GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

Ramadan Kareem!  As we return from last week's hectic schedule we are all still excited with the outcome. Thank you for all the kind words shared with us this week.  

We've had a slightly calmer week with assessments going on but FS still managed to deliver the supplies to the Dog Sanctuary (thank you all for your contributions).

Save the date:

Friday 22nd March - Report Card Day - School finishes for 3 weeks on this day (Enjoy!)

As always, have a great weekend!

Ms Jan

 Dear Parents,

Ramadan is the best time for mental and physical wellbeing. This is a special time for reflection, self-improvement, kindness, and spirituality - and fasting is one of the key pillars of the Holy Month. Here are some of the positive impacts fasting can have on your health and well-being:

1. Boosted mood and mental clarity
   Fasting can be a method of ‘supercharging’ the brain, increasing growth and development of new brain cells, and sharpens responses to information. Studies also show that fasting can also make the brain more resilient to stress, more adaptable to change, and can improve mood, memory and even learning capacity.

2. Regulates ‘bad’ cholesterol
   Many people aim to lose some weight by fasting this results in reduced blood cholesterol, which can keep heart attacks, strokes and other diseases. This also results in curbed appetite which eventually is better than many diet.

3. A month-long detox
   Fasting not only uses your fat reserves, but also cleanses your body of harmful toxins that might be present in fat deposits. With the digestive system on a month-long overhaul, your body naturally detoxifies, giving you the opportunity to continue a healthier lifestyle beyond Ramadan.

Ways to help improve your health during Ramadan:

1. Have a healthy Iftar
   Along with the natural benefits of Ramadan, it is important that you embrace healthy practices yourself. Breaking your fast with three dates and water gives your body an instant energy and hydration boost ahead of your main meal. Light soup is a great choice to start your main Iftar meal as it helps you hydrate.
   Take it easy with the amount of heavy, creamy and fried foods, as well as salty and sugary dishes. Consider opting for fish and leaner cuts of meat, wholegrain or brown rice and pasta - as well as remembering to include your greens! Taking your time while eating, and keeping an eye on portion control will also help aid digestion and prevent weight gain.

2. Make Suhoor wholesome
   Like breakfast, Suhoor should be the most important meal of your day. Balance your Suhoor with nutrient-rich food like oatmeal, cheese, labneh, fruits and vegetables. Certain foods with lower glycemic index (low GI) including oats, quinoa, multigrain and wholegrain breads, hummus and yoghurt are good options as they release energy slowly throughout the day.  Remember to drink plenty - water, milk, laban and fresh juices rather than tea and coffee will keep you hydrated during fasting hours.

3. Stay hydrated
   A little dehydration is natural, and this can lead to slight headaches and lack of concentration. However, you can help keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids in the Iftar - Suhoor hours.  opt to drink water frequently, or take light tea without milk or sugar.- you can also add lemon slices or fresh mint to help detox and aid digestion. If you regularly have coffee or fizzy drinks, try to curb your intake, as these are diuretics that dehydrate the body. 

4. Exercise moderately
   Fasting and dehydration can naturally cause you to feel lethargic and make your Ramadan days sedentary. However, with proper fluid intake, you should also try to exercise in moderate amounts. Remaining active helps reduce fatigue, gives your body the strength to keep going and is a good opportunity to lose weight if needed. However, exercise during fasting hours can be dehydrating and dangerous. It’s best to exercise just before Suhoor or a few hours after Iftar to make the most of your workouts.

5. Pick up healthy habits (and drop the unhealthy ones)
   Ramadan is also a chance for you to ditch addictions like smoking or sugar. With a little self-control you can continue to restrain from your addictions during and after fasting hours as well. Ramadan is also a great time to start and maintain healthy habits like eating more greens, drinking more water and taking regular exercise.

Have a blessed month  ahead and a peaceful weekend.

Ms Jikku

Year 2 have had a busy week with assessments this week. In Maths we have been continuing to work on statistics. In English the children have been looking at the features of a persuasive text and planning their write up of a persuasive text. In Science the children observed how the plants are growing from their experiment. In Humanities the children have been learning to create sketch maps of their local area. In IPC we have been continuing our unit of active planet and the children have been researching the different planets and what they are made from. 

Observing to see how the plants are growing with the different condions they were placed in.

Practising calculating perimeter with 2D shapes.

What we've done

Ramadan Kareem!

As we approach the end of term 2 and finish our learning of these units, we conducted our end of unit assessments. It is great to see how much progress has been made through this term.

In Maths, we are coming to the end of our length & perimeter unit and the boys much more confident in distinguishing the different units of measurement

In English, we are continuing to plan and write our autobiographies. This will be finished and ready to publish next week! It is great to see how the boys have upleveled and improved their work each step of the way.

Overall, it has been a successful week with assessments, and I am very impressed with the focus and dedication towards their learning.

Have a restful weekend.

Dear Parents,

Welcome to our weekly newsletter for Arabic language lessons! This week, Year 1 students delved into prepositions and explored the intricacies of the letter "dhaad," while Year 2 students continued their journey with prepositions alongside learning the present continuous tense. In Year 3, students expanded their vocabulary with terms related to air travel and gained insights into weather phenomena. Year 4 focused on mastering the present continuous tense and delved into the significance of recycling. Meanwhile, Year 5 students concentrated on preparing themselves for travel adventures. Lastly, Year 7 & 8 students polished their skills in hotel booking procedures and familiarized themselves with the language commonly used in hotel settings. We're excited to see everyone's progress and are here to support your Arabic language learning journey!

Have a fantastic weekend. 

Ramadan Mubarak! 

Hola Everyone, 

This week we discussed the seasons of the year, all about me (Introduction), fruits and vegetables, Verb-Ser (to be) with Pronombres (pronouns) in Spanish. The students mase short sentences based on the given topic so that they could use them daily along with pronouns, which made them more confident to presenting themselves in Spanish with their introduction. Students also learned about the seasons of the year along with months of the year via songs. They also discussed about the weather in UAE. In the coming week, we will learn more in Spanish to explore more. 

Muchas Gracias 

Hasta Luego