GWA PARENTS WEEKLY
Week of Nov. 21— 23
Your Weekly Lower and Upper Schools Communication
What parents need to know about this week @ GWA
ALL SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCHOOL NOTICES & EVENTS
Save the date
Nov. 18 Moroccan Independence Day-National
Holiday (School Closed)
Nov. 21 College Presentation for Parents 4:00
pm @ MPR
Nov. 24-25 U.S. Thanksgiving - School Closed
Please visit our Master Calendar
or Facebook to see more events
and updates! (ctrl, click on ‘Master
Calendar’)
Nurse Page: 2
Lower School Announcements Page: 3
Upper School Announcements Page: 5
ASA@GWA Page: 7
Lunch Menu: 11
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ALL SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nurse:
Congratulations GWA!!
Together we made history this year; 230 mandatory medical forms have been collected. A huge THANK
YOU to all parents of 1, 4, 7 and 10th graders who took their children for an annual well-child visit to the
doctor/pediatrician!
**Looking forward to collecting them all again next year, before November!
Warm regards,
GWA Nurse Office team; Hannah Hair RN & Estelle Najem IDE
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LOWER SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements:
Lower School Office
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Principal: Kevin Brenner
Second quarter is off to a fantastic start! Our students are
engaged and ready to continue
the positive growth that began
during the first quarter, as well
as build on the areas for
Assistant Principal: Lu Edwards
ES Coordinator: Zakia El Harouchi
ES Coordinator: Kaoutar Benkaddi
Preschool Lead Teacher: Amal Hafidi Slaoui
needed growth identified by the collaboration between teachers, parents, and students. Our first conference day was a big success. Thank you for attending your child(ren)'s conference, and for working hard to
partner with our teachers and administration. We work to inspire, build, equip, and empower our students,
and you play a critical role in this process by supporting your child(ren) and her/his educational journey.
As we head into a season with school breaks both long and short, I encourage each of us to remain focused
on the goals we have for our students and encourage each child to consistently put forth her/his best effort
on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy the Independence Day weekend and the upcoming Thanksgiving Break. As
always, thank you for all you do for GWA students each and every day!
All the best,
Kevin Brenner
Lower School Principal
Preschool Conference Day is scheduled for December 7. Nursery, Discovery, and PreK students do not have
school on this day. Preschool parents will receive an invitation to conference with their child(ren)'s teacher.
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LOWER SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parents and drivers may pickup students from pre-k and kindergarten
classes and older students (grades 1-5) in the MPR. When students are
taken to After Care (3:30) parents may come and pick them up. However, drivers must have a green After Care pass (AC).
If students need to go to the library after school, they must be accompanied by a parent or they must go to the office to get a pass.
Please help keep the parking lot available for everyone by leaving soon
after picking up your children.
Reminder: Although birthday celebrations are permitted in Preschool with parent/teacher collaboration
and teacher approval, older siblings should NOT be pulled from class to attend the party.
Tell me a Story: A Musical Fantasy
Mark your calendars! Our First and Second Grade classes will be having their winter concert on Thursday,
December 1 at 6:30pm. Please join us as the children present an enchanting evening of story and song.
Each class will be dressing as a different character from a familiar fairy tale. Please watch for instructions
from your child's classroom teacher for information on dress for this special day.
Please note as well that this concert is a graded component of your child's music program, and all First and
Second Grade students are required to attend. Thank-you for your support as we prepare for a fantastic
performance!
Please be reminded that both Accelerated Reader and Rallye de Lecture progress are factored into students'
reading grades. Students should read and take tests steadily throughout the quarter as opposed to waiting
until the last week or two to make up lost time. This will minimize stress on students, parents, teachers, and
the GWA staff who are supporting and facilitating these programs.
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UPPER SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dear Parents:
Upper School Office
Happy Morrocan Independence Day! Our vision statement reads that we are
“empowering students to
serve Morocco and the
global community with wisdom and compassion.”
Principal: Dr. Audrey Menard
HS Vice-Principal: Dusty Smith
MS Vice- Principal: Luke Kollasch
HS Coordinator: Badiaa Benchekroun
MS Coordinator: Rim Aboudane
We are pleased to be able to contribute, in part, to Morocco’s future through the education we provide at
GWA.
This week we'd like to recognize Ms. Emily Griggs! Not only is Ms. Griggs an excellent 6th grade social studies and language arts classroom teacher but she's also the type of teacher that goes above and beyond for
all of her students.
After leading the HS Speech and Debate team to several victories a couple of months ago, she took it upon
herself to start a MS Speech and Debate club. This past Saturday, November 12th, 32 students participated
in a MS Speech and Debate tournament at CAS from 8:00am to 7:00pm.
GWA had the most amount of kids competing in the final rounds and we had students place in the finals in
4 out of the 5 events! Thank you for putting in the extra effort and time to do great things with our students Ms. Griggs!
Thank you to all that came out for Parent-Teacher conferences. We had an amazing turnout and were
pleased to be able to meet with you about your child. If you were not able
to make it, please reach out to any of the
teachers to set up a conference.
Until the next edition, I wish you all the best.
Dr. Audrey Menard
Upper School Principal
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UPPER SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
On November 21st, Shahrazad Hadi from Amideast (EducationUSA Advisor) will be giving a special presentation for parents and students in the MPR titled "5 Steps to U.S. Study" at 4pm. This will be a
great opportunity for high school students and their parents to learn more about the United States college and university system and application process.
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AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES
Sign up today!
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AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES
Sign up today!
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AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES
STEM - Building & Construction
Erector and KEVA planks
Fridays Q2 3:30 to 4:30 Grades 1 - 5
What is STEM Education and why is it important?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. An education platform built around STEM is
vital to our future because these topics shape our everyday experiences. STEM Education is important to
our children’s future as we are living in a technological age that relies heavily on science, technology, engineering & math. By promoting STEM in our everyday lives AND making it fun, we are cultivating the creative
minds of future generations for years to come.
For over 100 years, Meccano/Erector has inspired countless engineers, designers, architects and creative
minds of all ages. Meccano is more than just a toy, it is a tool for teachers and educators. Meccano has
worked with the best schools and universities, including the USC Engineering and Robotics Research Lab, to
make its Meccano Maker System line highly compatible with STEM initiatives.
Check this out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHIkiDnStQM&list=PL5fQDx7NMyXbSkRvib8mutUj_8dQQqi5&index=5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXAngDnq964&list=PL5fQDx7N-MyXbSkRvib8mutUj_8dQQqi5
http:// www.meccano.com/watch?vid=76
From the United States of America to Canada and Kuala Lumpur, KEVA planks are changing the lives of
children and adults all over the world. Children discover the joy of creating original works of art or cleverly
designed contraptions. Creativity brings joy into the lives of humans which is why the arts are so important.
At the same time, future architects and engineers are discovering their aptitude for building at an early age.
Young KEVA builders today will be building our world in a few years.
Check this out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaiU5xBkuA
Sign up today!
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AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES
What is Zumba?
Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez
during the 1990s. Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC. .Zumba involves dance and aerobic
movements performed to energetic music. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo.
2 Additional * ZUMBA sessions offered for 2nd Quarter
*Zumba Kids Jr.
Mondays for Discovery and Pre-Kinder 3:30 to 4:30pm
*Zumba Kids
Tuesdays for Grades 2 - 5 3:30 to 4:30pm
Zumba Kids Jr.
Thursdays for Pre-Kinder, Kinder, and Grade 1 3:30 to 4:30pm
Sign up today!
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LUNCH MENU GRADES NURSERY – KINDER
LUNCH MENU GRADES 1-12
Allergies: food may contain (gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, nuts, soybeans, milk, celery, mustard, strawberries, wheat)
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