GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

I do hope you all had a lovely Spring Break.  Everyone was happy to be back this week and we have settled back quickly into routines.  We have a lot of assessments coming up this term before we finish on the 1st of July.  Please keep an eye on Seesaw for any messages from your teacher.

Dubai Health Authority are running a dental health online session for all who are interested.  Please see the details below if you are interested in attending.

Save the Date: 

23rd April - Field trip to Shingaga Museum (Yrs 2-6)

28th April - Arabic & Islamic External Assessment week

8th May - E Games field trip (Yrs 2-6)

1st June - External Reading Assessment week

24th June - FS Graduation and end of year concert

25th June - FS trip to Pizza Express

1st July - End of School 

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jan

Dear Parents and Students,

Although this week may have felt long, it was, in fact, a calm and peaceful return after the spring break. As I reflected on what to share in this week’s wellbeing section, I wanted to offer something simple and heartwarming—a short story that brings a smile and reminds us of the joy in small things. So, here it is—just for you.

The Magic Pebble

One sunny morning, a little boy named Sam found a shiny pebble on the school playground. It wasn’t just any pebble—it sparkled in the sunlight like a tiny rainbow… and it had a smiley face on it!

Curious, Sam picked it up. The moment he did, the little smile on the pebble seemed to shine even brighter—almost like it was smiling just for him. Sam felt a warm, happy feeling in his chest, and before he knew it, he was smiling too.

He carried the pebble in his pocket all the way back to class, peeking at it now and then. Every time he looked, the smile on the pebble made his smile come back.

At lunchtime, Sam noticed his friend Lucy sitting alone, looking a little sad. Without thinking twice, he walked over and gently placed the pebble next to her.

“It’s magic,” he said with a grin. “It makes you feel better.”

Lucy picked it up. The pebble's happy face made her giggle softly, and for the first time that day, she smiled too.

The next morning, Lucy passed the pebble on to someone else who looked like they needed cheering up. Then that person did the same. And just like that, the smiley-faced pebble kept moving—student to student, friend to friend—spreading smiles and lifting moods wherever it went.

No one kept the pebble for long, but everyone remembered how it made them feel: warm, happy, and seen.

It turned out the pebble wasn’t magic at all.  The real magic came from the kindness it carried with it—one smile at a time.

 😊 Wellbeing Reminder:
Sometimes, all it takes is a smile to change someone’s day. Be the smile, share the kindness—you might just start a little magic of your own.

Happy Weekend

Ms Jikku

This week, we launched an exciting new project all about machines! The children were introduced to a mysterious machine and were encouraged to guess what it might be and what it could do. Each day, a new part was added, sparking rich discussions and wonderful ideas. Some children thought it might be a coffee mixer, while others imagined it making ice cream!

Throughout the week, we explored new vocabulary to describe and write about machines. In science, we compared old and modern machines, discovering how some need energy to work—whether that’s electricity or our own human power! The children especially enjoyed investigating both hand whisks and electric whisks, noticing how they work differently.

In maths, we focused on the composition of 10 and explored the concept of 'one less'. During phonics, we learned the digraph /er/ and practised reading two-syllable words by breaking them into smaller parts.

It’s been a fantastic start to our machine-themed adventure!

Welcome back! 

It has been lovely to see all the children return with such positive energy and enthusiasm. They have settled back into routines beautifully and have already been working incredibly hard across all subjects. In English, we are continuing with our class story The Firework Maker’s Daughter. The children are thoroughly enjoying it and have been eagerly discussing the plot, making thoughtful predictions about what might happen next. We also began exploring the features of playscripts and are learning why they are important in bringing stories to life. In Science, we looked at sun safety and the impact of the sun’s light. The children explored both the benefits and risks of sunlight and discussed how we can stay safe from UV rays. Where as in Maths, we continued our work on measurement. The class practiced comparing lengths using the correct symbols and solved word problems by adding and subtracting lengths. We also launched our exciting new History topic: Ancient Egypt! The class was buzzing with curiosity and had lots of great questions—we’re looking forward to exploring this fascinating topic together.

Here’s to a fantastic Term 3 ahead!

Welcome back to Term 3! It has been a fantastic start to the week!

I hope you all had a restful spring break and a wonderful Eid. It has been a busy start to the week and children have got right back into the swing of things.

This week in Year 4, our budding mathematicians took an exciting step into the world of decimals – and what a fantastic journey it's been! We started the week by looking at tenths, understanding that when something is split into tenths. Using number lines and place value chart , the children saw how 1/10 is the same as 0.1 – their first look at decimal numbers! By the end of the week, they were confidently switching between fractions, decimals, and percentages, and solving problems using all three.

This week, Year 4 have been exploring the world of fables, focusing on the classic tale "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." We discussed the key features of fables and spent time unpicking the moral message – understanding the importance of honesty and how trust can be lost when it’s taken for granted. To bring the story to life, the children took part in a fun and thoughtful hot-seating activity, stepping into the shoes of the boy and answering questions in character. This helped them really understand his thoughts and feelings. We finished the week by writing diary entries from the boy’s perspective, reflecting on his actions and what he learnt.

In science this week, we started a new topic of sound in Science and we looked about vibrations and how vibrations cause soundwaves. Next week we will explore this further! 

Homework and ECA’s will begin next week. We’re also looking forward to our upcoming trip to Shindagha Museum during the week of 21st April, which will give us the chance to connect our classroom learning with Dubai’s rich heritage and culture.

Have a restful weekend.

Welcome back to Term 3!

This week in English, the children started reading The Last Bear and are intrigued to find out what will happen next. They made predictions about the story, used inference skills to understand characters’ thoughts and feelings, and explored the meaning of unfamiliar words in the text.

In Maths, we began learning about decimals up to two decimal places and identified equivalent fractions and decimals.

In Science, we investigated air resistance and carried out an experiment to find out which size parachute creates the most friction. The children selected different materials to test and observed the effects.

In MSC, we looked into supply and demand, discussed what kinds of products people want, and explored why the price of a product might change.

On Wednesday 23rd April, the children will be visiting Al Shindagha Museum as part of our learning. Please look out for the letter for details.

Welcome back to school! We hope everyone had a restful Easter break. Year 6 have settled back into routine and are already diving into new and exciting learning. In English, we’ve started reading The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, and we’re also exploring the features of leaflets. 

In Maths, we are finishing our unit on algebra and will be moving on to decimals next week. Our new Science topic, Living Things and Their Habitats, has seen us learning how to classify animals based on their characteristics. 

In Humanities, we’ve begun a topic on coastlines, looking at how they are formed and why they’re important. During MSC lessons, our focus is on respect – what it means and how we can show it in our everyday lives. 

We’re also looking forward to our upcoming trip to Shindagha Museum during the week of 21st April, which will give us the chance to connect our classroom learning with Dubai’s rich heritage and culture.

                       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، قمنا بمراجعة الدروس السابقة ( الألوان ، الأرقام ، والفواكهة والخضروات ) وراجعنا أنشودة  حروف اللغة العربية ، وتدربنا على كتابة حرف الألف ( أ )وتلوينه وعمل بعض الأنشطة  المختلفة  لتمييز حرف في أول ووسط وآخر الكلمة أصوات حرف الألف القصيرة ( أَ - أُ - إِ )
  :الصف الثاني: كانت بداية رائعة لهذا الأسبوع، قمنا بالعديد من الأنشطة والمسابقات الصفية لرفع المستوى القرائي لدي طلابنا وقد استمتع الطلاب التنافسية فيما بينهم ، وبدأنا اليوم درس (حرف العين) من خلال قصة ( عنبر يطير إلى القلعة البعيدة)
        الصف الرابع: كانت بداية رائعة لهذا الأسبوع، قمنا بالعديد من الأنشطة والمسابقات الصفية لرفع المستوى القرائي لدي طلابنا وقد استمتع الطلاب التنافسية فيما بينهم ، وبدأنا اليوم درس النص المعلوماتي ( كيف أُعبِّرُ عن انتمائي لوطني) 

                                                   Islamic A  /     الإسلامية للعرب                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                :الصف الثاني

بدأنا درسنا كما تعودنا دائما بتحية الإسلام و تعليم الطلاب كيفية رد السلام, قمنا بمراجعة شاملة على السور التي تمت دراستها سابقا بدءًا بسورة الفاتحة , الإخلاص , الناس, الفلق , الشرح وسورة العصر ثم انطلقنا في درسنا الجديد و هو صلاتي نور حياتي.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      :الصف الرابع                في الأسبوع كانت بداية رائعة حيث استطاع الطلاب ان يراجعوا معي جزءًا كبيرًا مما درسوه في الفترة السابقة من سور القرءان الكريم بدءًا من سورة العلق, البينة , الطارق و سورة الغاشية إضافة الى بعضًا من قصار السور بعدها انطلقنا كالعادة في درسنا الجديد الذي هو الايمان بالانبياء سيدنا موسى و سيدنا عيسى عليهما السلام  
                                            Arabic B /     اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها                             
FS: It was a great start to this week, we reviewed the previous lessons (colors, numbers, fruits and vegetables), reviewed the Arabic alphabet song, practiced writing and coloring the letter Alif (أ) and did some different activities to distinguish the letter at the beginning, middle and end of the word, and the short Alif sounds ( أَ - أُ - إِ )

y1:It was a great start to the week. We did many class activities and competitions to raise the reading level of our students. The students enjoyed competing with each other.We reviewed the previous lessons (colors, numbers, fruits and vegetables,and the Arabic alphabet song) Today we started the lesson letter (ح)
y2:It was a great start to the week. We did many class activities and competitions to raise the reading level of our students. The students enjoyed competing with each other.We reviewed the previous lessons (colors, numbers, fruits and vegetables, Family members, body parts, and the Arabic alphabet song) Today we started the lesson letter (ر )We learned the story of the gazelle and the giraffe
y3:It was a great start to the week. We did many class activities and competitions to raise the reading level of our students. The students enjoyed competing with each other. We reviewed the previous lessons and the most important grammar we studied.We started our new lesson (in the music room)
and learned about some musical instruments.
y4:It was a great start to the week. We did many class activities and competitions to raise the reading level of our students. The students enjoyed competing with each other. We reviewed the previous lessons and the most important grammar.we studied.We started our new lesson (In the sea) We learned about some of the marine creatures found in the Emirates and the most famous beaches in Dubai.
y5:It was a great start to the week. We did many class activities and competitions to raise the reading level of our students. The students enjoyed competing with each other. We reviewed the previous lessons and the most important grammar. we started the new lesson which is( Ibn Al-Haytham).
y6:It was a great start to the week. We did many class activities and competitions to raise the reading level of our students. The students enjoyed competing with each other. We reviewed the previous lessons and the most important grammar.we studied.We started our new lesson ( عجائب الكائنات الحية - Wonders of creatures ) We got to know many different animals, reptiles and birds.
                                      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 (My prayer is the light my life). Then we went back to our lesson  be beneficial 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-fil
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 (The best acts in Islam ). 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 and surat al-Qadr
y4: In Islamic this week it was fantastic to start our lesson (Belief in the Prophets (Moses and Jesus (s.a.w)) .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 and surat al-Ghashiyyah
y5: It was so fantastic to start our lesson with revision for what studied in first term, we started this week studying the lesson (The morals of the righteous) .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 al-fajr, 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
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 (The migration to Madinah). 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 An-Nazi’at, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation.  
  Regards, Arabic and Islamic team
Mr. Desoky, Ms. Basma

Ms: Asmaa Elsherbiny   Arabic & Islamic Head