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UAE schools to shut for winter holidays this week

Several schools organise end-of-year celebrations ahead of the holidays

Schools in the UAE are buzzing with different activities including visiting Dubai Expo 2020 this last week, ahead of the winter break that starts on Sunday.

Classrooms, auditoriums, sports halls and shared screens are coming alive with proud children sharing their end of term topic celebrations – such as tea parties, great shows and pop up museums to showcase all the learning.

Karim Murcia, Principal and CEO of GEMS Al Barsha National School, said, “The last week of term is always very special for many schools. Our youngest students are visiting Expo 2020 engaging them with its awe inspiring setting and creativity and providing us with the perfect springboard for some outstanding class projects. Finally, we are looking forward to watching on proudly as our students collect end of term rewards for their hard work, resilience and ambitious mindsets.”

Head teachers further opine, there’s the buzz in the air that only comes with end-of-year carols and class parties.

Sangita Chima, Principal of Amity School Dubai, opined, “Students are celebrating the joyous spirit of the season with nativity stories and carol singing. Winter and Christmas are the ‘reason for the season’. Our students will be exhibiting their achievements and learnings on our common digital platforms and through displays in our learning spaces. We are holding a grade-wise award ceremony to highlight student successes. Class teachers will send a special communication to guide students on effective and fun-learning experiences that they can enjoy while at home. Students will also be using their passports to visit various Expo Pavilions with parents during the break. School trips to Expo will resume after the holidays in January 2022.”

Building anticipation, assemblies, presentations and other holiday events are up on the cards, while many institutions are also reviewing procedures and expectations in this last week before schools break for the long winter vacations.

Antony Koshy, Principal, Global Indian International School, Dubai, says, “The Kindergarten is engaging in the Bake sale days and have just finished their Park visit. Few children have already left for their home countries, as many parents have not visited India for the last two years. We have lined up a few interesting and engaging programmes, leadership lecture series [LLS] for our students. All in all, we intend to end the term keeping our students meaningfully and joyfully engaged. Grades 1 to 3 are visiting Expo 2020 on December 8 while Grades 4 to 9 are doing so on December 9. Grade 10 will visit Expo in January, when they come back after the vacations.”

He adds, “The school is also conducting a ‘Qutuhal Virtual Winter Camp’ focusing on space science, from December 13 to 30. We will also have the ‘Puzzle Bee’ virtual competition coming up in December until the end of January 2022. These programmes are open to all GIIS and non-GIIS students.”

Many schools are also giving away progress reports cards to students.

Ghadeer Abu-Shamat, Vice President – Education, GEMS Education and Superintendent of GEMS Al Khaleej International School, opined, “Grade 12 students are expected to receive their report cards to ensure they have their marks for the university admission process. Grades 1-11 teachers are completing their subjects’ curriculum to make sure that the students are ready for the end of semester 1 exams in January 2022. During this period, we focus on informing the students and parents about the required materials for the end of semester 1 assessments, as well as the exam table schedule for the internal assessments and the exams that are taking place internationally such as MAP. Students have access to the online platforms to ensure their readiness for the exams and to minimize the stress during the break.”

Meanwhile, elementary students in a few schools will be enjoying sports day with a myriad of activities in their schools.

Some even have a special guest “Santa” who is dropping in this week to meet the children and reminding them to be good during the festive season.

“The high school students will attend the annual university and college fair. Moreover, the health and safety committee has organised the ‘Road Safety Day’ campaign to raise awareness about the safety. Students across the school will set their goals based on their assessment data to make sure they achieve their targets by the second semester," adds Shamat.