GEMS American Academy, Abu Dhabi

The school is located at 16th Street, Madinat Khalifa A - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates.

Their distinctiveness includes our warm, welcoming community and inclusive spirit, an American curriculum approach to learning, and their attention to the success of each child. The student is truly at the center of learning at GAA.

GAA administers formal assessments from kindergarten to grade 12 that measures progress and attainment. Specifically, the school uses MAP Test data and an early childhood education assessment. The resulting data is used to determine the level of the student, progress over time, and also informs instruction.

Physical education is a mandatory part of the curriculum for students KG-Grade 10. Students receive 2-3 lessons per week depending on their grade. GEMS American Academy offers a comprehensive athletics and activities program intended to enhance the physical, social, emotional, artistic, and intellectual growth of participating students. After School Activity Program (ASA) their after school activity program is teacher lead and is offered 4 times a year, for a six-week block.

Both PE and Classroom teachers encourage activity and discussions take place as early as KG through their Kitchen Lab which is a weekly class for KG – Grade 1.

Parents should budget between 15-20 dirhams per day.

At GEMS American Academy a proactive and collaborative approach is used to solve discipline problems. The staff are committed to working together with children, parents, teachers and administrators to maintain high standards of behavior. Students are expected to behave appropriately and respectfully at all times. They must observe rules established with their teachers for classroom and playground activities. Students are expected to abide by school rules and procedures any time they are at school, including after-school and evening activities, weekends and during any parent-sponsored events. Parents are asked to model and enforce GAA expectations and rules when on school grounds. Their Discipline policy is included in their community handbook which parents receive at the start of the school year.

Parent-Teacher meetings can be booked anytime by both parties. The school hold two Parent-Teacher-Student formal conferences a year.

GEMS American Academy- Abu Dhabi accepts students who are English Language Learners (ELL) and/or children with learning differences who require Learning Support (LS) services, and/or students who have been identified as Gifted and Talented (G&T). In addition, GAA offers a counseling program that promotes learning.

Yes, the school has a designated prayer room for their Muslim students.

The Support Team collaborates with students, families, the classroom teachers, and counselors (as needed), pushing into the mainstream classroom. Inclusion ensures education is accessible to all students regardless of age, race, gender, and abilities. Student Support Team specialists co-plan and co-teach in a differentiated classroom environment in order to cater to all students’ needs through accommodation and adaptation of the GAA curriculum. Inclusion, as they are using the term at GAA, is a vital philosophical commitment of a caring learning community to the education of children with unique learning styles. At GAA they are proud of their efforts to meet the needs of each student. This includes students who are identified as gifted and talented, and students who have identified barriers to learning etc.

Yes, their KG-12 team of professionals include: Early Years Inclusion Specialists, Learning Support Teachers, English Language Learner (ELL) Specialists, and School Counselors.

At GEMS American Academy they welcome and encourage parent involvement. GAA currently has two Parent associations: GAAPA: Who organize and coordinate all their events throughout the year, and offer parent support. BOOSTER CLUB: Who assist with their after school activities (ASA) and support their competitive Sports Teams.

There are many opportunities for parents to get involved, from Parent Engagement events, or when classes are looking for helpers. Of course, they always love to see their parents cheering on their Sports teams as well.

At the start of each year and again after Winter Break they host a number of information sessions and coffee mornings to help their new families get settled. All new families receive a tour of the school before students are expected to begin classes. They continue to run these sessions throughout the year to better assist families new to GAA and Abu Dhabi.