Volume 5, Issue 11 Nov 22nd 2012

The Academy promotes inquiring, knowledgeable, reflective, and caring learners who develop personal skills to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Reflected in a variety of defined outcomes and assessments, our divisional I.B. programs support students to become compassionate, lifelong, and actively involved learners who recognize the differences among people and will contribute to a better future global society.

A Note from the Elementary Principal

Time to Celebrate! Part of developing international mindedness in our school community is in our appreciation and respect of our host country, the UAE. We warmly invite you to join with us as we celebrate UAE National Day, next Wednesday 28th November. Our GWA Parent Association has been working hard to create a day of celebration and cultural awareness that marks the UAEs 41st Birthday. All students, staff members and parents are invited to attend school on the 28th of November in UAE traditional dress, or in the colours of the UAE flag red, green, black and white. The UAE stall will continue to sell items which can be worn on national day, throughout next week. Come along and celebrate in your best kanduras, guthras, abayas and shelas. During the day, students will be given time to walk through the UAE Heritage Village in our courtyard with their classes, which will include displays of camels, ponies, henna, drums, dancing, food and more! Celebration assemblies will also be hosted by our Arabic and Islamic Education departments. Please do come along. Our EC-Grade 1 Assembly will commence at 8.40am and our Grade 2-5 Assembly will commence at 9.15am.

3 A Day
SMILE!
TALK to your child about the recent dental visits we have hosted at GWA-Dubai all students in Grades 1-5 had a dental health check conducted, and our Early Childhood students attended an assembly about dental care. Discuss the importance of good oral hygiene!

Please note that we have just been notified that the UAE Government has today declared that Sunday December 2nd and Monday December 3rd are public holidays for National Day celebrations. GWA-Dubai will be closed on these two ENCOURAGE your child to carefully brush his/her teeth twice a days. Have a wonderful weekend ahead, and to those celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving! Sincerely Megan Brazil
day. Find a digital timer for your bathroom so that they brush their teeth for the recommended time of 2 minutes (this is longer than you think).

SHARE a family trip to the dentist! When was your last checkup?

Quick Glimpse at the Week Ahead!

Sunday, Nov 25
Day 5 Grade 5 Trip to Ibn Battuta Mall

Monday, Nov 26
Day 6 Pre-K Trip to Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre

Tuesday, Nov 27
Day 1

Wednesday, Nov 28
Day 2 UAE National Day Celebrations Pre-kKG1 Assembly 8.40am Gr 2Gr 5 Assembly 9.15am

Thursday, Nov 29
Day 3 Gr2Gr5 Assembly 8.45 9.15 am Early Dismissal 1.30 pm

To view the GWA cafeteria menu, please visit the GWA website at www.gemsworldacademy-dubai.com

A Note from our Primary Years Programme Coordinator

Over the past month I have been reviewing our schools PYP documents in preparation for the PYP Evaluation Visit in December 2013. The IBO requires our Elementary Staff to conduct a self-study this year, using the PYP Standards and Practices as our guide. The Evaluation Visit will verify what we already know about our school in our self-study and will provide the IB visitors with an opportunity to guide our school towards further improvement. It has been very enlightening this quarter, conversing with other PYP coordinators in our region and attending workshops for professional development and coming to the realization that even though we are a young school, we are already in very good shape for our PYP Evaluation Visit. In talking with other school leaders and coordinators, it seems that GWA-Dubai has the foundation in place similar to schools who have been working in the PYP for many more years than us. The hard work and collaboration prepared by the dedicated faculty have given teachers new to GWA something solid to work with as they become orientated to a new school, culture and community. The families of GWA have been open to change and worked with the staff to understand the differences in education philosophy from their past and the present schools coming to a PYP school for the first time can be a learning experience for the whole family. This strong foundation gives our staff the opportunity to continue using best practice in time tested approaches to teaching and learning such as differentiated small group instruction and centers based instruction. It also gives us the chance to look at well researched, established, and new approaches to education that will benefit our students. Some examples of these are: 3 Dimensional Model of Teaching (Lynn Erickson) which includes teaching concepts along with skills to help make connections in learning. Inquiry in the Classroom (Kath Murdoch) which argues that the most meaningful teaching is done through inquiry. Who Owns the Learning? (Alan November) on how to prepare students (and teachers) for success in the digital age.

As we use this years PYP Self Study to reflect on the development of our Primary Years Programme over the past 5 years, we know that there will be improvements to make, more action plans to develop, and further changes to be made. Our journey towards excellence will never be complete, but we rest easy knowing that the foundation for student learning is strong thanks to the teachers and families who have contributed to building GWA-Dubai. David E. Gerber Primary Years Programme Coordinator

White Plastic Bottle Campaign

The Eco-schools committee went on a field trip to Mr. Brazils Design and Technology room. There, we discovered a plastic shredding machine and found out that we can reuse this plastic to make many different things!

Grades 2-5 are collecting white bottles!

Only 2 liter milk and juice bottles should be brought in. They need to be the white plastic bottles. Bottles should be rinsed out before bringing them to school. Children can start to bring them in from this Sunday and the first campaign will run till Wednesday the 5th December. The class that has brought the most bottles will get to go on a field trip to Mr. Brazils DT workshop to make something from the recycled plastic. Here is a picture of Emily in Grade 5LW presenting the campaign and the Green Dragon in the assembly this morning! CONGRATULATIONS to 3LW for winning the GREEN DRAGON this week for being the most Environmentally Friendly class!

Grade 4 BA The Power of Friendship

Every week, our Grade Four students visit their buddies in KG2. During these forty-five minutes of the week, our Grade Fours seem to go back in time and let themselves go and play like five-year olds. But the beauty of it lies in what they bring to the KG2 students. During that valuable time of their week, they become role models, teachers and FRIENDS. Through the reading of books, the exploration of science or the making of friendship bracelets, bonds are created. The KG2 students look up to their big buddies and get a glimpse of what they can do and learn when they get to Grade Four. The Grade Four children become mentors (and very protective!) of their little buddies. All in all, an experience worth sharing!!!

Grade 4 KC Working with our buddies!

The students of 4KC worked with their KG2RN buddies on some writing and sound activities. The grade 4 students have learned about descriptive writing. With their buddy they each created a small book describing what they did during the Eid break. The grade 4 students were able to help the KG2 students with the writing and the excellent artists of KG2RN created some great illustrations to go along with it! The KG2 students have also learned about sound. The kids worked together to create their own instruments. We saw some very creative things- guitars, shakers, a violin, and much more!

Grade 4 MO Sharing our Learning!

4SM and KG2MS meet up once every cycle to share what we are learning with each other. The 4th graders love working with their younger friends and sharing what they know. They learn a lot from our buddies as well the kindergarten children have just finished a unit on light and sound, and some of us were astonished at how much they knew! Every week, we try and inquire into something that one of our classes is doing. The 4th graders support the kindergarten children in their reading and writing and the kindergarteners remind the older children how much fun it is to throw yourself into everything you do with unbridled enthusiasm.

Welcome to the PYP library!

Students are busy every day as they come to the library. They are discovering new genres of books and how illustrations add to the stories we read. Last week we had a very successful book fair thanks to you! Students in grades 3-5 have been learning how to access and read E-books. New to the library this year, we are offering E-books through Destiny. We have been working in Destiny quite a bit to discover all the books we have in the library as well. Now students have access to books 24/7 with their own log-in. Check out the library page on the Weebly for information on how to log-in. Our students in grade 3-5 are starting to use iPads to discover new books to read as we create a culture of learning through information literacy. Information literacy is no longer just in books, but has moved to the digital world and our students will be ready for most any challenge in finding information. Grade 5 students have been exploring different fiction genres. We all have different reading tastes but sometimes it is good to try something new. As all our students know, they do not have to like every book, but they cannot judge a book before trying it! Grade 4 has been learning about call numbers and how we put Non-Fiction books in order. If you have not heard it already, check out the Dewey Rap http://tinyurl.com/ czloyz . With these skills of reading call numbers, students can use Destiny to search for a book and can find the books on the shelf! Grade 3 has been working with call numbers as well, but focusing more on mapping out the library. Now they know where their favorite books are located and even discovered new areas of interest as they check out books. Grade 2 students are as busy as ever as they have been adding to our doodle wall on a daily basis. Mo Williems created a successful series of picture books based on a doodle, and now our students are having a turn at creating their own doodles to connect to what they have read in library or are learning in class. We have also started creating bookmarks that describe Dubai in pictures. We are exploring how pictures can tell stories, and will be sending these bookmarks to grade 2 students in the USA to teach them about Dubai. In Grade 1 we have been working on finding

good books to read at our reading level and how to put books back in their happy homes on the shelves. Of course anytime you walk in the library you will find students engaged in learning how to use various online tools as well as enjoying books. Please stop by to see our enthusiastic readers and even check out a book for yourself!

Grade 1 My Healthy Body Health Initiative

Going further with our current Unit of Inquiry, My Healthy Body, this week Grade 1 participated at school for two half days in a Health Initiative, organised for us by Lakeland, Organic Foods and Caf, Platform3 Fitness and Time Out Kids. We participated in four different interactive sessions to reinforce healthy eating and fitness habits. We had an educational presentation by Organic Food and Caf nutritionist who highlighted to us the importance of including five pieces of fruits and vegetables in our daily diet in order to provide our body with the nutrients it needs.

This was followed by an interactive cooking lesson by Lakeland. We enjoyed the role of being little chefs. We learnt simple food preparation skills. We used fun cooking tools to help us make our individual yoghurt ice cream. Many of us added sliced organic fruits such as strawberries, apples and pineapples, and some of us added sunflower seeds as ice cream topping.

Grade 1 My Healthy Body Health Initiative - Continued

Platform 3 Fitness instructors highlighted that we can have fun playing different sports and at same time keep our muscles fit and strong. We participated in different games that got our heart muscle pumping hard and fast. Our two favourite fitness games were Squat Challenge and Tug of War.

Finally, we applied our thinking skills to help us draw what we individually think a healthy lunch box should have packed inside it. We referred to our knowledge of the Food Pyramid to guide our healthy lunch eating choices. You can look at all of our healthy lunch box drawings at www.timeoutdubai.com/ kids during the last week of November. You can also see more of what we have been up to in the Time Out Kids magazine December issue.

Grade 1 Reflections
My favourite activity was the Fitness Corner because I liked the running race. It made my heart pump really fast. Bianca Something new I found out from the nutritionist was that I should eat food that have less than 5 grams of sugar. Eshan I found out that I need to eat 5 pieces of fruits and vegetables a day to give my body vitamins it needs. Bethany If I buy the ice-cream mixing bowl (ice-cream churner) we used at the cooking station, I can make healthy ice-cream for my family and friends when I go home for Christmas, and their hearts wont get blocked with fat. Chen Chen I like eating ice-cream. It was fun to make but I cannot do it at home if I dont have the mixer. It will be hard. Yassin The drawing station was the best. I got to draw the fruits I like to eat. Pepijn

CELEBRATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING

This week our Senior Leadership Team drafted the following philosophy statement to ensure that our school community understands how as an internationally minded school, we are living our mission statement, in creating a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Please take a minute to read, understand and support us in our mission. Please mark your calendars for our upcoming Winter Music Celebration Concerts to be held during our regular assembly times on Wednesday 19th December (EC-Grade 1) and Thursday 20th December (Grades 2-5).
CELEBRATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING As our school grows it is good to again share and review our school practices as to how we acknowledge and value cultural and religious beliefs of our wonderfully diverse membership. GWA-Dubai will respect the laws, customs and culture of the UAE. Living in this host Muslim country we will recognize the importance of valuing, acknowledging and celebrating UAE culture and the Islamic religion to all students (KHDA/Ministry of Education regulation). Significant aspects of the Islamic faith are shared with students through assemblies, whole school announcements, school-wide celebrations, newsletters and through the observance of mandated Islamic holidays. Being respectful and tolerant of any host country culture and practice is an important aspect of being internationally minded as well as a member of that community. Furthermore, we recognize that it is impossible to actively promote every cultural belief, festival and religious holiday of every family attending GWA. Our parent association (GWAPA) has been actively involved in hosting seasonal festival celebrations, that provide students with the opportunity to explore a variety of holiday themes from diverse world religions. Three times a year (Autumn, Winter and Spring), this group seeks volunteers to share displays of religious and cultural significance, to expose students to the beliefs and values of different ethnic groups. Such celebrations have included Eid, Diwali, Easter, Now Ruz, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Halloween, and the Japanese Cherry Blossom festival, etc. This school does not determine which festivals and celebrations that can be acknowledged, but encourages a parent voice and enthusiasm to generate these sharings. GWA-Dubai will continue to acknowledge the right of our community members to share appropriate festivals and beliefs through the group seasonal celebrations. By opening our hearts and minds to all religious traditions, we are serving the greater good and our connections with others grow deeper, (Maura Cullen, http://www.tolerance.org/blog/balancingholidays-your-classroom). We warmly invite all GWA families who wish to promote an understanding and celebration of their religion and/or culture by sharing a seasonal festival display in cooperation with GWAPA on scheduled festival days. But, individual classroom parties to celebrate religious festivals are not encouraged. Any classroom party/celebration can occur with teacher prior notice and approval. Such class ideas can successfully be coordinated by the teacher with the support of classroom parent volunteers(birthdays, goodbye partings, etc.). Parents and students are encouraged to approach any teacher or member of administration for suggestions, opinions, and comments about the school position regarding cultural and religious tolerance and respect.

Get Writing!
Less than one week left for Final Submissions to the Writing and Poetry Contests Send your entries online to The Emirates Festival of Literature at www.emirateslitfest.com. Make sure you follow the
rules and regulations of the contest. AND Students interested in sending their submissions to the GWA internal contest as well, should submit their poem/story to the GWA dropbox at: http://www.dropitto.me/gwastudentwrites Password: studentwrites Complete details of Students Name, Age as on November 25th and GWA English teacher should be noted on the entry. Questions? Elementary students may consult Ms. Melissa Murphy for details at m.murphy_gwa@gemsedu.com Secondary students may come to the Writing Centre or contact Mrs. Mariam Sandhu at m.sandhu_gwa@gemsedu.com

A big thank you to Take My Junk for donating Dental Kits to all our Elementary students a big pearly white smile thank you

UAE National Day reflections and a look forward

On the occasion of UAE National Day, you are invited to support the UAE 2020 Expo bid and take the opportunity to discuss future goals and dreams with your family. Its never too early or late to have these important conversations, which help shape and prepare us for future success. Activity 1. GEMS corporate office likes the UAE Expo 2020 bid - In unison, this National Day, the challenge to all GEMS schools families will be to view the Expo bid video at the link below, and like it to boost support. http://expo2020dubai.ae/en/our_bid .Consider an active discussion with your child(ren) what they know of the past and future of the UAEs history and development. Activity 2. GEMS corporate office cyber time-capsule All GEMS school families are invited to submit their visions and wishes for the UAE in 2020. What will the UAE be like in the year in 2020? What will your life possibly be like in the year 2020? How should we prepare for a successful future? Log on to www.gemsparents.com to upload your paragraph, poem, artwork, photo, video, etc. with your visions and dreams. Thank you!

Get rid of junk

The transitory nature of life in the UAE means people often have loads of unwanted items. The Take My Junk organization allows you to give away your unwanted clothes, furniture, books and electrical goods, all of which are donated to underprivileged people. www.takemyjunkuae.com.

A Note from our Head of School

Re-Enrolment Fees for 2013-14
Dear GWA Parents, This is an advance notice about a change in the re-enrolment fee for this coming April, intent to return. The KHDA has issued new guidelines regarding the admissions and re-enrolment process for private schools in Dubai. In order to align this school with these new regulations, GWA will need a confirmation for your childs placement for the next academic year (2013-14) that will require an assurance deposit fee of AED 2500. (This is an increase from the past fee which was AED 2000). As before, the re-enrolment fee is non-refundable, but will be adjusted against your first term fee tuition payment. We will remind you again of this deadline for re-enrolment as the time draws nearer. Any questions regarding this fee change and/or the re-enrolment process? Please let us help with better understanding. Our Registration/Admissions Office has all the details. Educationally yours, Dan E. Young Head of School

NOTICE FROM MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Dear Parents, We would like to inform you that enrolment for Term 2 of GEMS Music Academy is approaching. Priority enrolment is being offered to existing GMA students before places are offered to those on the waiting list. With the recent growth of the Music Academy, we have decided to simplify the enrolment process by automatically re-enrolling your child for term 2 which commences 6th January 2013. This will save you from having to complete application forms and also save paper! We have a lengthy waiting list for students wishing to take music lessons in term 2 and require notice from you, at your earliest convenience, if your child does not wish to continue tuition in term 2, so the places may be re-allocated. Please e-mail j.rovera1_gwa@gemsedu.com if you DO NOT wish your child to continue with their music lessons. You may visit the accounts office in school between 1st December 15th December only to make your payment for term 2. Alternatively, you now have the option to pay for the Music Lessons online using your GLG log in between 1 st December and 15th December. (For parents who have registered and paid for the full academic year for their child, enrolment for term 2 is already done and the place is confirmed. Kindly disregard this e-mail). With the end of Term 1 approaching we would like to inform you that your childs progress report will be available in his/ her Music Practice Diary by 20th December. Thank you!

School Closed December 2nd and 3rd

The UAE government declares the National Holiday. KHDA/Ministry of Education (an official government branch) and all schools will be closed by mandate. http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-nationalday-holidays-confirmed

(Wont the kids be so disappointed to have to stay home and

sleep in another morning?) Happy National Day, UAE!

Buy your Entertainer Books at GWA, next Wednesday for the discounted price of AED316.00 (Normally selling for AED395.00 ) These will be on sale all day and you will be able to pay with cash or a credit card.

Important Upcoming Dates

Wednesday 28 November Wednesday 28 November Sunday 2 December Monday 3 December Sunday 9 December Tuesday 18 December December 20 December 23January 3 January 6 2013 GWA celebrates UAE National Day Block 2 Internal ASA Online Registration 4.30pm School closed for UAE National Day School closed for UAE National Day External ASA Sign Up8 to 9.30 am GWAPA Winter Festival Early dismissal 12pm Winter Break Classes Resume