6th September 2020
YOUR WEEKLY UPDATE ON ALL THAT’S GOING ON AT THE GULF ENGLISH SCHOOL
6th September 2020
WHOLE SCHOOL Dear Parents and Carers, It has been a great pleasure to welcome back students throughout the course of last week. It has been wonderful to see classrooms filled with students learning and it is a powerful reminder of the importance of education on academic, social and personal development. We have missed our students, and some have even been brave enough to admit that they have missed school! Of course, the School that our students are retuning to, is quite different in a few ways. Our emphasis on social distancing and protection has comforted all members of our school community in knowing we are a safe school. But it is important to remember there are always a few things which would never change at The Gulf English School. Amongst these are our core values. Now, more than ever, we are able to demonstrate our ability to be caring, supportive, responsible and respectful. These are the qualities needed to get through any challenge and they will be essential in strengthening our community through these tough times. I would like to thank students, staff and parents for following all of the new guidance so carefully and taking steps to protect themselves and others through reducing the risks of transmission. We do appreciate that students and parents had read the advice published in previous weeks, and were so well prepared to begin the new academic year. The systems that we have in place have worked very well and this is thanks to our wonderful school community. I would like to thank you for all of your support over the past few months, as well as your continued support for the coming year. It is a great pleasure to once again see our corridors flowing and student learning as we work together on the best education possible, in the safest way possible. Have a lovely week, and please do celebrate the fact that our children are now learning again! Mr Faheem Javaid Executive Director
6th September 2020
PRIMARY Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year. As we plan for an academic year like no other, I would like to assure all parents that GES is focused on and committed to ensuring the safety and academic excellence of all our students. As we work together to figure out this new normal, we will work to ensure that all our students are actively engaged in and challenged by their learning, and that all students achieve their personal best in line with our school vision. In March 2020 when we transitioned to an online learning environment, we learnt so much about our staff, students and families. We learned that each member of our community is caring, supportive, responsible and mostly, resilient. Whilst all our students had experience with technology to some extent, they were pushed to learn new platforms, programs and how to collaborate with their teachers and peers online. Similarly, our teachers had to rethink everything they knew about teaching, flip it on its head, and inspire the students online. There were ‘bumps’ in the road, but those ‘bumps’ have been turned into learning experiences that teachers have reflected upon and used to improve our teaching and learning. I believe that the lessons learnt last year have set us up to start this year with a tailor-made learning experience that will benefit each and every GES student. On behalf of all the Primary staff, we cannot wait to welcome all families back to school this week. We have missed the day-to-day routine of school life and have planned and prepared to ensure that the year ahead is stimulating, exciting and safe for all participants. Here's to another amazing year at GES. Yours sincerely Mrs. Carol de Jongh Head of Primary
6th September 2020
SECONDARY Welcome back to everyone in secondary! Firstly, I hope you are all safe and well. It has been a difficult 6 months for everyone all over the world having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but hopefully through our blended learning we can start to get back to some form of normality, in school at least! We will all need to be patient and flexible as we settle into the new ways of working so that our students can receive the best learning experiences. We will step up to whatever is required of us, study the guidance carefully and devise a strategy which serves our students to the best of our abilities, whilst ensuring that we minimise as far as possible any risk to individual members of our school community – staff, students, parents and visitors alike. I would like to thank everyone involved with GES, teachers, parents and students who made the online leaning work so well for Term 3 of last academic year. It was challenging for all, having to deliver and receive education in this way, however the attitude and engagement was fantastic. In the darkest of times, let us try and find reasons to be optimistic, positive and feel comforted that there is a brighter future ahead. I look forward to us working together on a successful implementation of whatever the “new normal� looks like, in schools and in society. Daniel Langfield Head of Secondary/Assistant Director
6th September 2020
PRIMARY Dear Parents, We trust that this letter finds you well. As per the recent Ministry of Education guidelines we intend to follow a blended learning approach this term. Pupils will attend two face to face lessons per week and then participate in live online lessons from home on the alternate days. Pupils will be divided into two groups to ensure that class sizes remain below 15 per class. Details of your child’s learning program is as follows: From week beginning 6th September 2020 onwards: Your child is in Group A and will attend face to face lessons on Sunday and Wednesday following the plan below. Group A
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday Remote Learning for all.
Wednesday
Thursday
As stated above, class sizes will be limited to a maximum of 15 students per class at all times. Details of timetables and live online sessions will follow; all information will be posted on Firefly. A polite reminder that your child will need the following items on the days they are in school: Healthy packed lunch (Nut free) Stationary as per the Yr. group stationary list Protective face mask Individual sanitizer At least 2 water bottles as we will not have water fountains available Please note that the above plan is based on a directive from the Ministry of Education and is subject to change, we will keep you updated on any changes as we receive them.
Times: from 6th September 2020: o Pre-school and Reception: 7:00a.m.-12:00p.m. o Year 1 and Year 2: 7:10a.m.-12:10.pm. o Year 3 and Year 4: 7:20a.m.-12:20p.m. o Year 5 and Year 6: 7:30a.m.-12:30p.m. Online attendance: compulsory online attendance and students are expected to attend live lessons, wearing their school uniform. Students are requested to turn on their cameras and mute their microphones.
Yours sincerely The Leadership Team.
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CONTACT The Gulf English School PO Box 2440, Doha, Qatar Main School: Tel: +974 44578777 Main School: Fax: +974 44861256 Infant Unit: Tel: +974 44886791/90 +974 44886201/93 Infant Unit: Fax: +974 44876821
Email: info@gulfenglishschool.com
Website: www.gulfenglishschool.com