athletics &
Activities
SPOTS NEWSLETTER – September 8, 2023
To all Leopards,
What a great turn out for our Season One teams for our MS and HS Athletic Programs, we are seeing unprecedented numbers for all of our teams. As the week closes our coaches will be making their team selections and this is always a difficult decision for the coaches and of course disappointment for the student athletes.
In the event your child was not selected here is an excellent article to help with getting over the disappointment: Article about not being selected for the team. Also encourage them to continue their pursuit of the sport in either an outside club, or in any one of the school-led initiatives such as Open Gym or Lunchtime Intramurals. More about these initiatives will come out through Grade Level Google Bulletins.
Congratulations to those students selected it will be a great privilege to represent the Leopards.
If there are any questions you can contact the Athletics and Activities Office in person or by email s.hibbard_daa@gemsedu.com
We look forward to you getting involved in a great program.
The Athletics and Activities Department
Athletics
Below you will find information regarding our Season One competitive sports program.
Monday September 12th Season One begins
* Respective team coaches will inform their student athletes about their respective teams practice schedule.
This coming Friday September 15th Season One games begin and we will be proud to start our hosting calendar with Junior Varsity Boys and Girls Volleyball vs ACS game time 15:00.
Come out and support the team!
Our HS Golf Team and Varsity Boys and Girls Volleyball will also be in action as they travel to Abu Dhabi to compete.
ACTIVITIES
This past Tuesday September 5th our Activities Program opened registration. It is wonderful to see an overwhelming interest and enthusiasm for these programs, and we are grateful for your continued support in providing enriching experiences for your children.
We understand that many of you have encountered challenges during the registration process, including filled-up slots and server issues. We deeply apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this may have caused.
For internal activities, our Activities team are currently reviewing the registration lists and will be sending out confirmation emails following the registration close date (September 13th) to confirm your space in the chosen ASA. In addition, we are actioning the following:
Additional Sessions: We are actively exploring the possibility of adding more sessions and expanding the capacity of our after-school activities to accommodate the high demand. Parents who have registered interest in an activity will be contacted if spaces become available – Please bear with us as we review.
Improved Process: The technical team at ESM is diligently working to enhance the performance of the site and process to ensure a smoother and more efficient registration process for our future terms.
Below you will find important dates and information:
Wednesday September 13th ASA Registration closes
* Registration will close at 12noon
Monday September 18th ASA’s begin
Friday November 24th ASA’s end
Parents are reminded that they will receive automatic confirmation from ESM if they have booked a paid for Activity.
To register students in the ASA Program all parents must have an ESM Profile. Please click the link to information and short video on how to create and update your ESM Profile.
Returning DAA parents it is extremely important to update your children’s information accordingly, that means updating your child’s grade and Teacher Initials to be able to view the up to date program.
AQUATICS
DAA offers the following swimming teams through our Aquatics Program: G2-3, G3-5, U14 (G6-7-8), Junior Varsity (G8-9-10), Varsity (G10-11-12) and Traveling teams (G6-12).
Please find below important dates and information
Tryouts session for U14, Junior Varsity and Varsity will be:
Wednesdays August 30th from 3:15 PM to 4:30 PM
Friday September 1st from 3:15 PM to 4:30 PM
Friday September 8th from 3:15PM to 4:30 PM
REGISTRATION CALENDAR
Athletics activities welcome pack.pdfWeek Without Walls FOR ms
The Week Without Walls week is an immersive educational experience that takes Middle School students outside the traditional classroom setting to explore and learn in a more hands-on and experiential way. The purpose of such a week is to provide students with a unique opportunity to engage in learning activities that may not be possible within the constraints of a traditional classroom.
Parent information evening September 18th
Sign up opens September 22nd
Should you have any questions regarding WWW, please contact Ivan Forbes at i.forbes_daa@gemsedu.com.
HSC for hs
HSC week is an immersive educational experience that takes High School students outside the traditional classroom setting to explore and learn in a more hands-on and experiential way. The purpose of such a week is to provide students with a unique opportunity to engage in learning activities that may not be possible within the constraints of a traditional classroom.
Parent information evening September 19th
Sign up opens September 22nd
Should you have any questions regarding HSC Week, please contact Ivan Forbes at i.forbes_daa@gemsedu.com.
key contacts
Athletics & Activities Office Contacts
Athletics DirectorScott Hibbard, s.hibbard_daa@gemsedu.com
Aquatics CoordinatorMarie Leclerc, m.leclerc1_daa@gemsedu.com
Administrative AssistantRamshah Agha, r.agha_daa@gemsedu.com