September 8th, 2023
message from our sUPERINTENDENT, dR. ETHAN HILDRETh
Happy Friday and wonderful weekend DAA Leopards!
Today I shared the word “fortnight” with our students, as we celebrated the wonderful first two weeks of school. Our great success is due to all of us pulling together, students, teachers, home, and school. A heartfelt thank you to everyone!
In this edition of SPOTS, we are delighted to hear directly from several of our students, and we look forward to hearing from many more students in the months ahead. One of the questions our students answer in today’s video is what good book they are reading.
Let me encourage every student and every family to keep in mind that the single biggest predictor of
high academic achievement is reading. It is not worksheets, flash cards, workbooks, flashy technology, or other blinking toys but a steady diet of reading good books. For younger students, this means parents taking the time every day to read wonderful books aloud. Older students can enjoy the same and are also able to take the initiative with their own reading. The bottom line? Read, Read, Read!
We will soon be sharing the latest updates on our fantastic progress expanding seating in the canteen, play areas and much more. DAA continues to lead the way in providing premium learning facilities and support for all of our students.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend and looking forward with great excitement to our year ahead!
Kindest regards,
Dr. Ethan Hildreth
division updates
PARENT CALENDAR
KEY INFORMATION
Transport
Wanting to sign up your child for the school bus? Good news! Due to high interest in our School Bus Program with STS we are re-opening our registration and have added to our fleet of busses. This means that we will be able to look at opportunities to split routes and reduce bus times over the coming weeks.
If you live in one of the below areas, seats are available:
Barsha Heights
Bluewaters
Jumeirah Beach Residence
Jumeirah Lake Towers
Palm Jumeirah
The Greens
The Lakes
We kindly ask those interested to complete the Google Form here: https://forms.gle/AQ3Yf2XttG8CBGUB8
If you are not within one of these areas, we encourage you to register your interest and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Please contact Kelvin sde-daa@sts-group.com / 04 704 9755 or visit our STS representatives on campus in the main atrium for any questions or to discuss available options.
slices lunch
From Grab&Go sandwiches and salads to hot meals and live stations, Slices offers healthy and tasty meals to our students.
We are operating a completely cashless system in our multiple dining spaces for Grades 3 to 12. For lower elementary classroom delivery is available, pre-ordered by parents.
For instructions on how to top-up the Student Card and Term 1 menus, see HERE.
Campus enhancements
In the first few weeks of the academic year we have continued to make great progress in a number of campus enhancements in DAA. We are delighted to share the following highlights:
Completion of one of three new Elementary playgrounds, featuring running water and contoured hills, providing a dynamic and engaging space for our little leopards.
Additional learning spaces are being prepared to open to support student creativity, professional development, colleague wellness, and team collaboration.
Impressive progress is being made in our expansion of seating and climate-controlled space in our canteen, which will be accompanied by a hot kitchen to provide even better meal service for students and staff. We are excited to share the progress in the upcoming weeks! While the warm weather currently limits outdoor seating options during break and lunchtimes, our Middle and High School have made proactive steps. In addition to the canteen and common areas, classrooms have been opened to provide a variety of seating options for our students to sit and enjoy in groups.
Thank you for your continued support as we work towards these enhancements!
SEPTEMBER AT A GLANCE
Tuneful Tuesday is back, putting a spotlight on our talented students every week.
Students, to sign up please email j.porterfield_daa@gemsedu.com
Tuesday Mornings, Before School
A great opportunity for parents to hear from principals and connect with their child's teachers to ensure a successful year ahead for our Leopards. Details are provided in the divisional newsletters.
September 12th - MS
September 13th - HS
September 14th - ES
SEPTEMBER IN REVIEW
#GoLeopards
To celebrate our little leopards were tasked to bring a book from their home country or in their home language to share with the class.
DAA Listens
At DAA we are committed to communicating effectively with our families. We believe that open communication between home and school is a vital component of our student’s success.
We are excited to continue our communication channel within our school community, DAA Listens. By scanning this QR code you will be able to share your compliments, comments or concerns directly with our Superintendent Dr Hildreth. There are 6 mailboxes located around the school, where students and parents can drop a postcard. Either method will ensure that Dr. Hildreth will receive the communication and that a member of staff will be back in touch with you quickly.
Your voice is highly valued and we look forward to listening to your feedback as we collectively seek to enhance every student’s experience at our school.
Parents & Students Cybersecurity Guide
Parents & Students Cybersecurity Guide.pdfother information
KEY CONTACTS
ADMINISTRATIONADMISSIONS - Registrar_daa@gemsedu.com 04 704 9707
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONSGabrielle Keane g.keane_daa@gemsedu.com / 04 704 9706
FINANCEfinance_daa@gemsedu.com 04 704 9740 / 04 704 9744
HEALTHhealthoffice_daa@Gemsedu.com / 04 704 9761
GOVERNMENT RELATIONSSoheir Mohamed S.MOHAMED_DAA@gemsedu.com
SLICES CATERINGMs. Shevine daa@slices.ae / 054 792 7509https://pay.slices.ae/support/ticket/submit
STS BUS SERVICEKelvin Sicat sde-daa@sts-group.com / 04 704 9755
ITdaait@gemsedu.com047049793