GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

A fun week this week.  We celebrated Hag al Laila and finished the week with Sports Day.  Lots of wonderful memories for all of us.  I was thrilled this week when the GPS family celebrated my birthday and I was given a tonne of homemade birthday cards from the kids.  It was really moving.

Save the Date: 

Monday 24th February DHA dental health check for all children

Tuesday 25th February - Yrs 3-6 trip to the "Qu'ranic Park"

Wednesday 26th February - FS-Yr 2 trip to the "Qu'ranic Park"

Thursday 27th February - Parent-Teacher meetings  (or by appointment by the teachers)

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

Have a lovely week!

Ms Jan

Dear Parents,

As we approach the first Emirati Education Day on February 28th, 2025, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the importance of education and its role in shaping the well-being of our children. In the UAE, our leaders have always emphasized the value of education, not just for academic growth but for the mental and emotional development of each individual.

This is a great time to sit down with your children and have an open conversation about why learning is important. While it’s normal for students to sometimes feel like learning, reading, or completing assignments can be a lot of work, it’s essential to remind them that the effort they put into their education brings many benefits—especially when it comes to their mental health and overall well-being.

Here are a few points you might want to highlight with them:

• Learning Builds Confidence: Every time they accomplish something new, whether big or small, it helps them feel proud and confident in their abilities.

• Education Strengthens Emotional Health: Learning teaches valuable skills like problem-solving and emotional regulation, which can help children manage stress and feel more in control of their emotions.

• It Helps Build Connections: Education creates opportunities for children to work with others, share ideas, and build friendships, making them feel supported and less isolated.

• It Encourages Resilience: While learning can sometimes feel challenging, it also teaches resilience and perseverance, showing children that they can overcome difficulties and continue moving forward.

• It Brings Happiness and Fulfillment: The sense of accomplishment that comes with learning new things boosts happiness and provides a deep sense of pride.

As we celebrate Emirati Education Day, it’s the perfect time to remind our children that, while learning may sometimes seem overwhelming, it is a journey that shapes their future and well-being. Encourage them to embrace the process, and help them see how education not only opens doors for them but also contributes to their personal growth and mental strength.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive and enriching environment for our children’s education and well-being.

Have a lovely Weekend

Regards 

Ms Jikku

This week, in EAL we had a challenge for the students! They were asked to put their English reading skills, listening skills and writing skills to the test, as we picked up the pace and completed almost all of the progress assessments. The students were presented with audio from which they had to decipher the meaning and answer questions, which were a mix of drawing lines, colouring and standard questions such as fill in the blanks. In Speaking, they were asked questions related to their plans for the weekend, the best birthday they had, and what places to visit back in their home country and Dubai. In Reading, the students were challenged to choose from multiple choices, and answer the questions. In Writing, they were asked to let their imagination run wild and fill the page with fantastic words.  Some students were so quick, they amazed the teacher, while others were really careful about the questions. All in all, we managed to succeed and have fun at the same time! If you ask the students which part of the assessments they preferred.. You would not be surprised to know it’s Speaking!

Welcome back! Year 3 have kicked off the second half of Term 2 very well. In Maths this week we have been recalling multiples of 2, 3, 5, 8 and 10. The children have done really well in also reasoning and comparing different multiplication sums using the greater than, less than and equal symbols. Whereas in English they have been perfecting their advertisement plans by adding a vast range of persuasive language and presented their ideas to the class. The children did extremely well in providing each other feedback, in which each child edited and improved their work.  In Science we completed our end of unit assessments on fossils, soil and rock, the children did really well in remembering most key facts! Next week we will be moving on to our new topic of 'Light' in Science. 

Year 3 and 4 also hosted another amazing makers market, where they prepared lots of lovely treats to sell to the other students in the school. We are extremely proud of their efforts throughout the process from designing products to sell, to actually being great saleswomen/men and raising a great amount to donate for the local K9 animal shelter.  We will be using the money to purchase food, blankets and toys for the animals in the local K9 shelter. In the near future we will be visiting them to gift our donations and the children will learn about the importance of charity and giving back to the community! 

We also celebrated Haq al Laila , where the children dressed up in beautiful outfits and shared treats and candies around the school.  We then ended the week with a super active and fun sports day! Well done to everyone for their hard work and motivation. 

Haq al Laila celebrations!

Welcome back, I hope you all had a restful break!

It has been a busy first week back to school. In Maths, we started our new unit of fractions, looking at whole and mixed numbers. We learnt count beyond 1 in fractions and change an improper fraction to a mixed number.

In English, we started exploring features of a newspaper article, looking at the different types of newspapers. We identified the teachers of an example and will begin to plan and write our own next week!

Year 3 and 4 held a fabulous makers market once again. I am so proud of their entrepreneurial skills!

 As a school, celebrated Hag Al Laila and children brought in snacks and sweet treats to share with their peers. We ended the week with a day full of fun and competitiveness in Sports Day.

Gentle reminder for those who have not booked in to meet with me next week, please refer to my Seesaw post for timings.

We have our Quranic Park trip on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend.

Ms Nimra

What a busy start to the second half of term 2 Year 5 has had! We celebrated Haq al Laila and Sports Day. The children competed in various events, showcasing their athletic skills and team spirit, making it a fun and energetic day for all.

In English, we finished reading The Pearl Diver, a fantastic story that highlights the traditions of the UAE. The children also examined non-chronological reports, identifying their key features and understanding how they are structured.

As mathematicians, the children learned different methods of multiplication, including short multiplication, the grid method, and long multiplication. They practised using each method and applied them to various problems to strengthen their understanding and accuracy.

In Science, Year 5 began a new unit on 'Forces' and investigated what forces are. They examined push and pull forces and identified the different forces acting on various objects.

In MSC, we started a new unit called Trade, Travel, and Communication and explored ancient Roman trade. The children learned how the Romans traded goods such as pottery, wine, and oil across vast distances, using roads, ships, and trading routes.

Great week back after a restful break!

It has been a productive week. In English we have started our new topic on chronological reports while in Maths, we started our new unit of ratios, looking at creating equations and using ratio symbols.

Year 3 and 4 held a fabulous makers market once again. Thanks to their entrepreneurial skills!

 As a school, celebrated Hag Al Laila and children brought in snacks and sweet treats to share with their peers. We ended the week with a day full of fun and competitiveness in Sports Day.

Gentle reminder for those who have not booked in to meet with me next week, please refer to my Seesaw post for timings.

Lastly please do not forget, We have our Quranic Park trip on Tuesday.

                       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 أنشدوة الخضروات والتعرف علي انواع جديدة من الخضروات بالعربية مثل : ( طماطم - خيار - جزر - بصل -كوسة- باذنجان - كرنب - خس) ، وتدربنا على جمل بسيطة باللغة العربية : ( هذا خيار اخضر – أنا آكل باذنجان )، قمنا بعمل أنشطة مختلفة وتلوين أوراق العمل.
  الصَّف الثاني : قمنا بتعلم حرف الصاد ( ص ) وتعرفنا على أشكاله المختلفة ، بالحرك ات الطويلة والقصيرة، وقمنا بدراسة قصة (فصيح وصدقه البلبل ) وشرحها بأسلوب مُبسط وحل أوراق العمل
الصَّف الرابع : تعلمنا قصة ( حلا تجعل حياتها أحلى ) وقمنا بتحليل عناصر القصة والدروس المستفادة  منها ، وبعض القواعد النحوية (تكوين الجملة الأسمية  ، تكوين الجملة )
 

                                                   Islamic A  /     الإسلامية للعرب                                
                                                                                                                                                                      :الصَّف الثاني: كما نفعل دائمًا، بدأنا بالتحية على الطلاب وتعليمهم كيفية الرد على هذه التحية بالطريقة الإسلامية، وكان من الرائع جدًا أن نبدأ درسنا بمراجعة ما درسه من قبل للاستعداد للدرس الجديد وهو (سورة الناس ). وتعلمنا معاني الكلمات القرآنية في سورة النَّاس. نعمل بجد ونشاط على مراجعة سورة الفاتحة والإخلاص، مع التركيز على التدريب على سورة النَّاس، كما نشجع الطلاب على مراجعتها وممارستها في المنزل لتعزيز مهاراتهم الحفظ والإتقان. ونحن الآن نتحدث عن الوضوء وحفظنا الأنشودة

الصَّف الرابع: في الإسلامية هذا الأسبوع كان من الرائع دراسة أول 7 آيات من (سورة الفجر). لقد قمنا بمراجعة سورة البينة، ونعمل حاليا على حفظ وتدبر آيات سورة الفجر، كما نشجع الطلاب على ممارسة تلاوتها في المنزل لتعزيز حفظهم. وإتقان تلاوتهم. ودرسنامن أحكام التجويد ( حكم القلقلة) وقمنا بتطبيق حكم القلقلة أثناء تلاوة سورة الفجر وتم شرح المعنى الإجمالي  لمعاني للآيات وجعل الطلاب يعيشون مع لحظات نزول القرآن الكريم على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من خلال فيديو تعليمي عن سورة الفجرلتعزيز فهم الطلاب للقيم المستفادة من السورة، مما يساعدهم على الارتباط العميق بتعاليم دينهم وتطبيقها في حياتهم اليومية
                                            Arabic B /     اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها               
FS: It was a great start to the week. We reviewed the vegetable song and learned new types of vegetables in Arabic, such as: (Tomato - Cucumber - Carrot - Onion - Zucchini - Eggplant - Cabbage - Lettuce). We practiced simple sentences in Arabic (This is a green cucumber – I eat eggplant). We did various activities and colored worksheets.

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 (ع) Aien, exploring its different shapes, long and short vowels, and various words associated with it. Additionally, we used the vocabulary to build simple sentences with "this" (هذا) and "this" (هذه).   
y2:It was a great start to the week! We did a thorough review of everything covered previously and studied two new letters (د - ذ   ). 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), incorporating different adjectives such as: (tall - short - big - small). Additionally, we used the conjunction "and" to construct, write, and read sentences correctly.
y3:It was a great start to the week as we reviewed what we had studied previously. We completed the lesson on "Days of the Week" and began a new lesson titled "Time and Date," where we learned how to structure the date and talk about "the running race." The students practiced reading time on digital clocks and also learned how to say the date in Arabic, for example: "Today is Friday, February 21st, and the time now is 10 AM." We completed the activities and worksheets in the notebook.
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. They also practiced asking and answering questions about the weather, like "What is the weather like today?" and "How is the weather tomorrow?"
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 and finally we had a wonderful celebration of Haq alailah.
y6:It was a great start to the week as we reviewed what we had studied previously. We completed the lesson on "Famous Cities" where we focused on Dubai and learned about its famous landmarks, such as the Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Mall. The students practiced describing these landmarks using simple sentences, such as "The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world" and "Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island." We also discussed the culture and attractions of Dubai. The students worked on worksheets and participated in group activities where they matched landmarks with their names and locations. They also practiced asking and answering questions about Dubai, such as "Where is the Burj Khalifa?" and "What can you do in Dubai?"  
                                      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 start our new lesson “ surat an-Nas”. 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 are currently discussing the pillars of Islam. And finally we had a wonderful celebration of Haq alailah.
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 and finally we had a wonderful celebration of Haq alailah.
y4: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-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 and finally we had a wonderful celebration of Haq alailah.
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 and finally we had a wonderful celebration of Haq alailah.
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 daily lives and finally we had a wonderful celebration of Haq alailah.  
  Regards, Arabic and Islamic team
Mr. Desoky, Ms. Basma

Ms: Asmaa Elsherbiny   Arabic & Islamic Head