SPOTS
MESSAGE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DR. ETHAN HILDRETH
VIDEO-2024-10-11-09-01-13.mp4DIVISIONAL NEWS
SAVE THE DAA PARENT CALENDAR
LAST TWO WEEKS
NEW FAMILIES WELCOME MORNING
This week we invited our new DAA Families (and new to Dubai!) to a coffee morning. This was an incredible opportunity for our new families to connect with our DAA staff and each other!
We thank all the parents who attended and engaged in the event, our wonderful student ambassadors for sharing their amazing work to make students feel safe and happy and DAAPA for supporting our new families to make connections through clubs and activities.
Look out for more coffee mornings to continue to build connections within our DAA Community!
CONGRATULATIONS to our Sheikha Fatima Award Winner, Grade 12 Camille!
This week we were proud to announce our Sheikha Fatima Award Winner, Camille Parisot!
This award celebrates female students at GEMS Education who have proven themselves as global citizens, exhibited outstanding leadership qualities, demonstrated exceptional academic achievements and shown a genuine commitment to the communities in which they live.
We were excited to share this special news with Camille's parents, friends and HS team.
Camille, we are so proud to announce you as part of our student community and leadership. Congratulations!
WORLD TEACHER'S DAY
Teachers, we appreciate you!
Thank you to our community and students who shared their appreciation and gratitude to our incredible teachers on World Teacher's Day.
A special guest joined us for the occasion as LEGO ME delivered a wonderful botanical arrangement to Middle School teacher Ms. Sayar. This was awarded thanks to nomination by student Razeen!
UPCOMING EVENTS
REMINDER: HALF TERM BREAK IS HERE!
Please be reminded of our upcoming Half Term Break from October 14 - 18.
The break will be followed by Professional Learning Days for ES/MS on October 21 (No school for ES/MS, regular school for HS), and Professional Learning Days for HS on October 22 (No school for HS, regular school for ES/MS).
We wish you a restful break.
SAVE THE DATE: Shrek JR The Musical
IMPORTANT INFO
2024/25 Academic Calendar
We are excited to share the academic calendar for the upcoming school year! 📅
This calendar will help you plan ahead and stay informed about key dates, holidays, and important events.
_DAA School Calendar 2024_2025.pdfLANYARD POLICY
Everyone is required to present and wear their ID and lanyard on campus.
Dark blue Student Lanyards are to be worn at all times on campus (GR 3 - 12).
Please ensure you have your family and student lanyards.
Lost ID Cards: If you have lost your ID card you must purchase a replacement via the GEMS Connect App or Accounts office.
Go to the GEMS Connect App
Select Activities
Select School Activities
You will see the option to pay for the Lost/Damaged ID Card *Please screenshot proof of purchase/receipt confirmation
Once the purchase is complete, visit the main reception to confirm which ID card you need printed.
STS BUS Transport
It's not too late to sign up for the STS School Bus Program 24/25!
Traffic surrounding the school in Al Barsha 1 during drop-off and pick up times can be intense and time-consuming. Utilizing the school bus can significantly reduce the congestion in the area and make your child's daily commute safe and convenient.
The School Bus Program is suitable for all ages, with classroom drop off and collection included for lower elementary.
REGISTER FOR THE BUS:
To submit a Request for Bus Service for your child, please click on the link below:
Request for Bus Service AY 2024 - 2025
Please log in to GEMS Connect and click on the Bus Transport icon, then select Transport Info and click the Register button to submit your request for bus transportation.
Alternatively, you can contact our STS Representative sde-daa@sts-group.com / 04 704 9755 to express your interest in registering your child for the school bus.
DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP LOOP
Morning drop off time:
During morning drop-off, to access our drop-off loop please continue to use Gate 2 entry and take the entry road nearest to Al Zahra hospital to access.
Afternoon Pick-Up time:
Gate 5 entry is now open at pick-up time. We have adjusted our traffic flow, now allowing entry to our loop via Gate 5 at pick-up time (only). This change has come to provide more convenient access to the loop for our community, with entry through both Gate 2 and Gate 5 at pick-up.
Gate 2 entry and waiting bays. We understand that pick-up time can be particularly busy due to the requirement to park. We strongly discourage our community to be double parking outside our gates, blocking the main road and entry to Gate 2. Gate 2 will remain as an entry point for our drop-off and pick-up loop. In addition, at dismissal time we will allow for single bay waiting zones that drivers can use to wait in their cars for student pick up. Those using our waiting zones should not leave their car.
Advised Route For Elementary. We encourage Elementary parents that require RTA parking take the entry road nearest to Al Zahra hospital.
Advised Route For Middle and High. We encourage Middle and High School parents to use the loop at pick-up times and we encourage you to use the entry road nearest to ASD at this time to access Gate 5.
The health and safety of our learning community is always our number one priority. Many of our students and families use the unpaved sand areas across the street to walk to their pick-up location or residence. These areas are not designated parking spaces or roadways, and therefore should remain clear. Driving through these areas creates a hazard for our community members and is subject to RTA regulations.
We encourage all of our community members to report any dangerous activity they see through the Dubai Police App. This reporting will help keep our entire learning community safe.
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 sample menus, see HERE.
GEMS 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 SERVICEsde-daa@sts-group.com / 04 704 9755
ITdaait@gemsedu.com047049793