GPS Newsletter

2nd May 2025

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents

Another great week at GPS. The external assessments have been completed for Arabic and Islamic studies and we are confident that they all did their best.

We have a couple of field trips next week and FS graduation date has been updated to the 20th of June. Ms Chloe will keep you informed about the details.

Save the Date:

28th April - Arabic & Islamic External Assessment week

7th May - FS & Yr 1 trip to The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library

8th May - E Games field trip (Yrs 3-6)

13th May- FS & YR 1 trip to Mirzan Factory

1st June - External Reading Assessment week

20th June - FS Graduation and end of year concert (change of date)

25th June - FS & YR 1 trip to Pizza Express

1st July - End of School

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jan

Wellbeing

Understanding Bullying: What It Is and What It Is Not - A Scenario-Based Guide for Parents and Students

Dear Parents and Students,

After much thought, I felt it’s important to discuss the term bullying. In today’s world, where children often spend more time on gadgets than with peers, opportunities to socialize, communicate, and resolve simple conflicts are becoming limited. As a result, many children tend to take everyday disagreements very personally and quickly label them as bullying.

However, the term bullying is far more serious and has a much wider and deeper meaning. To help clarify this, I’ve put together some everyday school-based scenarios to highlight the difference between bullying and normal peer conflict.

Scenario 1: A One-Time Argument

Situation: Amira and Zoya argued about where to sit at lunch. Amira called Zoya selfish, and Zoya walked away hurt.

Analysis: This is a peer conflict, not bullying. Friends can disagree. It's a one-time emotional reaction that can be resolved through communication.

Bullying? ❌ No.

Scenario 2: A Rude Comment

Situation: Rayyan says to Arjun, “You’re really bad at football,” after a poor pass.

Analysis: It’s unkind, yes—but not bullying. If it’s not repeated and not meant to target Arjun over time, it’s simply a rude comment that should be corrected.

Bullying? ❌ No.

Scenario 3: Repeated Targeting and Exclusion

Situation: Every day for the last two weeks, a group of students mocks Mariam’s clothes, excludes her from games, and whispers about her.

Analysis: This is a clear case of bullying. It’s repeated, intentional, and harmful. Mariam is being isolated and targeted.

Bullying? ✅ Yes.

Scenario 4: Joke That Hurt Someone

Situation: Hamza imitates Omar’s accent as a joke. Omar laughs at first but later says it hurt his feelings. Hamza apologizes and stops.

Analysis: This was unintended hurt. Once Hamza realized Omar was uncomfortable, he stopped. That’s not bullying—it’s a learning moment.

Bullying? ❌ No.

So, What Is Bullying?

Bullying is when someone:

· Intentionally causes harm,

· Repeats the hurtful behavior,

· Creates a power imbalance (stronger, older, more popular),

· Makes the victim feel unsafe, targeted, or helpless.

It can be:

· Verbal (name-calling, threats)

· Physical (hitting, pushing)

· Social (exclusion, rumors)

· Cyber (online harassment)

What Bullying Is NOT:

· One-time disagreements

· A joke that wasn’t meant to hurt

· Accidental rudeness

· Friends having arguments or differences of opinion

A Message to All:

If a child feels hurt or uncomfortable—regardless of whether it’s bullying or not—it matters. Children should always be encouraged to speak to a trusted adult. But it’s also important for them to learn how to manage small conflicts, talk through their feelings, and understand the difference between feeling upset and being bullied.

Let’s work together to raise emotionally aware, socially skilled, and resilient children who know when to seek help and when to solve things with kindness and communication.

Warm regards,

Ms Jikku

FS 1 & 2

What we've done

This week, we launched an exciting new project inspired by the children’s curiosity—many have been wondering when our class mascot, Ollie, has a birthday! We’ve turned their interest into a fun and engaging learning opportunity. In writing, the children had fantastic discussions about what makes a great party. They created shopping lists and wrote about how they would plan a celebration for Ollie, building sentences using their phonics knowledge. Our FS2 children are becoming increasingly confident in using finger spaces and digraphs in their writing, while our FS1 children are beginning to build words using familiar sounds, including some medial sounds independently. In science, we explored changes in the state of matter by making jelly for the party. The children observed and predicted what would happen as the jelly changed from powder to liquid to solid, recording their ideas in their science books and using key vocabulary such as absorb, dissolve, melt, liquid, and solid. In maths, we’ve been focusing on number composition, ordering numbers, and counting up to 20, with lots of practice writing our numerals. In phonics, we introduced the digraph /oi/ and revisited the sounds m, d, and g.

Year 1

What we've done

This week in English, we have been exploring the story The Snail and the Whale. The children enjoyed describing the characters and using exciting new vocabulary in their writing. We made great use of our word wall to practise spelling tricky words and apply them in our descriptions. We also analysed new vocabulary and sorted words based on different characters from the story. In phonics, we focused on the sounds /y/ and /are/, practising these through games and writing activities. In Maths, we explored fractions by creating fun pizza crafts to show halves and quarters. In Science, we learned all about the seasons—describing each one, comparing their features, and sorting items to match the correct season. We also continued learning about the Great Fire of London, using warm colours to paint stunning silhouette art as a dramatic backdrop to this historical event.

Year 2

What we've done

This week in Year 2, the children worked hard in English writing persuasive texts, learning how to convince Plop the owl that the dark is nothing to fear! In Maths, we proudly wrapped up our unit on fractions and began an exciting new unit on telling the time. In Science, we completed our study on everyday materials, reflecting on what we’ve learned about their uses. In Humanities, the children were fascinated to learn about the life and achievements of explorer Matthew Henson. In MSC, we explored the seven emirates of the UAE and their unique features. A highlight of the week was visiting the Year 5 and 6 Makers Market, where our class enjoyed purchasing delicious baked goods and supporting the older students’ creativity!

Year 3

What we've done

This week in Year 3, the children have been busy and engaged across all subjects!

In English, the class planned their own playscripts by creating storyboards based on a scene they selected from The Firework Maker’s Daughter. They then worked in small groups to role-play their scenes, using the storyboards to guide their performances. It was wonderful to see their creativity and teamwork in action. In Maths, we focused on non-unit fractions, particularly understanding numerators and how two fractions can be combined to make a whole. The children are becoming more confident in their fraction knowledge. Whereas in Science, we completed a revision of our current topic before taking the end-of-unit assessment. Next week, we’re excited to begin our new topic on Plants! History was especially fascinating this week as we explored the ancient Egyptian process of mummification. The class had many thoughtful questions and were captivated by the topic. Whereas in Geography, we learned all about volcanoes—how they form and why they erupt.

We wrapped up the week with a whole-school Maths Day, filled with exciting games and activities that made learning maths extra fun!

Well done to all the children for another fantastic week. Let’s keep up the great work!

Role play performance for a scene from the story 'The Firework Makers Daughter' for English.

Year 4

What we've done

This week in English, we explored the features of fables and began planning our own stories. The children developed their characters and moral messages before starting to write the story structure. We focused on using dialogue, descriptive language, and clear sequencing to bring these imaginative tales to life.

In Maths, we wrapped up our work on decimals. The class has worked hard to solidify their understanding of tenths and hundredths, and how these relate to fractions and place value. Next week, we’ll be moving on to a new topic, building on these key number skills.

Our Science lessons took a hands-on turn as we investigated vibrations. The children experimented with different objects to observe how vibrations create sound. They particularly enjoyed exploring how sound travels through various materials, helping them connect abstract concepts to real-world experiences.

In History, we continued our study of crime and punishment through the ages. This week, we looked at the different types of punishments people received in the past and discussed whether they were fair or not. The children were particularly intrigued (and sometimes shocked!) by the harsh consequences for minor crimes in historical times.

A big thank you to Year 5 and 6 for organising a delicious bake sale as part of the Makers Market. It was a fantastic display of entrepreneurial spirit, and our pupils enjoyed supporting their peers while picking up some tasty treats!

A gentle reminder that our class trip is taking place next week. If you haven’t already done so, please return the permission slips as soon as possible to ensure your child can attend.

Year 5

What we've done

What an action-packed and inspiring week it has been in Year 5, full of learning adventures and new discoveries!

In English, the children delved into the use of direct and indirect speech, learning how to punctuate and format each one correctly. They applied their knowledge by completing their newspaper reports, using quotes to bring their articles to life.

This week in Maths, we wrapped up our unit on decimals and percentages. The children have shown great progress and are now refining their skills in adding and subtracting decimals, using column methods and applying their learning to solve real-life problems.

In Science, we launched into an exciting new unit titled ‘Earth and Space’. The children were fascinated to learn about key milestones in space exploration—from the first satellite, Sputnik, to the moon landing and the Mars rover missions. They asked thoughtful questions and began to understand how space travel has changed over time.

In History, we stepped back into the 1940s to explore the evacuation of children during World War II. The class discussed why evacuation was necessary, what life was like for evacuees, and how families were affected. They imagined themselves in the shoes of a child leaving home and expressed the thoughts and emotions evacuees may have felt.

We also took part in the much-anticipated Marker's Market! The children were fantastic entrepreneurs—designing, pricing, promoting, and selling their products with confidence and teamwork. A huge thank you to all the parents who generously supported us by helping to bake and prepare items for the market. Your contributions made the event a great success.

Year 6

What we've done

We’ve had another busy and exciting week in Year 6, filled with learning, discovery, and creativity! Here's a snapshot of what we've been up to:

📖 English
Our class continues to enjoy The Boy at the Back of the Class, delving deeper into the story through guided reading comprehension activities. We’ve also been strengthening our SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) skills and building on our shared writing to improve our own independent pieces.

➗ Mathematics
With exam preparation just around the corner, we’ve begun revisiting key concepts. This week, our focus has been on fractions, decimals and percentages – making links between them and practising converting between the three. The students showed great enthusiasm and determination!

🧪 Science
Our budding scientists took part in a fun and engaging experiment investigating how yeast reacts with different variables to inflate balloons. It was a great opportunity to explore chemical reactions and understand the impact of changing variables in a fair test.

🧵 Makers Market
Wednesday was a highlight as we hosted the Makers Market! It was wonderful to see the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of our students as they showcased their handmade products. Thank you to everyone who supported the event!

🏛️ MSC & Humanities
In MSC, we explored Ancient Civilizations, discussing the impact of early societies on the modern world. Meanwhile, in Humanities, we continued our study of coasts, learning about erosion, landforms and the importance of protecting our coastal environments.

Arabic and Islamic

What we've done

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 قد كان أسبوعًا حافلا بالتعلم، تعلم طلاب الروضة حرف “الثاء”، وقد استمتعوا بالتعرف عليه من خلال أنشطة ممتعة ومفيدة. كما قمنا بمراجعة الحروف السابقة: الألف، الباء، والتاء، لضمان ترسيخها في أذهانهم،

تنوعت الأنشطة بين القصص، والأغاني، والألعاب التعليمية، والرسم، ما ساعد الأطفال على التعلم بطريقة مرحة وتفاعلية.
:الصف الثاني لقد كان أسبوعًا رائعًا في حصة اللغة العربية! في يوم الإثنين، بدأنا بمراجعة مهارات اللغة العربية السابقة: القراءة، الكتابة، التحدث، الاستماع. وبعد المراجعة، بدأنا اختبار(أي بي تي) والذي استمر على مدار الأسبوع ، لقد انهينا التقييم الآن ، وسنبدأ الأسبوع القادم درسنا الجديد بحماس

الصف الرابع : لقد كان أسبوعًا رائعًا في حصة اللغة العربية! في يوم الإثنين، بدأنا بمراجعة مهارات اللغة العربية السابقة: القراءة، الكتابة، التحدث، الاستماع. وبعد المراجعة، بدأنا اختبار(أي بي تي) والذي استمر على مدار الأسبوع ، لقد انهينا التقييم الآن ، وسنبدأ الأسبوع القادم درسنا الجديد بحماس

                                                   Islamic A / الإسلامية للعرب
:الصف الثاني
:الصف الرابع
Arabic B / اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها
FS: what a great start we did this week. We had many classroom activities and competitions to recognize some of the Arabic letters. We completed the lesson on the letter (ث) and learned about its different shapes and sounds.

y1:It was a great start to the week. We completed the lesson on the letters (ف / م) and learned about its different shapes and
sounds ( مَ -مُ-مِ -مْ -ما -مو -مي)( فَ-فُ-فِ-فْ- فا - فو- في). We learned new words and used words in the context of short sentences . We did a coloring activity for the letters and practiced writing sentences and using new grammar rules.
y2:It has been a wonderful week in Arabic class! On Monday, we began by reviewing our previous Arabic language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Following the review, we started the ABT assessment, which continued throughout the week. We have now completed the assessment, and next week we are excited to begin our new lesson!
y3:It has been a wonderful week in Arabic class! On Monday, we began by reviewing our previous Arabic language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Following the review, we started the ABT assessment, which continued throughout the week. We have now completed the assessment, and next week we are excited to begin our new lesson!
y4:It has been a wonderful week in Arabic class! On Monday, we began by reviewing our previous Arabic language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Following the review, we started the ABT assessment, which continued throughout the week. We have now completed the assessment, and next week we are excited to begin our new lesson!
y5:It has been a wonderful week in Arabic class! On Monday, we began by reviewing our previous Arabic language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Following the review, we started the ABT assessment, which continued throughout the week. We have now completed the assessment, and next week we are excited to begin our new lesson!
y6:It has been a wonderful week in Arabic class! On Monday, we began by reviewing our previous Arabic language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Following the review, we started the ABT assessment, which continued throughout the week. We have now completed the assessment, and next week we are excited to begin our new lesson!

Islamic B / الإسلامية للناطقين بِغيرها
y2: this week our nice students performed the IBT assessment of May 2025 they were informed about the assessment a week ago. We already had a revision for the assessment along the lessons they were attested. We worked hard before the test and hoped them high results.

y3:this week our nice students performed the IBT assessment of May 2025 they were informed about the assessment a week ago. We already had a revision for the assessment along the lessons they were attested. We worked hard before the test and hoped them high results.
y4:this week our nice students performed the IBT assessment of May 2025 they were informed about the assessment a week ago. We already had a revision for the assessment along the lessons they were attested. We worked hard before the test and hoped them high results.
y5:this week our nice students performed the IBT assessment of May 2025 they were informed about the assessment a week ago. We already had a revision for the assessment along the lessons they were attested. We worked hard before the test and hoped them high results.
y6:this week our nice students performed the IBT assessment of May 2025 they were informed about the assessment a week ago. We already had a revision for the assessment along the lessons they were attested. We worked hard before the test and hoped them high results.
Regards, Arabic and Islamic team
Mr. Desoky, Ms. Basma

Ms: Asmaa Elsherbiny Arabic & Islamic Head

ABT assessment

Arabic Y1

STREAM

What we've done

STREAM Weekly Wonders – Curiosity After Dark & Bright Ideas Ahead!

What a fun-filled and inspiring week it had been in STREAM! Our learners have been exploring everything from the mysteries of the night sky to the power of sustainable solutions—and their enthusiasm has lit up the classrooms!

Our budding astronomers turned their eyes to the night sky this week! After discussing what they might see—stars, the moon, and even planets—they painted stunning night-time scenes full of wonder and imagination.

Year 1

Solid, liquid, gas—oh my! Year 1 delved into the states of matter through a simple yet exciting experiment. Everyone was amazed to watch ice cubes melt and turn to steam as they witnessed science in action.

Year 2

It’s a wrap for the seesaw project! After assembling their mini simple machines last week, the kids brought them to life with colourful paint and personal flair.

Years 3 & 4

Teamwork and science made the dream work as students put the finishing touches on their digestive system models. From the mouth to the intestines, their collaborative creations showed both creativity and understanding. Fantastic work!

Year 5

Digging deeper into sustainability, Year 5 continued to plan their eco-friendly gardens. They explored how such gardens can help solve real-world problems, especially those related to food production. The connection between science and social responsibility came alive!

Year 6

Innovation is on the horizon! Year 6 kicked off a brand-new project focused on energy efficiency. Their challenge? Design and prototype something that saves energy—like an insulated container or a low-energy light source. Their brilliant ideas are already taking shape!

This week proved once again that our STREAM students are not only thinkers and doers—they’re inventors, artists, scientists, and collaborators. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Ms. Janice 😊

Have a great week ahead!

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