GPS Newsletter

10th January 2025

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents

Welcome Back Everyone and a Happy New Year!

It was great seeing everyone on Monday and we are all settled back into the routine and looking forward to great things. We started the new year with some new members to the GPS families - A warm welcome to you all!

After such a busy first term we have a calmer start to this term as we concentrate on external and internal assessments. There will be some trips out and the dates will be given as soon as they are confirmed. For now, I have put the dates down below for the assessment schedules and a few confirmed activities, but please do note that it could have updates in the near future.

Save the Date:

Week of the:

20th January External Arabic and Islamic (years 3 and up)

27th January External NGRT Form B (reading test for years 2 and up)

3rd February Internal written assessments for all subjects

and

Friday 7th February "Spread the Love" - dressing up in red and white colours with activities on empathy and caring

Half-term break start 12.00pm Friday 7th and we return Monday 17th February

Monday 17th February DHA dental health check for all children

Friday 28th February - Emariti Education Day - we will celebrate this with the UAE for the first time ever!

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jan

Wellbeing

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year, Hope everyone had a good start. As we started a new year we have our week coming up soon. Ms Janet has mentioned the dates of the upcoming assessments. I encourage all you to support your child and please don't stress yourself and stress your child . The story below would help you manage stress better.

"A Helping Hand from Mrs. Patel"

Maya was feeling nervous. She was in grade 5 and had a big test coming up. Every day, she worried that she wouldn’t remember everything she needed to study. She felt her stomach twist with fear. "What if I don’t do well?" she thought. "What if I forget all the answers?"

One morning, Maya’s teacher noticed that Maya looked upset. Mrs. Patel, the school counselor, walked over to her. "Maya, is everything okay?" she asked with a kind smile.

Maya shook her head. "I’m really nervous about my test. I’ve been studying so much, but I’m still scared I’ll forget everything."

Mrs. Patel nodded and said, "I can see you're feeling stressed, Maya. It's okay to feel this way, but it’s also important to find ways to calm down and feel ready for the test."

Maya’s mom, Priya, was picking her up from school that afternoon. Mrs. Patel waved them both over and said, “Maya has been feeling nervous about her test, and I’d love to talk to you both about some ways to help manage stress before a big test.”

Priya looked worried too. “I know she’s been studying hard, but I don’t want her to feel too much pressure. What can we do?”

Mrs. Patel smiled warmly. "The first thing is to know that it’s completely normal for students to feel nervous about tests. But there are things we can do to help Maya feel more calm and confident."

She turned to Maya and said, “Maya, sometimes when we’re nervous, it’s hard to think clearly. One of the best things you can do is take regular breaks. Studying for too long without a break can make you even more tired and stressed. Try studying for 20 to 30 minutes, then take a short break. You could go for a walk, stretch, or even just listen to your favorite music for a few minutes.”

Maya smiled a little. "That sounds better than just sitting and studying all day."

Mrs. Patel nodded. “Exactly. And Maya, something else that helps is breathing. When you feel nervous, it helps to take deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, hold it for a moment, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Doing this a few times can help your body feel calm.”

Priya looked thoughtful. “I’ve heard about breathing exercises, but I didn’t know they could help with test stress.”

Mrs. Patel explained, “Yes! It’s a simple trick, but it works. It tells your brain that everything is okay, and it helps you focus better. Maya, how about we practice together?”

Maya and her mom tried a few deep breaths with Mrs. Patel. They all took a moment to feel calm.

Mrs. Patel continued, “Another thing, Maya, is to make a study plan. Instead of trying to study everything all at once, pick a few things to focus on each day. This way, it won’t feel too overwhelming. You can even make a checklist, and as you finish each subject, you can check it off. That will help you feel like you're making progress.”

Maya nodded. “I like that idea! I can make a list and check things off.”

“And don’t forget to sleep well,” Mrs. Patel added. "A good night's sleep is just as important as studying. When you’re well-rested, you can think better and remember more.”

Priya smiled. "We can definitely make sure Maya gets enough sleep."

Mrs. Patel turned to Priya and said, “Lastly, I want to remind you that it’s okay to check in with Maya about how she’s feeling. Sometimes, just talking about your worries can make them seem smaller. Encourage her to share her feelings, and let her know that it’s okay to feel nervous. It’s normal, and you’re both doing your best.”

Maya looked up at her mom and said, “I think I can do this, Mom. I’ll take breaks, breathe when I get nervous, make a plan, and sleep well.”

Priya smiled and hugged her. “I’m proud of you, Maya. We’re in this together.”

Mrs. Patel gave Maya and her mom one last piece of advice: “Remember, tests are just one part of learning. They don’t show everything you know, and they don’t decide who you are. Just do your best, and that’s enough.”

The next few days, Maya felt much better. She used her study plan, took breaks, and even remembered to breathe deeply when she started to feel nervous. On the day of the test, she was still a little worried, but she knew she had done everything she could to prepare.

When Maya finished the test, she felt proud of herself. She had worked hard, stayed calm, and remembered that she was more than just a test score.

Hope this helps you

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jikku

FS 1 & 2

What we've done

Welcome back, and Happy New Year! It’s wonderful to see most of the children back at school and excited to learn. This week, we’ve launched our new project all about the oceans and life under the sea. The children will explore the different oceans, ocean habitats, and the fascinating sea creatures that live there. This learning will help prepare them for our exciting trip to the Turtle Sanctuary on January 21st.

In writing, we began by discussing what we already know about the oceans and shared key facts. The children created questions, practiced using punctuation, and worked on their individual writing targets.

In science, we explored beach habitats, talked about activities we enjoy both in and out of the water, and compared why some activities are better suited to specific environments. The children had lots of fun making their own ice lollies by following instructions independently. They also used their five senses to create a sensory beach walk, expanding their vocabulary through playful activities.

In math, we focused on numbers 0–5 and beyond, practicing reading, writing, and understanding parts of these numbers. We also revisited concepts like "one more" and "one less."

For phonics, we learned the digraphs ch, sh, th (voiced and unvoiced), and ng. Please encourage your child to practice these sounds at home, paying special attention to the correct tongue placement.

Lastly, we kindly ask that any reading books borrowed over the holiday be returned so we can issue new ones.

Year 1

What we've done

Welcome back, and Happy New Year! We have had a great first week back and the children have settled well back into routine.

In English we finished off our topic on the Gruffalo by making a Gruffalo crumble. We then started our new topic on 'Traditional tales' exploring the features and creating beautiful anchor charts. The first story we are focusing on is 'Little Red Riding Hood'. The children have enjoyed joining in and taking on the role of the different characters.

In Maths we continued on where we left off with place value within 20. The children were estimating on a number line and comparing numbers using less than, greater than and equal to.

We started a new topic in IPC, 'The Earth Our Home'. We discussed what we think a healthy world would look like and the children created some lovely paintings. In geography, we were introduced to the seven continents and were able to make real life links to where we live now and where we come from.

Year 2

What we've done

Welcome back and Happy New Year!This week in Year 2, we’ve been busy exploring exciting topics across all our subjects! In English, the children have started planning a non-chronological report, focusing on doctors and nurses, while also learning about the difference between past and present tense. In Maths, we began a new topic on counting money, practicing how to identify coins and notes. In Science, we discussed what animals need to survive and worked on creating fact files about our favourite animals. For Humanities, we kicked off our new topic on seaside resorts, learning about their key features and why they are popular holiday destinations. Finally, in IPC, we started our “Our Earth, Our Home” topic, using adjectives to describe the beauty and diversity of our planet. It’s been a fantastic week of learning and discovery!

Year 3

Happy New Year! Wishing you all a warm welcome back. It has been a great first week filled with lots of new topics!

In English Year 3 have started dissecting our new class book called 'The King of Space'. This week we read the book, explored the themes and wrote a character description of the main character Rex. Whereas in Maths we started the topic multiplication. We started with practising arrays and then focused on multiples of 2,5 and 10. In Science Year 3 had lots of fun learning about different rocks ! We focused on identifying different types of rocks by carrying out an investigation and using a magnifying glass , we walked around the school grounds in search for as many different rocks as we could find. Once the children collected a few different rocks, they then explored and explained the properties of them. Which relates to our new topic in IPC and history where we will be looking at footprints of the past. This week the children researched the key vocabulary words on their tablets for the upcoming unit, such as fossils, extinct and paleontologists to get some understanding of what is to come.

Science Investigation.

Creating arrays to represent multiples of 2,5 and 10.

In English the children wrote adjectives to describe the main character for the working walls.

Year 4

What we've done

Welcome back and Happy New Year!

It is great to see the children excited and ready to learn; we have dived right back into learning with all topics.

In English, we started reading the story of Romulus and Remus which is a fictional Myth. It was great to see the children so engaged with the story and eager to know what happened next. They used their inference skills to predict what the story would be about and answered comprehension questions. Next week we will be unpicking the story and exploring the characters in depth.

In Maths, we finished our multiplication and division unit A. The children have improved their times tables and are more confident in answering questions around this, especially when playing ‘Around the World’. Next week we will start multiplication and division unit B, looking at factor pairs and looking at different multiplication and division methods.

In Science, we started our unit of Animals including Humans and we began by looking at the human digestive system. We touched on the functions of the organs and will be making our own digestive system next week in a fun practical lesson!

Have a great weekend!

Year 5

Happy New Year!

The children returned to school full of enthusiasm, ready to engage and dive into their learning. It was wonderful to see their energy and curiosity as they embraced the new term.

In English, we began an exciting unit on poetry, exploring its creativity and variety. The children were introduced to different forms of poetry, such as limericks, acrostics, and kennings. They started analysing the structure of each type and identifying their unique features.

In Maths, we conducted a pre-assessment on fractions to gauge prior knowledge and identify areas for growth. The children then explored the concept of equivalent fractions, starting with those related to unit fractions. Additionally, they honed their numerical skills by completing mental arithmetic exercises, focusing on speed and accuracy.

In Science, the focus shifted to investigating materials and their solubility in water. The children conducted hands-on experiments to discover which substances dissolve and which do not, encouraging predictions, observations, and recording results.

In MSC, we concluded the 'Growing Up and Well-being' unit with a reflective discussion on the concept of happiness. The children explored the difference between real happiness, derived from meaningful experiences, and fake happiness, which may come from temporary or superficial sources.

Exploring Dissolving 🔍🌡️

Year 6

Welcome back and Happy New Year!

It is great to see the children excited and getting back into routine with their new topics.

In English, we finished writing our narrative writing using the features of similes, metaphors, personification and onomatopoeia. The children edited and drafted their final write by combining their openings and resolutions. Next week the children will be working towards their new topic of Poetry.

In Maths, we finished our Fractions unit A. The children have improved on their adding, subtracting the changing mixed number to improper fractions vice versa. We have now started Part B of fractions, looking to multiply and divide our fractions.

In Science, we started our unit of Light and looking at how we see things and the way in which light travels. During the following weeks we will look into the formation of shadows and our investigations on light.

In Humanities we started our new topic on the Age of discovery, looking at the 'Golden Era' of when and how trade was revolutionised within the Middle East.

In MSC we covered the topic of patience and pondered on the quote "its not about how long you wait, rather how you wait"

Have a great weekend!

Arabic and Islamic

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 هذا الاسبوع مع طلاب الروضة، قمنا بمراجعة الالوان والارقام وبعض الاناشيد العربية، كما قمنا بتعلم الفواكهة وركزنا على
.برتقال، فراولة، عنب، تفاح وقضينا وقت ممتع بتلوين النشاط
الصف الثاني: قمنا بمراجعة الدروس السابقة، ودرسنا حرفنا الجديد د وتوظيف المفردات في جُمل بسيطة، وتدربنا عليها وقمنا بحل أوراق العمل في الدفتر
الصف الرابع: قمنا بمراجعة ما سبق،كما بدأنا قصة غابة العجائب وتلخصيها وتعلمنا الدروس المُستفادة من القصة

Islamic A / الإسلامية للعرب
الصف الثاني: قمنا بمراجعة القرآن وبعض قواعد التجويد، بدأنا سورة الاخلاص كما تعلمنا معاني الآيات الكريمة

الصف الرابع: قمنا بُمراجعة القرآن الكريمة وقواعد التجويد،كما بدأنا درس سورة البينة وحفظنا أول 6 آيات وتعرفنا على معاني الآيات الكريمة

Arabic B / اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها
FS: It was a great start to this week with the kindergarten students. We reviewed colors, numbers, and some Arabic songs. We also learned fruits and focused on (oranges, strawberries, grapes, apples) and we had a fun time coloring the activity.

Y1:It was a great start to reviewing the letters we had learned. We learned a new letter ز zay and learned new vocabulary and used it with this and that

Y2:We reviewed what we had learned previously in the Arabic lesson. We learned a new lesson, the letter J, and we learned vocabulary and used it in sentences with this and these and some adjectives, and the students were able to express them easily. Well done.

Y3:We reviewed what we had previously learned in the Arabic lesson. We learned new vocabulary in the My Five Senses lesson and used it in sentences and some adjectives, and the students were able to speak about it easily. Well done.
Y4:We reviewed what we had previously learned in the Arabic lesson. We learned new vocabulary in the lesson every morning and used it in sentences. The students wrote a simple paragraph to express their daily routine, and the students were able to talk about their daily routine. Well done.

Y5:This week was different a lot. So in grade 5 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt we started our new lesson which is "Mehrajan al-alwan". 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.

Y6:It was a great start to reviewing what we had learned in Arabic grammar, and we began learning a new lesson (In My Home). We learned the vocabulary of the lesson and used it in simple sentences and paragraphs in which the student talks about his home.

Islamic B / الإسلامية للناطقين بِغيرها
Y2:In year 2 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 lesson with revision for what studied before to get ready for the new lesson which is (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 are currently discussing the pillars of Islam.

Y3:In the first week of January, year 3 as usual started with teaching students to greet others with Islamic greeting and to reply to it. it was so fantastic to start our lesson with revision for what studied in the first term to get ready for the new lesson which is "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.

Y4: In Islamic this week it was fantastic to follow our lesson ( surat al-Bayyinah). 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 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.

Y5:It was so fantastic to start our lesson with revision for what studied in first term, we started this week studying the lesson surat at-Tariq.We also revised some important islamic concepts like 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-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.

Y6:it was so fantastic to start our lesson with revision for what we learnt in the first term, then we went back to our lesson .we started this week studying the lesson( 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 daily lives.

ESPAÑOL

What we've done

Feliz Año Nuevo todos ,

This week went so well students were so happy to be back with full of energy . In year 1 students learnt about Los Tiempos (Seasons) by doing colouring worksheets and practicing song based on it . In year 2 students has started learning about En mi estuche - In my pencilcase in which they discover about things inside their pencilcase and their names in Spanish by writing them in their notebooks. In year 3 students reviewd about numeros in Spanish based on an activty and worksheets which help them to recall numeros from 0-10 in Spanish . In KS2 students studied about Los Transportes (Types of Transports) in Spanish in which students describe about types of transports they use in everyday life also research about transports in UAE and wrote them in Spanish . Muchas Gracias for support .

Tengas buen fin de Semana

Hasta Luego

Señor Radhey

STREAM

What we've done

Welcome back and Happy New Year. The children have had a wonderful week. FS learned about mammals, birds and insects and their habitats. They sorted toy animals and pictures into their corresponding habitats. This week, Year 1 had fun building structures using recycled materials while Year 2 learnt different weather and painted some weather icons. Years 3 and 4 started planning and designing a simple machine model made from recycled materials which needed to solve a certain will solve certain environmental issues. Year 5 has been busy planning and designing their STEAM functional products made from recyclable materials. Year 6 this week enjoyed our science experiment after learning about forces and their effects.

Have a great weekend!

Have a great week ahead!

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