GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

Phew!  Busy week here at GPS.  

We continue our 30x30 by walking around the school every morning and by the time the challenge has finished we will have walked a marathon!  To be honest with you we have noticed an increase in focus in the children, especially in the mornings - who knew, regular exercise is definitely good for you! 😁

This week we were joined by Desert Vipers Cricket for cricket lessons.  The kids enjoyed it sooooo  much. We have some good bowlers here at GPS.

Now we have a challenge for the family - please share videos of you exercising with your children (we won't put them on social media but will share with their classmates).

We learnt and celebrated Diwali by painting oil lamps, making our logo with sand and "dressing up bright to spread the light" and Friday we dressed in our favourite sport uniforms.

On an academic front (yes, we did find time to teach) we completed our assessments and soon we will hold our Parent-Teacher meetings on the 20th to catch you all up on progress.  However, please don't forget you can always make an appointment with teacher to catch up before.

Continuing our VERY busy time at school between now and the Winter Break.....

Save the Date: 

Monday 11th November - STEAM WEEK - special projects and competitions

Wednesday 13th November - KITE Beach DFC activity FS, Years 1 & 2

Thursday 14th November -  KITE Beach DFC activity Years 3-6

Friday 15th November - Book Fair in the garden (all invited)

Tuesday 19th November - UAE All Stars Cheerleaders visit to school

Wednesday 20th November - Parent-Teacher meetings

Friday 22nd November - Assembly on our value "Compassion" Year 2 (parents invited)

Tuesday 26th November - Camel Farm trip for FS & Yr 1

Wednesday 27th November - Camel Farm trip Yrs 2-6

Friday 29th November - National Day Celebrations (all invited - it was sooooo much fun last year!) 

Friday 6th December - FS Art Gallery Open at 11.00 am (all invited)

Thursday 12th December - X- Park trip (FS and Year 1)

Friday 13th December - Winter Festival and performance (all invited - singing mandatory 😁)

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jan

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week I thought about FITNESS. As we are at the time of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, it presents a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of fitness—not only physical fitness but also mental, emotional, and overall well-being.

At GPS, we believe that fitness is a holistic concept. While physical fitness is important, mental and emotional well-being are just as vital for our children’s growth and success. The Dubai Fitness Challenge gives us a chance to highlight how regular physical activity can help support both our bodies and minds.

We know that being active can help reduce stress, improve mood, and boost concentration. However, it’s equally important to remember that taking care of our mental and emotional health is essential to feeling good and being able to perform at our best. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and when we take care of both, we help children develop the resilience and emotional strength they need to face the challenges of life.

As we encourage students to participate in the Dubai Fitness Challenge, we hope to inspire them to take steps towards improving their physical health while also fostering practices that promote mental well-being, such as mindfulness, relaxation, and positive thinking. It’s about finding a balance that works for each individual, whether that’s through physical activity, emotional self-care, or simply making time to relax.

We also encourage you to participate in the challenge as a family. Setting a positive example by prioritizing both physical and mental health can have a powerful impact on children. Together, we can help our children understand that well-being is a lifelong journey that involves both the body and the mind.

In the spirit of this challenge, we would love to hear about your experiences! If you and your child are taking part in any fitness activities at home, please consider sharing your photos, videos, or stories with us. Whether it’s a fun family walk, a fitness routine, or any creative way you’re staying active together, we’d love to see it! Your contributions will not only inspire others but also help us create a sense of community as we all focus on our well-being. Thank you for your continued partnership in promoting a healthier and happier future for our students. Let’s make this Dubai Fitness Challenge a meaningful experience for all of us.

Warm regards,
Ms Jikku

Well done Year 3 for persevering through a very fun but busy week! We focused on revision / assessments this week for English, Maths, Science , MSC and Humanities. They did a great job in staying focused and motivated and completed them all! We also got to partake in lots of fun activities, for Diwali the children did an amazing job making their own oil lamps.  They also continued thriving with their steps challenge and walked a mile every morning with smiles on their faces. We were also very lucky to have special guests from vipers cricket, they practiced and partook in a few games with the team.

Next week will be also filled with lots of learning and fun, gentle reminder that we have a school trip to kite beach for the Dubai 30x30 Fitness Challenge !

Diwali Celebrations!

What we've done

We have been extremely busy this week, jam packed with revision, assessments alongside Diwali celebrations and continuing with the DFC! 

Each student has shown growth, resilience and determination to try their best in their assessments and I am extremely proud of them.

This week the students participated in sport activities led by Desert Vipers, and they were extremely impressed by the skills of Year 4 students!

 As we have our upcoming Key Stage 2 makers market, we started created bookmarks and story packs for the children to sell. The creativity they displayed was truly impressive! As well as this, we brushed up on our mental maths skills and continued to write our persuasive letter to Ms Jan for extra playtime! It has been great reading these so far; they are very persuasive to say the least! 

Next Thursday, we will be visiting Kite Beach for our Fitness activity- if you have not yet returned the permission letter, please do so!

Have a lovely, restful weekend.

It has been another busy week for Year 5 with assessments, and I am incredibly proud of them. They have shown impressive growth and focus, tackling each challenge with determination. It is wonderful to see how much they have accelerated in their learning!

This week, the children also participated in an exciting cricket lesson led by the Desert Vipers. They particularly enjoyed learning new skills, from batting and bowling to teamwork on the field. It was a fantastic experience; everyone was fully engaged and eager to practice their skills!

The children also had a meaningful experience celebrating cultural awareness for Diwali. They painted and decorated their own oil lamps, known as diyas, and created a vibrant Ghaf tree logo rangoli using coloured powders, carefully filling in each section to form a beautiful design.

The Dubai Fitness Challenge is going well, with the children continuing their mile walk each morning. All in all, it has been a productive week.

                        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 the

Arabic 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 للعرب   

الروضة: لقد كانت بداية رائعة للتدرب على حفظ النشيد الوطني وتمرين الأطفال على حفظ انشودة اهلا اهلا يا أصحابي أيضا قمنا بعمل مراجعة علي أنشودة الأرقام والألوان وعمل أنشطة علي ذلك ثم استمعنا الي أنشودة أفراد العائلة وقمنا بعمل نشاط علي ذلك.
الصَّف الثّاني:هذا الأسبوع، بدأنا بمراجعة الحروف وتحليل الكلمات لتقوية مهارات القراءة والكتابة. تعلمنا كيفية تقسيم الكلمات إلى مقاطع صوتية وفهم أصوات الحروف. كما قمنا بمراجعة قصص الحروف حيث تعلمنا كيفية نطق الحروف مع الحركات الثلاث: الفتحة، والضمة، والكسرة. تدربنا أيضًا على كتابة الكلمات والجمل، مما ساعدنا في تحسين قدراتنا على القراءة والكتابة ثم قمنا بعمل اختبار بسيط على ذلك.
الصَّف الرّابع:راجعنا المهارات اللغوية السابقة، بما في ذلك التنوين وتحليل الكلمات وتطبيقه على الكلمات المختلفة، مما ساعدنا على فهم أعمق للغة وقمنا بعمل مراجعة علي  أنواع الفعل (ماض - مضارع - أمر). درسنا درس "أحب الخير “، حيث ركزنا على تحسين مهارات القراءة وفهم المقروء. قمنا بقراءة النصوص بعناية وتحليلها، وفهم الأفكار الرئيسية والتفاصيل الداعمة. كما تدربنا على استخراج معاني الكلمات من السياق واستخدام التفكير النقدي لتفسير الأبيات ،قمنا بعمل اختبار بسيط علي ذلك.
                                                                                                                              

                                                                        Islamic A  /     الإسلامية للعرب                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              : الصَّف الثاني قمنا بعمل مراجعة عن  سورة الفاتحة ومولد النبى صلي الله عليه وسلم وأبو هريرة ورفقه مع الحيوانات. كان الدرس ممتعًا ومفيدًا،ثم قمنا بعمل اختبار بسيط  وساعدنا على فهم مفهوم الرحمة والرفق     بالحيوان قمنا بعمل اختبار بسيط علي تلك الدروس.      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          : الصف الرابع :قمنا بمراجعةسورة العلق وقصة نزول الوحي وحديث حسن الخلق  قمنا بشرح الحديث الشريف وبيان المعني الإجمالي. كما ذكرنا أيضا من فوائد حسن الخلق في الدنيا (المحبة والسعادة) ومن فوائد حسن الخلق في الاخرة (تثقل ميزان العبد يوم القيامة -الاجر والثواب )  تدرجنا الي بعض الاخلاق التي تثقل ميزان العبد يوم القيامة ثم قمنا بعمل اختبار بسيط علي ذلك     

                                              Arabic B /    اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها                   
FS:It was a wonderful beginning to practice memorizing the national anthem, training the children to memorize the national anthem, and showing the children to memorize the song “Hello, Hello, My Friends.” We also performed review work on the song “Numbers and Colores” and did activities on that. Then we listened to the family members’ song and we had to do activities on that.

 
Gr1:It was a week full of good work, we did a wonderful revision of what was studied during the previous period and we finished the Arabic test, Thanks y1.
Gr2 :It was a good work with y2 we did amazingl review of what was studied during the previous period and we finished the Arabic test, Thanks y2 .
Gr3:We reviewed the Arabic letters, short and long vowels, and also reviewed colors and greetings. We reviewed the body parts lesson, then we conducted a test on that.
Gr4:We reviewed grammar and trained students on breaking words into phonemes and conjugating present tense verbs with the pronouns I and we. It was excellent work and I expect more from y4. We also finished the Arabic test.
Gr5: In grade 5 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the first term assessment. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. Students are good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot.
Gr6:We reviewed some Arabic grammar, a lesson at school, and the students trained on using prepositions in sentences. It was a good job y6. We also finished the Arabic test.

                                                                       
                                                                  Islamic B   /  الإسلامية للناطقين بِغيرها   
Gr2 :In Islamic year 2 as we usually do we started greeting students. We had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the first term assessment. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. Students are good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. We have reviewed Surahs Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq, and we are currently working on memorizing and contemplating verses from the surah, 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.
Gr3: In Islamic year 2 as we usually do we started greeting students. We had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the first term assessment. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. Students are good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. 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-asr, 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.
Gr4:In Islamic year 2 as we usually do we started greeting students. We had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the first term assessment. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. Students are good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. 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-alaq, 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.
Gr5:In Islamic year 2 as we usually do we started greeting students. We had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the first term assessment. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. Students are good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. 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-burooj, 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.
Gr6:In Islamic year 2 as we usually do we started greeting students. We had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the first term assessment. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. Students are good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. 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-Infitar, 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.      


Regards, Arabic and Islamic team
Mr. Desoky, Ms. Gehad

Ms: Asmaa Elsherbiny   Arabic & Islamic Head