Grade 3 Assembly

You are invited to attend our Grade 3 Assembly on Monday, March 9, at 8:30 AM in the auditorium. During this time, our lovely students will be showcasing some of the latest and greatest things they've been learning and there will even be invitations for parent participation! 

Each class is eagerly anticipating this fun event and feel excited to have our turn on the stage. In preparation, please encourage your sweetie to learn these lyrics and practice this song, so he/she will a great job for you. (But, no peeking, parents!!) These links are for students ONLY.  :) Parents, if you want to hear the original song, that is allowed. 

We hope to see you there!!  

Swimming!

Swimming News! 

Mr. James just informed our class that they will their swimming unit on Thursday, Feb. 26th. These classes will be during your child’s regularly scheduled P.E. lessons and not in addition to them. Students are to wear their PE clothes to school on these days. Just to be clear, our swimming days will be the following: 

• Thursday, Feb. 26
• Tuesday, Mar. 3
• Thursday, Mar. 5
• Sunday, March 8
• Tuesday, March 10

During the swimming class, students will focus on stroke development, body position and breathing techniques. The measured water temperature has averaged 30C.

Here is a list of items students will need to bring to school for swimming class:

• Swimsuit (girls - one piece please)
• Towel
• Sandals/flip flops (prevents slipping and keeps feet healthy)
• Plastic bag for wet items
• Goggles – mandatory (promotes proper technique)
• Swim Cap – mandatory (ensures a cleaner pool)

Please remember to label all swimming gear and towel tags so we can return lost items. 

Also, it is very important to keep the P.E. Staff informed of any health problems or health conditions. Students need to bring a written note from a doctor to inform their P.E. teacher if a student is unable to participate in swimming. Otherwise, if a child is at school, they should be well enough to be in the pool.

If students miss any swim class, their grade can be affected. We only have 5 classes of swimming this unit, so even missing one class is missing 20% of swim time.

Grade 3, 4 and 5 students are expected to be in the pool without a life belt. If your child still requires one, or has issues with swimming, please let Mr. James know.

Thanks so much for your support! I know most all of the students are excited about getting in the pool at last!! 

Qasr Al Hosn Festival

I know it's a bit last-minute, but if any of you are free tonight, Friday, or Saturday, you may want to consider going to Abu Dhabi for the Qasr Al Hosn Festival. This is the third year it's been happening and this is, by far, the best year as they have done a quality job representing Emirati culture in a whole variety of ways.

I went last night and enjoyed holding the falcons, eating grilled camel meat for dinner, drinking camel milk, seeing how they make ropes, learning more about pearl diving, drinking Arabic coffee around the fire, hearing traditional music, and the list goes on. It was definitely worth the drive down to Abu Dhabi. The entrance fee is only AED 20, which is also very reasonable for all the goodies you are offered.

To get a feel for what it's like, check out their Instagram page. I've really been enjoying these pictures and was happy to get a few of my own last night.

Have a great weekend, whatever your plans include! (Annie, IFF, etc...)

ASA update

A Note from the ES ASA Coordinators

ASA internal registration will close on Saturday, February 21st.

Students will receive slips to indicate that they have been accepted into an ASA.  

These will be distributed by Thursday, February 26th.

UN Day News

Our UN Day Parade will be on Tuesday, February 24 at 8:30 on the large track. 

This is an opportunity for us to celebrate our cultural diversity at DAA, something we are truly proud of!  The Parade of Nations (similar to the parade that starts the Olympic Games) will take place on the track at approximately 8:30 am.

All children from grades 3­-5 will be walking in the parade in groups with other children from their same country.  ES students may come dressed in their country’s traditional dress or the colors from the flag of the country they indicated they would like to walk with on the slip returned to their teacher.  

Parents are encouraged to come and find a spot around the track to cheer on the many United Nations of DAA!  At the end of the parade there will be an opportunity for parents to join our large group photo in the center of the field.

We are looking forward to this great day to celebrate our many cultures and hope to see you there! 

A quick reminder about ASAs...

Important ASA Information

The next round of After School Activities (ASAs) will be from March1 until June 4. 

External Sign Up Session will be held on: 

• Saturday, February 14 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm in the ES/PS Lobby 
• Sunday, February 15 from 7:30 am - 9:00 am in the ES/PS Cafeteria

Internal Sign up will be online after 4:00 pm on Sunday Feb 15. 

Class Photo

Our class of the most beautiful and handsome children I know will be photographed as a class on Monday, Feb. 16 at 1:55 pm. 

Students should be looking their best in their regular uniform with BLACK/WHITE SHOES AND SOCKS.   Individual pictures for students who are new or were absent in September will also be taken. 

Living Biographies Highlights

I want to thank you, parents, for all of your terrific support for our Living Biographies, which were a tremendous success! The children really got into character and seem to be transformed, not only in their appearance, but also in their speech, attitude, and overall personality. I was very impressed to see the lengths to which some of you went to make their costumes so realistic, so thank you for that. I think it meant a great deal to the children, as well, who came away very inspired by the whole activity.

One part of our day included mixing with 7-8 children from Ms. Olivia's class and 7-8 from Ms. Connor's class to play a "Living Bingo." This was a unique way to see if the students really knew their subjects and could answer a few questions about him/her. It was a treat to see the classes interact so well and share their knowledge with others.

In general, their presentations were very well done and most everyone received a 3 or 4. I was also amazed to hear some of the class' questions, which were high-level and inferential. These were a few of my favorite:

• To Poncho Villa (Andre):

• Question: "What motivated you to steal from the poor to give to the rich?" 
• Response: "I wanted to make everyone equal and have less suffering." 

• To Abraham Lincoln (Ali): 
• Question: "If you were sucked into The Tale of Despereaux, would you have adopted Mig?" 
• Response: "Yes, definitely." 

• To Mother Teresa (Lehar): 
• Question: "What made you angry?"
• Response: "When people don't treat others as equals." 

• To Frida (Kiek): 
• Question: "How would you respond if you saw a woman injured and lying in the street?" 
• Response: "I wouldn't be out in the street walking because I was always at home with my own suffering." 

I loved to see such great thinking occurring. It was very inspiring!

I hope you will enjoy these pictures of this fun learning experience and thank you, again, for your tremendous support! 

Annie, Jr.

Don't forget to get your ticket for this quality performance! We saw a preview today and it was really excellent. The children were thoroughly amused and enjoyed it very much. I'm sure it'll be well worth your time and effort! 

Valentine's Day News

Have you heard? Love is in the air in 3LN. Yep. We are excited to be showing love and kindness by bringing SHOES to school for people in need in Ethiopia. What a wonderful opportunity to make a difference and put love into action in a practical way. I hope you will be able to find at least one pair of shoes to share. 

We are going to have a very low-key party on Thursday to celebrate Valentine's Day. Georgia is going to send in some cookies and if anyone else wants to donate a treat, please just let me know by email or feel free to send it in to school on Thursday morning. 

As for Valentine's cards, your child is welcome to bring some in to share, as well. (If they include candy of some sort, please kindly supply one for each child, so no one feels excluded.) 

Here is a list of the names of children in our class, if needed. 

A few reminders for Thursday: 

• All students are welcome to wear a Valentine’s Day colored t-shirt with their PE shorts.

• Student council will be rewarding the students who donate 5 dirhams or more with a sticker showing their support for Red Crescent on this special day of caring and kindness.
• Bring SHOES to support RAEY foundation.

Get your IFF Tickets!

Just a reminder of the message that was recently in SPOTS...

The International Food Festival (IFF) tickets will be on sale next week. Please mark the dates as they tend to sell out quickly. 

Monday, Feb. 9 and Wednesday, Feb. 11

DAAPA representatives will be available in the PS/ES Lobby from 7:15-8:15 am and 2:15-3:15 pm. 

ASA Sign-Up Info.

Important ASA Information

• The next round of After School Activities (ASAs) will be from March1 until June 4. 

• External Sign Up Session will be held on: 

• Saturday, February 14 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm in the ES/PS Lobby 
• Sunday, February 15 from 7:30 am - 9:00 am in the ES/PS Cafeteria

• Internal Sign up will be online after 4:00 pm on Sunday Feb 15. 

Living Biography Details

Last week, I shared the news that we will be having a special Living Biography activity. The date for this will be Monday, February 9. (I apologize for the delay in giving you this information. It's been a particularly busy week!)

The activity entails your child coming to school as his/her subject, then speaking to the class for 1-2 minutes as if he/she is that person. "Hello, my name is Abraham Lincoln..." They may speak from their Living Biography sheet, which they are completing at school, or they may use a notecard to read from. Either one is just fine. They may stay in character all day or change to be more comfortable. As an FYI, it is not a PE day. 

To better prepare for this, please see this to guide this rubric your child's preparation. I will be giving students a grade on their ability to present to the class. So, encourage your child to speak loudly, clearly, and confidently. 

The students have already researched their subject (through our biography unit), so this activity will simply allow them to apply their knowledge in a fun and educational way. We will be interacting with Ms. Connor's class, as well, by doing a Living Biography Bingo activity, which the children seemed to really enjoy last year. 

As for costumes, please be creative and use what you already have at home. Even a couple of simple props make for a great story. We are all looking forward to meeting our famous biography subjects!​

Please feel free to message me if you have any further questions. :) 

Track and Field Day Recap

GO GREEN! 

The class seemed to thoroughly enjoy our Track and Field Day yesterday, which was evidenced by their tremendous effort, excellent sportsmanship, beaming smiles, and generally high spirits throughout the entire day. I was so pleased to see how well they participated, cheered each other on, and gave their absolute best. Way to go, 3LN! I'm so proud of you!!! 

Please enjoy these pictures of our day. I included all 198 of them, even multiple copies of the same pose, as I'm sure some parents will like their child's expression in one of the pictures versus another one. I found great pleasure in watching their facial expression as some were particularly intense, showing their competitive side, while others were downright silly, which beautifully captured their unique personalities. Each one of our sweeties is just so special and I love them each so much! 

I want to also take a moment to thank Samantha, Heba, Seongmi, as these mothers came to help assist throughout the day. Please know that I really appreciate your help!! It was so lovely to also see so many parents come to watch, so thank you, as well! I know your child absolutely loved having you there. 

A very special thank you to Iaan's mom, Seongmi, who created this special video of the day for us to treasure. Thank you!!!

PS. Dear Deniz and Abdalla, know that we missed you and hope you are feeling better! 

Red Crescent Valentine's Day Fundraiser from the Student Council

Disco Party and Ice Cream

After weeks of earning "compliments," the class finally completed this phrase: 

D I S C O  P A R T Y  a n d  I C E  C R E A M 

They were really thrilled to dance for about 20 minutes and enjoy some delicious ice cream. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you parents who generously contributed ice cream today. It was a sweet reward that went a long way. (We have left over ice cream, but I'd like to store it in the teacher's lounge freezer, so we can use it when children pass all of their times tables.) 

Enjoy these fun memories! They were really funny to watch. :) 

Want to do some more dancing at home? 

Dynamite 

Moves Like Jagger

We No Speak Americano

Help Needed

Dear Parents,

As you know, our Track and Field Day will be on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The children are very excited as they have been working very diligently to improve their athletic abilities and skills! Please feel free to come and watch for as long or as little as you like. You're very welcome!

I'd like to ask a favor. I need one or two parents who would be willing to help by taking a group of children for the day. You do not have to teach anything, just lead them from one event to the next.

Update: Thank you, Samantha and Heba, who kindly offered to help. I really appreciate it!! 

I usually divide the class into boys and girls. Ms. Csilla will take one group and a parent (or two parents, if you want to split up the day) would take the other group. This assistance will allow me to circulate throughout the day and take pictures of your sweeties. (So, I will always be in close proximity if you have a question or need something.) I used this strategy last year and was able to capture some really great moments.

Please send me an email if you are interested and available to help. The hours are from 8-1 pm. (Please bring your own lunch.) Also, this is just a reminder that there will be NO hot lunch available on Tuesday, so please pack a delicious, healthy lunch for your child.

Here are a few other reminders: 

• Bring a WATER BOTTLE.
• Sunscreen is highly recommended and hats are welcome.
• Students need to wear their track and field day t-shirt, or a solid color t-shirt of their team color, with their PE shorts and proper running shoes.
• The snack provided by DAAPA is yogurt and granola, and fresh juice. If your child has other nutritional requirements (i.e. gluten-free, allergies), please bring extra snack.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to help. We really appreciate it!

Ms. Laura