GPS Newsletter

Dear Parents

An Exciting Week of Learning at GPS

This week has been a whirlwind of discovery and hands-on learning for our students! From exploring the wonders of marine life to uncovering the secrets of fossils and gemstones, it’s been an experience-packed week that our young learners won’t forget.

A Trip to the Turtle Sanctuary
The week kicked off with an exciting visit to the Turtle Sanctuary, where FS and Year 1 students got a close-up look at these fascinating creatures. They learned all about turtle conservation, their habitats, and the importance of protecting marine life. The children were captivated as they observed the turtles in their natural environment and participated in fun, educational activities.

Exploring the World of Fossils & Gemstones with Adam Ipek
We were also thrilled to welcome gemmologist Adam Ipek, who brought a treasure trove of learning to GPS. With experience working with internationally recognized diamond and gemmology laboratories and Sulaf Fine Jewellery, Adam shared his expertise with our curious learners.

The children were introduced to a dazzling collection of fossils, rocks, and gemstones, learning about their unique properties and how they react under different types of light. Using a loupe, they had the chance to peer into the intricate details of gemstones, sparking a sense of wonder and excitement.

Learning Beyond the Classroom
This week’s activities reminded us of the power of experiential learning. The Turtle Sanctuary visit fostered environmental awareness, while Adam Ipek’s session ignited curiosity about science and natural history.

We’re proud of how engaged our students were throughout these activities, asking thoughtful questions and embracing new knowledge with enthusiasm.

Here’s to many more weeks of inspiring adventures at GPS!

Save the Date: 

Week of the:

27th January External NGRT Form B (reading test for years 2 and up)

30th January Year 3 and up will be visiting the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi on a cultural visit (girls should bring a headscarf and no bear arms or legs for everyone please) 

3rd February Internal written assessments for all subjects

and

Friday 7th February "Spread the Love" - dressing up in red and white colours with activities on empathy and caring

Half-term break start 12.00pm Friday 7th and we return Monday 17th February

Monday 17th February DHA dental health check for all children

Friday 28th February - Emariti Education Day - we will celebrate this with the UAE for the first time ever!

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jan

Dear Parents,

This week, I thought to pen down my thoughts on something very important – the idea that happiness is within us. As we continue to guide our children through the ups and downs of life, it’s essential to remind them that true happiness doesn’t come from material things or outside circumstances. Instead, happiness is something that grows from within, shaped by how we think, how we treat others, and how we choose to view the world around us.

To help explain this to our little ones, I’ve written a story that illustrates the power of finding joy from the inside. I hope it sparks meaningful conversations with your child about the magic of inner happiness.

The Magic Within: A Story of True Happiness

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between tall mountains and a sparkling river, there lived a young girl named Maya. Maya loved to explore the forest and spend time with her friends, but most of all, she loved to dream about one thing—finding the perfect happiness.

One bright sunny day, Maya decided she would set off on an adventure to find the secret to true happiness. She had heard rumors that deep in the forest, there was a wise old owl who knew the secret to being happy. Maya was determined to meet the owl.

As she walked through the forest, she came across a small, sad bird sitting on a branch. "What's wrong?" Maya asked. The bird sighed. "I wish I had the brightest feathers, like the peacock. Then I would be happy." Maya smiled gently and said, "I think happiness is something different. You don’t need the brightest feathers to be happy. Just be yourself." But the bird flew away, still dreaming of bright feathers.

Maya continued on her journey and soon met a squirrel who was gathering nuts. The squirrel looked worried. "I need more nuts, more than anyone else," he said. "Then I'll be happy." Maya shook her head. "Having more things might make you happy for a while, but happiness that lasts comes from within. You don't need piles of nuts to feel joyful." The squirrel didn’t quite understand, but he thanked her and continued gathering.

As Maya walked deeper into the forest, she finally saw the wise old owl perched on a tall tree. She asked the owl, "I’ve been searching for the secret to happiness. Can you tell me where it is?" The owl looked at Maya with kind eyes and said, "Ah, young one, you have traveled far and learned many lessons along the way. But the secret to true happiness is not something you find outside, it's something you find inside of yourself."

Maya was puzzled. "Inside of me? But I’ve seen people look for happiness everywhere— in toys, in clothes, in food. How can it be inside?"

The owl nodded. "True happiness comes from how you see the world, how you treat others, and how you treat yourself. It is about being grateful for what you have, helping others, and being kind to yourself. If you learn to focus on the good things, even on tough days, you’ll always find happiness within."

Maya’s eyes sparkled with understanding. "So, happiness isn’t about looking for something outside of myself? It’s about how I choose to think and feel?"

"Exactly," the owl said. "The magic of happiness has always been within you."

Maya thanked the owl and walked back home with a big smile on her face. She started to think about all the things she was grateful for— her family, her friends, and the beautiful forest. She began to share kind words and help others, and every day, her heart felt fuller and happier.

From that day forward, Maya knew that the secret to true happiness wasn’t something to be found in faraway places, but something that lived within her all along.

And so, Maya learned that happiness is not about having everything, but about seeing the good in what you already have, treating others with kindness, and being grateful for the little things.

Have a lovely weekend

Ms Jikku

Another fun week at GPS! Year 3 have been working extremely hard in learning and remembering their times tables in Maths. We wrapped up the 4 Times Table and have started the 8 times table. Gentle reminder that they should be constantly practising everyday, even if it's just for 10 minutes! In English we are continuing persuasive writing, this week we looked at different features of an advert. The children enjoyed exploring alliteration, rhetorical questions and started planning their slogans for their own advert/product.  Whereas in Science we explored soil and its relation to rocks. 

We were very lucky to have a special guest Mr.Adam Ipek who is a professional Gemmologist who gave us a great insight on fossils, gems, crystals, archeologists, paleontologists and his amazing journey of working internationally. This tied in very well for our topics in Science (rocks) and IPC/History where we are looking at Footprints of the past. The children were thrilled to see real artifacts and gems, as well as understand where/how they can be discovered. 

What we've done

Another busy week of learning and exploring in Year 4!

This week in Maths, we continued our topic of multiplication and division where we looked at how we divide numbers by 10 and 100, looking at the decimal place and the place value of each number.

In English we looked at how we can improve our writing by using figurative language in a character description. In the latter part of the week, we looked at how stories have a build-up to hook the reader in. This led us to writing our own story build-up for the myth of Romulus and Remus.

In Science, we explored the different teeth that humans have and the purpose of each tooth.

We were delighted to welcome Mr Adam Ipek into school with his expertise of being a Gemmologist. This tied in perfectly with our IPC and History topic of ‘Footprints of the Past’. He showed us amazing fossils, crystals and shared his knowledge of working internationally in diamond and gemmology labs!

Gentle reminder to return any outstanding trip letters to school by Monday 27th January 2025.

Have a great weekend!

This week has been another fabulous week of learning!

In English, the children explored poetry and crafted their own 'If I Had Wings' poems. They worked hard to include a variety of literary devices, such as conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs, similes, and metaphors, to bring their writing to life. It was wonderful to see their creativity shine as they imagined what they would do or see if they had wings.

In Maths, we continued our journey into fractions. The children focused on comparing and ordering fractions, honing their skills in determining which fractions are larger or smaller.

As scientists, we explored reversible and irreversible changes. For a reversible change, we melted chocolate and observed how it solidified again when cooled. For an irreversible change, we mixed bicarbonate of soda with vinegar, observing the bubbles and fizz created by a chemical reaction that couldn’t be undone. The children thoroughly enjoyed observing and discussing these changes!

The children also had a surprise visit from Mr. Adam Ipek, an expert in the world of fossils and gemstones. He brought along incredible fossils and crystals and captivated the children with stories of his work in diamond and gemmology labs around the world!

Lastly, in MSC, the children delved into the different styles of learning and how these styles can be applied to solve conflict. They learned how understanding their own learning styles, as well as those of others, can help them work together more effectively and resolve disagreements with greater empathy and cooperation.

Another great week of learning in Year 6!

This week in Maths, we completed our topic of fractions with a hot task and started our cold task on Conversions of metric and imperial units within maths. 

In English we looked at how we can improve our writing by using figurative language in poetry. In the latter part of the week, we drafted our poems through phrases we mind maped as a class. This led us to writing our own final poetry peice of a tiger! Dont forget to ask your children to show you what they've made. 

In Science, we explored the art of writing reports prior and post experiments after having completed an experiment on the affects of shadow sizes. 

We were also delighted to welcome Mr Adam Ipek into school with his expertise of being a Gemmologist. This tied in with our previous science topic of Evolution and inheritance. He showed us amazing fossils, crystals and shared his knowledge of working internationally in diamond and gemmology labs!

Gentle reminder to return any outstanding trip letters to school by Monday 27th January 2025.

Have a grape 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:  كانت بداية رائعة لهذا الأسبوع، قمنا بمراجعة أنشدوة الفواكهة والتعرف علي انواع جديدة من الفواكهة بالعربية مثل : ( برتقال - يوسيفي - برقوق ) ، وتدربنا على جمل بسيطة باللغة العربية : ( هذا يوسيفي - أنا أكل الفواكهة - أنا أحب الموز)، قمنا بعمل أنشطة مختلفة وتلوين أوراق العمل.
 الصف الثاني : قمنا بعمل مراجعة على ما تم دراسته خلال الفصل الدراسي، وانهينا اختبار الالكتروني
ABT Assessments
        الصف الرابع: قمنا بعمل مراجعة على ما تم دراسته خلال الفصل الدراسي، وانهينا اختبار الالكتروني
ABT Assessments 

                                                   Islamic A  /     الإسلامية للعرب                                                                                                                                                                                   
 الصف الثاني : قمنا بعمل مراجعة على ما تم دراسته خلال الفصل الدراسي، وانهينا اختبار الالكتروني
ABT Assessments
        الصف الرابع: قمنا بعمل مراجعة على ما تم دراسته خلال الفصل الدراسي، وانهينا اختبار الالكتروني
ABT Assessments      
                                                                                                                                                                         
                                            Arabic B /     اللغة العربية للناطقين بِغيرها                  
fs:  It was a great start to this week. We reviewed the fruit song and learned about new types of fruits in Arabic, such as: (orange - tangerine - plum), and we practiced simple sentences in Arabic: (this is tangerine - I eat fruit - I love bananas). We did activities Different and coloring worksheets. 

y1:It was a great start to the week! We comprehensively reviewed everything previously covered and completed the lesson on the letter "ز." We also learned the new letter "ج" exploring its different forms, long and short vowels, and the different words associated with it. Additionally, we used vocabulary to construct simple sentences using "this" and "these." We also used vocabulary to form simple sentences and conducted individual and group activities among the students to ensure they applied what they learned from the lesson.
y2:We reviewed what was studied during term 1, and completed the ABT Assessments electronic test.
y3:We reviewed what was studied during term 1, and completed the ABT Assessments electronic test.
y4:We reviewed what was studied during term 1, and completed the ABT Assessments electronic test.
y5:This week was different a lot. So in grade 5 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the ABT test. we started our new lesson which is "Mehrajan al-hasharat".  We learnt new form of the verb with I. 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. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. students good at practicing and understanding and we can help them a lot. We also started this week learning the colors, numbers and everything about myself.
y6:This week was different a lot. So in grade 6 Arabic B we had a quick revision for the last topics they learnt to get ready for the ABT test. we started our new lesson which is In my house".  We learnt new form of the verb with I. 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. Building up on the fore rules students learnt we are completing our work. 
                                      Islamic B   /  الإسلامية للناطقين بِغيرها
y2:In year 2 as we usually do we started greeting students and telling them that we have IBT TEST. After we finished we continued revision for what studied before to get ready for the new lesson which is kindness to animals. Then we passed over last lessons 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-Ikhlas, 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 year 3 as we usually do we started greeting students and telling them that we have IBT TEST. After we finished we continued revision for what studied before to get ready for the new lesson which is I pray 1. Then we passed over last lessons and the meanings of the key words therein. We have reviewed Surahs Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq,al-Asr and we are currently working on memorizing and contemplating surat ash-sharh, as we encourage students to practice them at home to enhance their memorization and mastery of their recitation.
y4:In year 4 as we usually do we started greeting students and telling them that we have IBT TEST. After we finished we continued revision for what studied before to get ready for the new lesson which is belief in angels. Then we passed over last lessons and the meanings of the key words therein. 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, 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 and made the students live with the moments of the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We use interactive activities and open-ended dialogues to simplify concepts and enhance students' understanding of the values ​​learned from the lessons, helping them to relate deeply to the teachings of their religion and apply them in their daily lives.
y5:In year 5 as we usually do we started greeting students and telling them that we have IBT TEST. After we finishing we continued revision for what studied before to get ready for the new lesson which is the Divine books. Then we passed over last lessons and the meanings of the key words therein. 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 at-Tariq, 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 and made the students live with the moments of the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We use interactive activities and open-ended dialogues to simplify concepts and enhance students' understanding of the values ​​learned from the lessons, helping them to relate deeply to the teachings of their religion and apply them in their daily lives.
y6:In year 6 as we usually do we started greeting students and telling them that we have IBT TEST. After finishing we continued revision for what studied before to get ready for the new lesson which is belief in angels. Then we passed over last lessons and the meanings of the key words therein. we started this week studying the lesson (the memorizer). We revised some important islamic 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 at-Takwir, 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 and made the students live with the moments of the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We use interactive activities and open-ended dialogues to simplify concepts and enhance students' understanding of the values ​​learned from the lessons, helping them to relate deeply to the teachings of their religion and apply them in their daily lives.
  Regards, Arabic and Islamic team
Mr. Desoky, Ms. Basma

Ms: Asmaa Elsherbiny   Arabic & Islamic Head   

What we've done

Hola todos, 

This week was amazing  students have learnt new concepts and activity based on the Spanish topics . In Year 1 students learnt   about Seasons in Spanish by listening song and colouring worksheets . In Year 2 students learnt about En mi estuche (In my pencil case ) in which they understand How to say things in their pencilcase in Spanish which helps them to understand more vocabulary in Spanish .In year 3 students students learnt about Abecedario also blending words and making short sentences like La manzana es rojo  and  La Mano es grande.  In year 4 students discussed about Los transportes by describing their places to use like Por El Aire , Por El Agua y Por La tierra by doing differentatiation betwwen different types of transportation in UAE and around the world in Spanish . In Year 5 students learnt about types of animals and their nature by using adjective and gender as per the animals  like peligroso, alegre, tranquilo , horrible y rapido by writing and dscribing them in Spanish . In year 6 students has started learning PRONOMBRES (Pronouns) in Spanish along with verbo Ser also undesrtand difference between formal and informal pronombres in Spanish . Gracias for supporting your child . 

Tengas buen fin de seamana 

Hasta Luego  

Señor Radhey