GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

Another busy and fun week of learning here at GPS.  This week I saw some amazing work from the students, especially in Year 3.  On Thursday I was invited to be a 'Dragon' where products were pitched for investment opportunities.  I was thoroughly impressed with the pitch, the design and the thought that went into their products.  Well done everyone!

Save the Date section has been updated to include next Friday as "Crazy Outfit" day to celebrate International Autism Month.  We are all individuals and our differences and similarities make us who we are.  Our values of compassion, courage, perseverance, and positivity will be highlighted on Friday to develop respect, responsibility and empathy. 

Save the Date: 

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

25th April - Crazy outfit day to support International Autism Awareness month

28th April - Arabic & Islamic External Assessment week

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

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

1st June - External Reading Assessment week

24th June - FS Graduation and end of year concert

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

1st July - End of School 

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jan

Dear Parents,

Celebrating Differences: A Heartwarming Encounter This Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month—a time to celebrate neurodiversity, promote understanding, and build a more inclusive world for all. At Ghaf School, we recently had the privilege of hosting an unforgettable interactive session with a group of incredible children from Determined Stars Learning and Therapy Centre. What unfolded that day was nothing short of magical.

As the therapy centre kids stepped onto our campus, shy smiles and curious eyes met eager faces and outstretched hands. What followed was a beautiful blend of laughter, creativity, and quiet connection. Whether it was a shared coloring sheet, a game of catch, or simply sitting side by side while stringing beads, our students displayed empathy, patience, and pure kindness.

One moment stood out—a young boy from the therapy centre who had remained withdrawn at first began to smile and gently high-five his buddy from our school. That silent exchange said more than words ever could. It was a reminder that inclusion isn’t about grand gestures—it’s in the small, sincere moments of seeing and accepting someone exactly as they are.

To keep the spirit of Autism Awareness Month alive and visible, we are excited to announce a Crazy Outfit Day! This fun and expressive day will give our students the chance to dress in their most colorful, creative, and bold outfits to symbolize the beauty of differences and the joy of being uniquely ourselves. It's our way of saying that being different is something to be proud of—and something to celebrate, loudly and with style!

These experiences don’t end with the event. They spark conversations, shape mindsets, and inspire action. So, how can we all keep the spirit of autism awareness going?

• Encourage Empathy: Talk with your children about differences in communication, behavior, and learning styles. Emphasize understanding over judgment.

• Create Safe Spaces: Be mindful of sensory needs—soft lighting, quiet zones, and patience can go a long way.

• Celebrate Strengths: Every child has a unique set of talents. Let’s recognize and celebrate them rather than focusing on what they “can’t” do.

• Be a Friend First: Sometimes, all it takes is a smile or a “do you want to play?” to make someone feel included.

We are so proud of our students for their compassion and open hearts. This Autism Awareness Month, let’s continue to listen, learn, and love—one outfit, one high-five, one act of kindness at a time.

Have a joyful weekend 

Ms Jikku

This week, we continued our exciting project all about machines! We reflected on the machine we explored last week, identifying the different parts it is made of and discussing the important jobs machines do. The children shared their ideas and wrote about how different types of machines help us in our daily lives. In science, we worked in pairs to design and create our own machines, exploring a variety of materials and linking them to objects and environments found in the UAE. In math, we were introduced to 3D shapes and reviewed our knowledge of 2D shapes. We went on fun shape hunts and talked about what 3D shapes are made of. Our end-of-year concert preparations are also underway—we’ve begun rehearsals and have started creating artwork to support our performance. In phonics, we learned the trigraph igh and practiced reading two-syllable words with growing confidence.

We’ve had a busy and exciting week full of learning and creativity! In Maths, we wrapped up our topic on Measurement. The children practiced calculating perimeter, revisited their understanding of length, and completed the end-of-unit quiz with confidence. It’s been great to see their skills develop throughout this unit.In Science, our focus was on Shadows – how they are formed and what affects their size and shape. The students really enjoyed exploring this concept through hands-on activities and discussions. In English, we continued reading our class story "The Firework Maker’s Daughter", and the children wrote some fantastic character and setting descriptions. 

The real highlight, however, was their work on persuasive writing. This week, they pitched their innovative ‘Choco-Goo’ product to our very own ‘dragon’ – the principal, Ms. Jan – as part of Al Ghaf’s Dragon Den! Each student showcased their creativity and presentation skills, delivering impressive pitches that wowed Ms. Jan. She was so impressed with the hard work and innovation shown that everyone received house points and wonderful feedback. A huge congratulations to our winner, Ranim, for securing the investment with a brilliant pitch! 

We’re incredibly proud of the effort and enthusiasm all the children have shown. Let’s keep this momentum going for the rest of the term!

Year 5 had a busy and engaging week filled with exciting learning across the curriculum. In English, we continued reading The Last Bear, focusing on how the friendship between April and the Bear develops throughout the story. The children also wrote an informal letter from April’s perspective to Granny Apples, capturing her thoughts and feelings in a personal and reflective tone.

In Mathematics, the children explored equivalent fractions and decimals, with a particular focus on understanding thousandths. They used place value grids to deepen their understanding of how fractions can be represented as decimals. In Science, we began investigating the effects of water resistance. Next week, Year 5 will conduct a practical investigation into how the shape of an object affects the amount of water resistance it generates.

In History, we introduced our new topic on World War II, sparking curiosity and discussion about life during wartime. In Geography, we began exploring the fascinating world of mountains and identifying some of the most famous ranges around the world.

It’s been another productive and exciting week in Year 6! The children have been working hard across all subjects and showing real enthusiasm for their learning. In English  we’re continuing to read The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf. The class has been exploring the characters in depth and applying inference skills to understand their thoughts and feelings. We've also focused on spelling, punctuation and grammar, and revising key concepts. 

We began our new topic on decimals. The children have been learning how to add and subtract decimals, as well as multiply numbers by 10, 100, and 1000. There’s been a strong focus on place value and using strategies to ensure accuracy – a big well done to everyone for their effort and progress! 

In Science, we’ve been working as plant detectives! The children have been classifying various types of plants and using their knowledge to complete a classification key. We’ve explored how scientists group living things based on observable characteristics and the importance of accuracy in scientific work. 

Our Humanities  topic this half-term is Coasts, and we’ve started exploring the features of coastal environments. 

Have a great weekend!

                       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
حرف الباء في أول ووسط وآخر الكلمة أصوات حرف الباء القصيرة ( بَ - بُ - بِ )كانت بداية رائعة لهذا الأسبوع، قمنا بمراجعة الدروس السابقة ( الألوان ، الأرقام ، والفواكهة والخضروات ) وراجعنا أنشودة  حروف اللغة العربية ،  وتدربناعلي  كتابة حرف الألف ( ب )وتلوينه وعمل بعض الأنشطة  المختلفة  لتمييزه  

    : الصف الثاني كانت عملية تعلم رائعة هذا الأسبوع، قمنا بالعديد من الأنشطة والمسابقات الصفية لرفع مستوى الفهم والقراءة لدي طلابنا وقد استمتع الطلاب بالتنافس فيما بينهم ، وبدأنا اليوم درس (حرف الغين) من خلال قصة ( عنبر يطيرالي القلعة البعيدة)
        :الصف الرابع :كانت بداية رائعة لهذا الأسبوع، قمنا بالعديد من الأنشطة والمسابقات الصفية لرفع المستوى القرائي و القدرة على فهم بعض النصوص لدي طلابنا وقد استمتع الطلاب بالحالة التنافسية فيما بينهم ، ونحن نواصل 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 هذا 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: 

y1:It was a great start to the week. We did many classroom activities and competitions to raise our students' reading level. We completed the lesson on the letter (ح) and learned about its different shapes and sounds. We learned new words and used words in short sentences. We did activities, colored, memorized the letter song, and practiced writing in our notebook.
y2:It was a great start to the week. We did many classroom activities and competitions to raise our students' reading level. We completed the lesson on the letter (ر) and learned about its different shapes and sounds. We learned new words and used words in the context of short sentences through the story (Pomegranate and Giraffe). We did a coloring activity for the letter (ر) and practiced writing sentences and using new grammar rules.
y3: This week was so funny and wonderful. So in grade 3 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt we started our new lesson which is “Fi ghorfat al-musqa”. We learnt new form of the verb with he, she and you. 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. 
y4:It was a great start to the week. We conducted many classroom activities and competitions to improve our students' reading level. The students enjoyed competing with each other. We reviewed previous lessons and the most important rules we learned. We completed the lesson on the four seasons, compared the weather conditions in the four seasons, and completed the activities and exercises from the book.
y5:  This week was different a lot we had a dictation. So in grade 5 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt we started our new lesson which is “Ibn al-Haytham”. We learnt new form of the verb with he, she and you. 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.
y6:It was a great start to the week. We conducted many classroom activities and competitions to improve our students' reading level. The students enjoyed competing with each other. We reviewed the previous lessons and the most important rules we learned. We started our new lesson (The Seven Wonders of the World). We conducted a group activity with two competing groups to work on a class project. The students presented beautiful artwork and wrote comments in Arabic about the most famous places in the world.
                                      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, 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.
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 term before 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, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation.
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, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation.
y5: It was so fantastic to start our lesson with revision for what studied in the term before, we started this week studying the lesson (The morals of the righteous) .We also revised some important slamic 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.
y6: It was so fantastic to start our lesson with revision for what we learnt in the term before, then we went back to our lesson .we started this week studying the lesson (The migration to Madinah). We revised some important slamic 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