sentences. Learning to create clear and easy sentences is key to good communication. With each practice, we all grew more confident in our talking and writing abilities. We finished off with reading and comprehension exercises to sharpen our skills and also explored pronouns, discussing why they are important.

Keep thriving, and we look forward to seeing you next time!

This week, we had an exciting visit from Mummy Dragon, who was searching for her baby! The children eagerly discussed how to care for a baby dragon and what it would need to survive. They created their own word banks in writing and practiced using descriptive language to describe Mummy Dragon. We then worked together to create a care guide on how to look after a baby dragon.

In math, we explored length, using mathematical vocabulary to compare and arrange items by size. The children also practiced number formation, ordering numbers, and combining groups to find a total.

Our science lessons were full of curiosity and discovery as we compared the past to the present. We looked at old photographs and toys, discussing how things have changed over time. The children especially loved playing with old telephones and learning about Miss Chloe’s grandparents.

In phonics, we focused on reading and writing with the digraph /ai/, building confidence in recognizing and using this sound in words. It has been a fantastic week of learning and exploration!

Ramadhan Kareem! 

Year 3 had a fantastic and productive week! In Maths, we kicked off our new topic on measurement. The children had lots of fun using meter sticks and rulers to measure various items around the school in millimeters (mm) and centimeters (cm). In Science, we began exploring the topic of light. The children took part in an exciting investigation where they tried to identify objects inside a dark box. They then used a light source to compare how much easier it is to see with light, helping them understand why light is essential for vision. Where as in English, the class worked hard to complete their persuasive pitches. They put great effort into editing and refining their writing to make their arguments as convincing as possible. Great dedication and enthusiasm in every subject this week. 

Science investigation. 

Measuring in Maths.

Another successful week of learning in Year 4!

This week, we focused on building confidence in calculating equivalent fractions. We applied our multiplication and division knowledge to find fractions that represent the same value and deepened our understanding through different strategies and representation.

In writing, we have been working on our newspaper articles about the missing trophy from Al Ghaf Private School. We have been refining our use of headlines, quotes, and formal language to make our articles engaging and informative. With final edits in progress, our work will be published next week!

As a proud and officially registered "Red Crescent Committee" we announce the launch of our "Sharing is Caring" campaign. If you'd like to contribute, please check the list on Seesaw, and we will gladly accept donations until next Wednesday. A heartfelt thank you to all who have already generously contributed. 

On Tuesday we will be visiting the K9 shelter for our school trip. If you have not already signed and returned the trip letter and money, please do so by Monday at the latest or your child will not be able to attend this trip.

Gentle reminder that during Ramadan, school opens at 7:50am for the first lesson to start at 8am. It is crucial your child is in school and ready to learn as the first lesson is always a core subject.

Have a great weekend and Ramadan Mubarak! May this month be a blessed one for you and your family.

It’s been a productive week! We adjusted to Ramadan timings and shorter lessons but still powered through our learning.

In English, we completed our non-chronological report writing, and the children wrote detailed reports on cave diving, focusing on the equipment needed and the process involved.

In Maths, we wrapped up our unit on multiplication and division and began exploring angles. The children have been learning about different types of angles, particularly right angles, obtuse angles, and acute angles, and practised identifying them. 

In Science, we studied friction, learning how it affects movement and how it can be both helpful and harmful in various situations. The children discussed real-life examples, such as how it helps us walk or slows down a car. 

In MSC, the children researched merchants and explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Marco Polo, and shared interesting facts about them.

I hope remote learning on Friday went well, with all the work available on Seesaw. Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead!

As a proud and officially registered "Red Crescent Committee" we announce the launch of our "Sharing is Caring" campaign. If you'd like to contribute, please check the list on Seesaw, and we will gladly accept donations until next Wednesday. A heartfelt thank you to all who have already generously contributed. 

As we adapt to the shorter Ramadan timings, our classes continue to progress. In English, we've begun a new topic focusing on newspaper reports, exploring their key features and structure. In Maths, we’ve just completed our ratio topic and will be starting a new topic next week, following our upcoming test. In Science, we are continuing our studies on electricity, deepening our understanding of its principles and applications.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement!

    السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

يسرني أن أقدّم نفسي لكم الأستاذة أسماء عبدالظاهر الشربيني، رئيسة قسم اللغة العربية في مدرسة الغاف. يشرفني التعاون مع فريق المعلمين المتميزين في المدرسة لتقديم أعلى مستويات التعليم في مواد اللغة العربية والتربية الإسلامية، بما يساهم في تعزيز الهوية الثقافية والدينية لطلابنا. نسعى دائمًا إلى تنمية مهارات الطلاب في القراءة والكتابة والفهم، وتعزيز قيمهم الإسلامية بما يتماشى مع رؤيتنا التربوية.

I am pleased to introduce myself to you as Ms. Asmaa Abdel-Zaher El-Sherbiny, Head of theArabic Department at Al Ghaf School. I am honored to collaborate with the distinguished teaching team at the school to provide the highest levels of education in Arabic language and Islamic studies, contributing to the enhancement of our students' cultural and religious identity. We constantly strive to develop students' skills in reading, writing, and comprehension, while promoting their Islamic values in alignment with our educational vision.
 

                                                              What did we learn? /    ماذا تعلمنا؟ 

                                        Arabic  A    /  اللغة العربية للعربية                      .
الروضة:كانت بداية رائعة لهذا الأسبوع، بدأنا بالتعرف على حروف اللغة العربية ، وحفظنا الأنشودة  وتدربنا على كتابة الحرف وتلوينه وعمل بعض الأنشطة ، كما تدربنا  على أصوات حرف الألف القصيرة ( أَ - أُ - إِ ) ، مع كلمات متنوعة بها حرف الألف ( أسد - أرنب - باب - أُخطبوط)
  الصَّف الثاني:  درسنا حرف الضاد ( صض) وتعرفنا على أشكاله المختلفة ، بالحركات الطويلة والقصيرة، وقمنا بدراسة قصة (ضفضوع يضيعُ في الضباب ) ،  وشرحها بأسلوب مُبسط وحل أوراق العمل ، كما قمنا بعمل أنشطة مختلفة وتلوين أوراق العمل.
الصَّف الرابع: قمنا بتكملة قصة ( حلا تجعل حياتها أحلى ) وقمنا بتحليل عناصر القصة والدروس المستفادة  منها ، وبعض القواعد النحوية
(أسلوب العطف وقمنا بحل أسئلة الكتاب) ،.
 

                                                   Islamic A  /     الإسلامية للعرب                                                
                                                                                                                                                                      الصَّف الثاني: كان من الرائع جدًا أن نبدأ درسنا بمراجعة ما درسه من قبل للاستعداد للدرس الجديد هو (أركان الإيمان). والتمييز بينها وبين أركان الإسلام و التعرف على مفهوم كل ركن من أركان الإيمان ، كما قمنا بمراجعة سورة الفاتحة والإخلاص والفلق، مع التركيز على التدريب على سورة الفلق، كما نشجع الطلاب على مراجعتها وممارستها في المنزل لتعزيز مهارات الحفظ والإتقان. وبفضل الله اتقنا حفظ حفظ أنشودة الوضوء واتقنا الخطوات استعدادًا للتدريب العملي

الصَّف الرابع: كان من الرائع جدًا أن نبدأ درسنا بمراجعة ما درسه من قبل للاستعداد للدرس الجديد وهو (الصَّوم). وتعلمنا مفهوم الصوم وفضائله آدابه ، كما تم التعرف على من يجب عليه الصوم، مع التركيز على التدريب على سورة الفجر مع حكم التجويد (القلقلة)، كما نشجع الطلاب على مراجعتها وممارستها في المنزل لتعزيز مهاراتهم الحفظ والإتقان.
                                            Arabic B /     اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها               
 

FS:It was a great start to this week. We started learning about the letters of the Arabic language, memorized the chant, and practiced writing and coloring the letter and doing some activities. We also practiced the short sounds of the letter Alif (A-A-E), with various words that contain the letter Alif (lion asad - rabbit  arnab - door bab - octopus ouctobout).
Y1:It was a great start to the week! We did a thorough review of everything covered previously and completed the lesson on the letter (و) Waow, exploring its different shapes, long and short vowels, and various words associated with it. Additionally, we used the vocabulary to build a sentences.
Y2:It was a great start to the week! We did a thorough review of everything covered previously and We have completed the lesson letters (ر - ز  ). We learned their different shapes, long and short vowels, and various words associated with them. We used the vocabulary to build simple sentences with "this" (هذا) and "this" (هذه). Additionally, we used the conjunction "and" to construct, write, and read sentences correctly.We also talked about the virtues of the holy month of Ramadan and did some activities and coloring the Ramadan lantern.
Y3:It was a great start to the week! We completed the lesson (time and date ) by learning about the months. The student can also present today's date by mentioning the day of the week, the day's date, and the year.
Y4:It was a wonderful start to the week as we reviewed what we had studied before. We completed the lesson on "Weather Conditions" where we learned about different types of weather, such as sunny, rainy, windy, and cloudy. The students practiced describing the weather in simple sentences, such as "It is sunny today" or "It is raining." We also discussed how the weather changes in different seasons. The students worked on worksheets and participated in activities where they matched weather conditions with pictures.We also practiced writing long sentences to express the weather condition, and a simple paragraph about the weather condition today. We solved the book’s activities.
Y5: This week was different a lot. So in grade 5 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the new lesson. We started our new lesson which is "Fi al-matar".  We learnt new form of the verb with I. It was so funny as we started studying recognizing the Arabic letters students learnt the short and long vowels and, they started to  read comprehension skills through regular reading practice. We focus on enhancing their ability to understand texts and grasp the finer details of phonetic structures. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. students good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. We also started this week learning the colors, numbers and everything about myself. We already congratulated students with the upcoming of the month of Ramadan this year.  
Y6:
                                      Islamic B   /  الإسلامية للناطقين بِغيرها
Y2:  As we usually do we started greeting students and teaching them how to reply to this greeting in Islamic it was so fantastic to follow our lesson “ surat an-Nas” which we started last week. We made a revision of the lessons (Surat al-Ikhlas), Then we went back to our lesson Allah is my Lord and the meanings of the key words therein. We are working diligently and actively on reviewing Surat Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq, with a focus on practicing surat al-Ikhlas, as we encourage students to review and practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery. We already congratulated students with the upcoming of the month of Ramadan next year.
Y3:As we usually do we started greeting students  and teaching them how to reply to this greeting in Islamic it was so fantastic to start our new lesson “ surat al-Qadr”. We made a revision of the lessons "surat ash-sharh". We have reviewed Surahs Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq, and we are currently working on memorizing and contemplating surat ash-sharh, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation.We already congratulated students with the upcoming of the month of Ramadan this year.   
Y4: we usually do we started greeting students  and teaching them how to reply to this greeting in Islamic it was so fantastic to start our new lesson “ surat al-Fajr”. We made a revision of the lessons surat al-Bayyinah, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation. We studied the story of the revelation, which added a deep understanding of the meanings of the verses and made the students live with the moments of the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We use interactive activities and open-ended dialogues to simplify concepts and enhance students' understanding of the values ​​learned from the lessons, helping them to relate deeply to the teachings of their religion and apply them in their daily lives.We already congratulated students with the upcoming of the month of Ramadan this year.
Y5:  As we usually do we started greeting students  and teaching them how to reply to this greeting in Islamic it was so fantastic to start our new lesson “ surat al-Ghashiyah”. We made a revision of the lessons .surat at-Tariq, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation. We studied the story of the revelation, which added a deep understanding of the meanings of the verses and made the students live with the moments of the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We use interactive activities and open-ended dialogues to simplify concepts and enhance students' understanding of the values ​​learned from the lessons, helping them to relate deeply to the teachings of their religion and apply them in their daily lives.We already congratulated students with the upcoming of the month of Ramadan this year.
Y6: As we usually do we started greeting students  and teaching them how to reply to this greeting in Islamic it was so fantastic to start our new lesson “ surat an-Nazi’at”. We made a revision of the lessons ( surat at-Takweer). We revised some important islamic concepts like resources of shari'ah, pillars of islam and pillars of iman and prayers. We have reviewed Surahs Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq, and we are currently working on memorizing and contemplating verses of Surat at-Takwir, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation. We studied the story of the revelation, which added a deep understanding of the meanings of the verses and made the students live with the moments of the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We use interactive activities and open-ended dialogues to simplify concepts and enhance students' understanding of the values ​​learned from the lessons, helping them to relate deeply to the teachings of their religion and apply them in their lives. We already congratulated students with the upcoming of the month of Ramadan this year.
  Regards, Arabic and Islamic team
Mr. Desoky, Ms. Basma

Ms: Asmaa Elsherbiny   Arabic & Islamic Head