SPOTS

The current situation is a dynamic one and we will keep you up to date with the latest rules and guidelines from the regulators and health authorities.

We have received communication from KHDA today informing us that ‘students under the age of 12 with a travel history will have to undergo mandatory 14 days distance learning from their date of arrival’. If this is relevant to your child or children, please ensure you follow this requirement from KHDA strictly.

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please contact our healthoffice_daa@Gemsedu.com / 04 704 9761 for assistance.

Yes, you can still access the lessons. However, if you are not online all day and for each period, then you will be marked absent.

Please make an official request to the divisional secretary via email.

Yes. In our new blended model, the students at home will have a view of the classroom and be interacting with the class.

We have been informed that a few of our new students have been unable to secure an appointment with Threads until next week or that the items were not in stock. In this scenario, we ask that students wear something similar in nature to the uniform. For example, dark pants or skirt and a light blue/grey button down shirt or polo. (no jeans please).

Existing students are able to wear last years uniform.

Students on the home learning schedule or who have opted for 100% remote learning are expected to be online and engaged in the live sessions during school hours (Dubai time).

Yes, DAAPA our Parent Association has already hit the ground running! Check out their DAAPA Page for the latest information.

• In MS and HS, currently, you will continue to access your grades through Powerschool Unified Classroom.

• In ES, ongoing feedback on learning will be provided through the Seesaw platform.

You can raise an IT ticket here: https://support.zoho.com/portal/daastudenthelp/en/newticket

Upon arrival at school, students will pass through a number of designated entrance

points. The entrance points will be fitted with 4 thermal imaging cameras, which will

record each student and staff member’s temperature so it is imperative that all students use designated entry points. Please review the divisional pages for further detail.

A designated and trained security guard will monitor the system throughout the day. A process is in place to manage any students identified with a temperature greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius.

Anyone with a temperature of 37.5 will not be allowed entry. These students will be taken to a dedicated medical room within the school, where further temperature and medical checks will be made, and families subsequently notified.

Families are to drop off and pick up at designated areas only in designated timings with no interaction inside the school. There will be no access to the rest of the school premises by family members or visitors. Family members are given a maximum time limit of 10 minutes in the designated area to pick up / drop off with no crowding, maintenance of a 2 meters distance, and wearing masks at all times.

The GEMS Covid Relief Program was offered for term 3 of last year and there is no additional program for this year. There were no increases to tuition for the 2020-2021 school year. Our finance team will work closely with families on a payment plan if you are unable to make payments on the 3 term payment schedule of Sept 1, 2020 –Term 1/ Jan 1, 2021 – Term 2/ Apr 1, 2021 – Term 3.

A 4.25% discount is available if tuition is paid before August 31st with the GEMS FAB Card. If full tuition fees are paid via any other means (Cash/credit card/Bank transfer/school counter) before 31st of August, a 4% discount is available.

Please reach out to finance_daa@gemsedu.com for more information on payment options.

The first full day of school will be August 30th for KG2- Grade 12, either on campus or in remote learning depending on the grouping of the students. Orientation for new students to KG1 will take place on August 30th.

In order to comply with all social distancing measures, classrooms can accommodate students at 50% occupancy. Therefore, we will be dividing the classes (grades 1-12) into two cohorts - A group and B group. The rotation schedule will function as follows:

Week 1 - Sunday to Thursday AABBA.

Week 2 - Sunday to Thursday BBAAB.

As per the KHDA Protocols for the Reopening Private Schools in Dubai, only one family member or guardian is allowed to enter the school premises for drop off/pick up of his/her child. People with compromised medical conditions, including the elderly, should not come for drop off and pick up. Families drop off and pick up at one designated area and designated timings with no interaction inside the school. There should be no access to the rest of the school premises by family members and visitors. Family members should be given a maximum time limit of 10 minutes in the designated area to pick up / drop off with no crowding, maintenance of a 2 meters distancing, and wearing masks at all times. Meetings are encouraged to take place online, unless there is a critical need for one to one meeting which should take place on an appointment by email basis and will need to be made and approved beforehand.

In accordance with the KHDA directives above, we ask that parents please drop off and pick up at the designated entry zones as identified on the School MAP and at the designated times for your child’s division. Wearing a mask, social distancing, and not congregating for more than ten minutes will protect the health and safety of the entire community. If you require a meeting with your child’s teacher or administration, please contact them directly via email to make arrangements for an on-line conference.

The regulations state that all changing rooms will be closed. Therefore, on PE days, students will wear their PE kit to school and remain in their PE uniform all day. Please wait for instructions on when this will begin, as we determine which units of study will be taught.

As per the KHDA Protocols for the Reopening Private Schools in Dubai, the classroom area should support sufficient room for groups to maintain physical distancing of at least 1.5 meters per child in each classroom provided everyone wears a mask. Student ratios will vary depending on the size of the classroom. The school will have the liberty to decide on the number of students per class as long as a safe distance of at least 1.5 meters per child or person is maintained.

Following a review of our facilities, in order to align with the above directives, this means that most of our classrooms can only accommodate approximately 13 students.

The tentative plans are to follow a phased-in approach to introduce athletics and activities into the program. The first phase, by mid-September will begin with virtual activities and individual sports camps focusing on skills. Additional phases to allow for competitive and recreational Intramurals and teams will follow as determined and directed by the regulatory authorities. Please see the Athletics Page for additional detail.

Orientation is planned for our new students to DAA with an opportunity to attend and tour the school. Given the Covid-19 restrictions, the on-campus orientation this year will be only for students. We will plan virtual orientation and on-boarding sessions for parents separately. More information will be shared with our new families directly from our divisional principals on the timing and agenda for orientation.

A policy of “staying at home if unwell” for students, teachers or school staff with symptoms will be enforced. We encourage you to check your child’s temperature before leaving home and to keep them at home if they are displaying any symptoms that can qualify them as a suspected case of Covid-19.

· Conjunctivitis

· Runny nose

· Cough / sneezing

· Throat pain

· Body aches

· Fever

· Chest pain or difficulty of breathing (Please seek urgent medical advice from your nearest health care facility)

Please review our Health Clinic Covid-19 Guidelines HERE.

We will do our best in order to keep siblings in the same cohort in order to minimize commute and scheduling conflicts for families. Once the A/B Groupings are determined, these will be final.

As per the KHDA Protocols for the Reopening Private Schools in Dubai, Prayer rooms should remain closed, unless the government is allowing prayer rooms to open across the different facilities in Dubai. We will monitor the advice from the authorities and make prayer rooms available as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.

Teachers and students above the age of 6 are required to wear face masks. Face masks can be removed during strenuous physical activity. Face shields can be worn for those employees who are in direct contact with students. It is suggested that students bring two disposable masks to school per day or one reusable option. It will be the responsibility of the students to ensure that they bring the required number of masks each day and ensure any reusable masks are washed in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.

The group not in school will access learning online through the use of webcams and numerous platforms used during remote learning. We have learned so much during our experience from March to June, and have taken that knowledge to further refine and enhance the remote provision. This summer we have installed over 230 webcams in the classrooms. This tool will allow students to experience the classroom environment, as well as work independently as directed by the learning plan.

In order to minimize overcrowding during entry and exit times, a staggered timing has been set.

The GEMS health and safety department has established a robust set of health, safety and operational procedures and protocols, in order to support the safe reopening of schools. Quality assurance checks will also be conducted to monitor the effectiveness.

Desks will be set at a safe distance apart of 1.5 meters, and physical markings will be used in classrooms to ensure desks remain in the correct locations. Teachers will be positioned at the front of the classroom area, at a distance of 1.5 meters from the front row desks.

Safety markings will be set up throughout corridors, the markings will dictate safe distances of 2 meters. Students will be monitored to ensure adherence. One-way pedestrian flows will be required and will be marked out accordingly.

Seating arrangements will be clearly marked out in canteen areas, no students will be permitted to sit directly adjacent or next to one another. Students from the same class must adhere to 1.5 meter safe distances, students from different classes must maintain 2 meter safe distances.

Schools will operate pre-packed lunch service, with no live cooking taking place at school. Students are also permitted to bring their own food from home. Water dispensers are not permitted to be used.

All staff will undergo specific Covid-19 training prior to the start of the new academic year. In addition, teachers will regularly communicate and provide information to students on the associated risks, safe practices and controls. All students will be briefed on this plan prior to the start of the academic year.

Our school has conducted a review of all potential frequent touch points, including, door handles, light switches, handrails, taps and washbasins, etc. Increased cleaning and sanitization will be conducted across these areas throughout the duration of the day. A thorough cleaning of the school will be conducted each day by an approved vendor, using approved Municipality chemicals. A thorough deep clean and sanitization of the school will be conducted at the end of each week. Cleaning staff will wear the required PPE for all cleaning activities.

Managing a potential Covid-19 case in school

If a student is suspected of being a positive Covid-19 case, they will be immediately

removed to the school isolation room. Only the school medical and emergency services team are permitted to enter the isolation room and full PPE must be worn when entering the room. The students’ parents will be contacted immediately by the school doctor and the required authorities will be notified. The school will strictly adhere to the health authority requirements for managing and transferring any suspected cases of Covid-19. All areas which may have been accessed will be thoroughly deep cleaned and sanitized following any suspected cases. These areas will be closed immediately until the deep clean is completed. Tracing will be conducted to identify those who may have come into contact with the student or staff member. Health authority requirements will be strictly adhered to. This may include additional testing and isolation of persons who have come into contact with a positive case. Each school will have a detailed medical procedure plan in place, which will detail the emergency procedures for each school. This will be developed in consultation with the GEMS Senior Medical Supervisor and school medical teams.

Managing a confirmed case

A confirmed case could be in the form of a student, staff member or contractor. In such cases the person will be in isolation for a period of time, this may be at home or in a medical facility. Upon receiving notification of a confirmed case, a tracing exercise will be conducted by the school. This will identify all other persons who may have come into contact with the positive case.

Any persons who have come into close contact with the confirmed positive case will be sent home from school immediately, with a potential isolation period of 14 days. Further advice from the authorities, including the health authority and education authority, will be required on this aspect. No persons who have tested positive will be permitted to return to school without first providing evidence of a negative test result, in line with authority requirements. All relevant areas will undergo a thorough deep clean and sanitization exercise.

Communication of a confirmed case

It is important that parents are provided with suitable information regarding confirmed cases within the school. It is also vital that people’s individual privacy is maintained.

Parents will be notified when there is a positive case to a class member or class teacher. The required procedures will be followed for notifying the authorities. A detailed GEMS medical manual has been developed and the manual complies with UAE health authority requirements.

Bus routes will be revised based on the demand of parents wishing to continue to use bus transportation and to accommodate the new staggered start times.

• All temperatures are taken at the pick-up points and any cases will be documented and notified to the relevant parties

• Daily records will be maintained

• Bus will be disinfected before and after each use

• Adequate signage will be placed inside the bus

• Procedures are in place should a child display signs of COVID 19 while in the bus

• Marking will be on the seats for guidance

Our bi-weekly SPOTS newsletter is our primary communication channel.

Elementary School

A divisional weekly communication will be published and will focus on both academic and health/safety updates. Homeroom teachers will continue to use Seesaw as a communication platform for both students and parents.

Middle School

A grade level newsletter is sent to all MS parents via the Heads of Grade every Thursday, which focuses on student wellbeing, celebrations, and the learning and assessments across each discipline.

High School

A bi-weekly SPOTS newsletter is sent via DAA’s Parent Relations Executive with a message from the Principal, accompanied by any important updates and highlights to be shared with parents.

Any brief reminders will be sent as needed via SMS through DAA’s Parent Relations Executive.