GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2024!  I do hope you all have a lovely time with your family. 

All students have settled back into the routine well and we're working hard in all areas.  Attendance is great and thank you for getting all your children to school on time - it really does make a difference to the routines.

Speaking about routines - Movement Mondays with Wake Up and Shake Up continues as well as Fruit Fridays so thank you for all that delicious fruit you sent in this week.  We all think it's important for the children to develop the knowledge and habit of healthy choice living.

This week kicks off our Positivity Values work.  Everyone will be focusing on being positive.  We have written messages on leaves and they will be hung around the school over the weekend.  Every classroom has a "Today I am ......" board where the children will choose a sentence for the day.

We have completed the Pass survey which is an external benchmark on your children's attitude to school, the teachers, and learning and I am extremely pleased to announce that the results are outstandingly positive.... but I already knew that because your children are delightful!

On Wednesday we had a visit from a gemmologist who brought in all sorts of stones, fossils, and gadgets.  The students got to learn about different crystals and how they are formed and react to different lights.  It was great to see them all so enthusiastic and interested.  If you have any 'hidden talents' that you'd like to share with us, please do let me know.

Save the date:

Friday 9th February - Spreading the Love - Everyone to dress in red and white ❤️

Friday 1st of March - International Day - looking for volunteers 😁

As always, have a great weekend!

Ms Jan

Dear Parents

I am happy to get connected with you in this New Year again. Hope you all had an amazing  New Year. Ms. Jan's words about routines inspired me to discuss about the  benefits of Routines and how important it is to set routines for our children.

Children benefit greatly from the presence of routine in their daily lives. Routines can aid in the development of healthy habits, the reduction of stress, and the reinforcement of values in our children. Most importantly, begin developing routines in your children as early as possible, as it is impossible to change behaviours and habits after the age of 9.

Although a routine requires structure and consistency (and a whole lot of patience), all of which are difficult to achieve in everyday life, once you have established one that caters for the needs of every family member, you will see huge improvements in all aspects of your life.

Some of the benefits of a good family routine is mentioned below.

1.     Routines can help limit poor behaviour and outbursts.

A lot of bad behaviour is primarily triggered by hunger, tiredness or overstimulation, therefore developing a routine where they eat and sleep at certain times will help children emotionally prepare for the next task and understand what is expected of them when the task is completed.

2.     Routines help children learn essential life skills. It helps young children develop their autonomy.

A simple daily routine provides a basis for children to learn other essential skills such as basic hygiene, time-management, self-control, self-care, responsibility, independence, and confidence. If they know exactly what to do if they face different situations (ex: know their sleeping hours), they are more likely to do things on their own. Routines help children learn so much from learning how to perform each task (getting dressed, brushing teeth etc) to learning how the world works and what they need to do in order to interact successfully in it.

3.   It allows young children to find their way in time.

For example, if children know that after dinner, they need to brush their teeth, change into a pyjama, read a storybook and they will go into their good night’s sleep. So, whatever routine you adopt, it helps the youngster know what to do according to the hours of the day.

4.     It allows them to create habits in the future.

For instance, brushing teeth after lunch and dinner, putting one toy away before taking out another, and so on are tiny actions that appear insignificant but have a significant impact on your children’s future lives. It will teach kids to be more responsible and disciplined as a result, of it.

5.     Parents can be less strict and not use the reward/punishment method systematically.

A child who is accustomed to a routine is less hesitant to complete the duties demanded.

6.     Routines give children a sense of security and control over their environment.

When life is organised and consistent at home, children feel safe, secure and looked after, especially during stressful times or during difficult stages of development. By creating a predictable daily routine, children also learn what to expect at various times of the day and experience a sense of control and satisfaction when they complete these tasks.  

7.     Routines help bring you all closer as a family.

Routines involve doing a lot of things together and while the tasks themselves might seem this can actually really help to strengthen family relationships. When building your ideal family routine, think about how you can create them around having fun or spending time together such as reading stories before bed or going somewhere for a treat after dance class or football practice. These moments will become a special time for you and your child to share and will be remembered when they grow older and make their own traditions.

 Hope this helps. Have a lovely weekend with quality time spent with your kids and family.  

Ms Jikku

Vice Principal 

Year 2 have had a great start to term 2. This term, in maths, we have been looking at properties of shapes, children enjoyed  learning about the different 2D and 3D shapes. In english we have been looking at formal and informal letters. The children enjoyed learning about different every day materials in Science. The children went out to explore the uses of materials. This week the children carried out an experiment to test which materials are waterproof. The children have been very excited about learning about different significant explorers in humanities. 

'Digging Detectives'

Special visit from a Gemmologist !

Exploring the story 'King of Space' in English.

What we've done

Welcome to term 2 and Happy New Year- I hope you have had a lovely start to the year so far! The students have settled back into this academic term very well and adapted into the swing of learning quickly.

In short space of time, we have covered a considerable amount of learning and participated in many different activities. This week we started reading buddies with children across the school reading to one another, in order to develop their reading and comprehension skills; it was great to see the boys participate.

In English we have been looking at Myth’s with a particular focus on the story of Romulus and Remus. We have developed our narrative skills by unpicking each part of the myth to create our own detailed writing piece. I am amazed with the skills learnt being implemented in their writing- Ms Jan certainly was too! In Maths we have continued multiplication and division using different methods and larger numbers. We looked at how we could use the inverse operation of division here. As Scientists, we have been using our investigation skills in our new topic of Animals including Humans by conducting an experiment into tooth decay using eggs and sugary drinks!

In History we have been looking at the topic 'Footprints from the Past' where we have been looking at a range of fossils and doing our own investigation through digging. We were lucky enough to have a special guest this week- Mr Adam, who is a Gemmologist. He shared his knowledge with us and showed us fossils, gems with all the gadgets! 

Overall, it has been a successful start to the term with the continuous of Movement Mondays. We have introduced Wellbeing Wednesdays and Fruit Fridays too! Please continue to send these delicious fruits for your son.  

Have a fabulous weekend.

Ms Nimra

In our latest updates, our youngest learners in FS and Early Years are building the foundation of Arabic by mastering the Arabic alphabet and basic conversation. Year 3 students are delving into clothing vocabulary, while Year 4-8 students explore healthy food, seasons, and the richness of Emirati meals in Arabic. Language enrichment is ongoing across all levels, emphasizing vocabulary expansion and communication skills. A flavorful cultural journey is underway as students connect language with the exploration of Emirati cuisine. Stay tuned for Cultural Day, and parents are encouraged to join in fostering a love for the Arabic language and culture at home. Thank you for being part of our vibrant Arabic Learning Community!