Dear DAA Elementary School Families,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Elementary School at GEMS Dubai American Academy. Whether you are a new or returning family, we are excited to begin the academic year with you as part of our community. I trust that you had an enjoyable summer holiday and that your children are ready for a year filled with friendships, opportunities and engaging learning experiences.

As some of you know, we undertook a strategic plan last year and began our journey to become a school that is inspired, individualized, and interconnected. Throughout the year, we hope to showcase our student’s learning through a wide range of formats, and welcome you to be active participants in your child’s academic development. You can be sure to follow us on social media outlets such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, as well as reading SPOTS and our Divisional updates to see the great things happening in the elementary school! This first edition of SPOTS will give you all of the information you need for the start of the school year!

School Timings:

Monday - Thursday: 7:40am - 2:45pm

Friday: 7:40am - 11:50am

Logistics:

There are a couple of items we wanted to make you aware of as you prepare for the beginning of the year.

• Please ensure your student brings extra masks with them each day. 

• We will follow DHA & KHDA social distancing protocols and have hand sanitizer outside of each classroom. Students will maintain 1m distancing whenever possible.

• Classrooms and common spaces will be disinfected each morning, evening, and during the day (when the room is not in use).

• Students should bring a hat and water bottle to school each day.

• Make an appointment at Threads for your new school uniforms! Students may wear the shoe of their choice, provided it is close-toed and has non-marking soles.

• All elementary students have the option to either bring their own food from home, or to pre order meals from our caterer SLICES. Please ensure that arrangements for your child’s meals during the school day have been made.

New Student Orientation 

We are looking forward to welcoming our new students to DAA Elementary School!  Our orientation will take place on campus for our new students on Friday, August 26 from 11:00 - 12:00. Information has been emailed to families who are new to DAA with all of the specifics of the event. 

On the First Day of School

The first day of school is an exciting time for our students as they get to meet their new teachers and friends. However, we acknowledge that it can also be a daunting time for some students. One of our main priorities during the first few weeks at school is to help the students settle into their new routines, connect with their friends and become comfortable in their new learning environment. We know that students are at their best academically when they are happy and settled. We look forward to partnering with you to help all of our students have a successful start to the school year.

Class Assignments

On Wednesday the 24th of August, you will receive an email from your child’s class teacher. This email will include further information about the teaching team, as well as specific information that relates to your child’s class. We encourage all parents to actively engage in their child’s learning journey and therefore appreciate regular updates and feedback from home. Your child’s class teacher is your first point of contact for all matters and will be able to assist you with any queries you may have.

In the meantime if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  You can contact either of our divisional secretaries at the following email addresses:

KG1 - Grade 2: Shirley Vas s.vas_daa@gemsedu.com 

Grade 3 - 5: Rene Botha r.botha1_daa@gemsedu.com 

We look forward to welcoming all of our students back next week for an exciting academic year!

Many thanks, 

Mike Gilmour

Principal, DAA Elementary School

fRIDAY AUGUST 26TH:
nEW sTUDENT ORIENTATION DAY
eLEMENTARY SCHOOL (KG1 - GRADE 5) 11AM-12pm

MONDAY AUGUST 29TH:
FIRST Day of School for all students

Thursday September 15th:

ELementary BacK to School Night 

In order to facilitate a smooth flow at both drop off and pick up times, please review the directional maps below. These maps are created to allow direct access to classrooms based on locations around our elementary school

Arrival & Dismissal Routes for All KG2, Grade 1SC, Grades 2TW, 2SR, 2ES, 2KC, 2JD, 2SM 

Arrival & Dismissal Routes for All Grades 3 - 5 Classes 

If you are having technical troubles, please make sure to raise a ticket if the teacher is unable to help your child with a fix.  Send an email to helpdeskforstudents@gemsdaa.net and they will help you to resolve the issue.