SPOTS
2024 - Ramadan Kareem DAA .mp4Ramadan Kareem from DAA!
March 8, 2024
MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO/SUPERINTENDENT, DR. ETHAN HILDRETH
Dear DAA Community,
Join me for a brief tour of the week behind and the days ahead! Last weekend we enjoyed the amazing annual DAAPA International Food Festival (IFF). The tremendous spirit of our parents and families in planning and managing this event cannot be overstated. Students and staff learned so much about other cultures, as well as about kindness towards others. Great thanks are due to every person who contributed, and to our amazing DAAPA!
Today was a joyful and exciting day as students enjoyed the annual dodgeball 7s with all the fun energy that includes. This is one of the many events that adds so much to our wonderful school culture. In recognition of International Women’s Day, we delivered treats throughout the building to our splendid team, with music and thanks to women resounding through the building. At the same time, elementary students relished the opportunity to guess the identity of the Mystery Reader, a certain Superintendent who was delighted to read Where the Wild Things Are.
As we look to upcoming days, let me share my heartfelt Ramadan Kareem! with each member of our school community. The weeks ahead provide an important reminder to reflection and care for others. May you enjoy the gift of time with family and friends.
Finally, stay dry and safe over the weekend! The forecast for rain is high, and let me encourage our school families to stay away from potentially dangerous roads and places.
Looking forward to the weekend, the brilliant week ahead, and Ramadan Kareem!
Kindest regards,
Ethan
DIVISION UPDATES
PARENT CALENDAR
UPCOMING EVENTS
K-12 Parent WISE Talk
Our next K-12 Parent WISEtalks is coming up, with guest speakers from Reverse Psychology joining us to discuss 'Managing the Dangers of Social Media'.
This session will cover topics such as the impact of Social Media on mental health, safe browsing, how to protect ourselves and managing our usage.
Join us for this session and be a part of an important discussion!
March 14, 8-9am @ DAA Auditorium
Ramadan Kareem!
As the holy month of Ramadan is approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to wish
you all a happy and blessed Ramadan. Please see 'KEY INFORMATION' for important information, dates and school timings and guidance.
IB VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION
Parents, Friends, and Family,
We're thrilled to invite you to celebrate the incredible artwork created by this year's Visual Art IB students! Join us in rooms T80 and T82 from March 18th to March 22nd for our showcase of talent.
Our opening event will be held on March 18th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This is your opportunity to talk to the artists, admire and support the hard work and creativity of our students. Each piece on display reflects individual themes chosen by the students, resulting in a diverse and captivating body of work.
Our students have poured their hearts and souls into these artworks, and they would truly appreciate a great turnout from our audience. Your presence will make this event even more special!
We look forward to seeing you there!
two weeks in review
JAZZ BARBEQUE
Last Friday our Middle and High schoolers brought the community together for a Jazz Barbecue on the rooftop! Our DAA Community enjoyed performances from our Jazz band, singers and talented DAA Staff.
Thank you to our DAA Community for showing support to our Leopards!
DAAPA's IFF
Last weekend the annual DAAPA IFF brought over 3000 members of our community and families together to celebrate and learn about other cultures. We thank everyone who attended and showed support of community, the families who proudly showcased their cultures, the performers, the behind the scenes teams who planned and managed the event, and of course our DAAPA!
KEY INFORMATION
A Ramadan message to our community
DAA Community, please take the time to read this message from our Islamic Department.
2024 _ Ramadan Letter .pdfA Ramadan message from our clinic
DAA Community, please see this guide from our DAA Health Clinic for eating habits during Ramadan.
Balanced healthy eating habits during Ramadan_.pdfaCADEMIC CALENDAR
As shared in our email sent on February 22nd, the Holy Month of Ramadan, as per our Academic Calendar is expected to begin on Monday, March 11. An official announcement by the moon sighting committee will be shared via email on Sunday with our DAA community.
Our school hours and routines during the Holy Month of Ramadan will be as follows:
Hours for Students:
KG – 12: 8:00am – 1:00pm
Friday will have an earlier dismissal of 12pm.
Spring Break and Eid Holiday is confirmed as March 25 to April 12, with a return date of April 15 2024.
DAA School Calendar 2023_2024 (Revised 9 Feb).pdfRE-ENROLLMENT CHECKLIST
DAA Leopards, thank you all for confirming you re-enrollment intentions for 2024/25.
You have until April 15th, 2024 to complete the fee process of re-enrollment.
Get in touch with Admissions Director, Gabrielle Keane if you require further details or assistance (g.keane_daa@gemsedu.com).
We look forward to continuing to be partners in your child's education!
If you have not yet confirmed your re-enrollment intentions, please do so via the GEMS Connect App (Communication > Service Requests > Re-enrollment) or contact Gabrielle Keane.
FAMILY LANYARDS
A friendly reminder to please wear your family pass and yellow lanyards when visiting on our school campus. This simple act helps ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone, helping our staff easily identify members of our community.
If you do not have a family pass, please ensure you have photos uploaded onto your GEMSConnect App and visit our reception team who can provide you with passes.
Transport
Registration for our School Bus Program with STS is still open!
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
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 2 menus, see HERE.
GEMS Family first
We are delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new initiative, Family First.
For the past 65 years, GEMS Education has put ‘Family First’ at the heart of its teaching and will now incorporate this core principle into its holistic classroom learning for students across the network in a ground-breaking new program.
Family First will play a pivotal role in students’ wellbeing and success as they reap the benefits of deeper connections and an engaged and supportive community.
FF_EVENT_0209_LONG_SUBS.mp4DAA 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 CATERINGdaa@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