UNIVERSAL AMERICAN SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2015

The UAS School Community received a gift last week, a spectacular, unique gift, in the form of two amazing musical performances. The Broadway Revue was pro-duced by the UAS Fine Arts Booster Club (FABc) and reached levels of participation, support, preparation, and brilliance in performance that are hard to find in live thea-ter in Dubai.

Drama students and musicians from the UAS Drama and Music Departments,UAS faculty and staff members (all of whom appeared to have had extensive theater, dance, and/or music backgrounds),

PRINCIPAL’S NOTES

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Mr. Eric Webb

Universal American School of Dubai Elementary Principal

scores of students who dedicated hours and hours of practice to becoming “professional,” and

invaluable contributions from parent and community members

came together to make the Broadway Review vision become a reality. When you see, Elian Aboudi, Aida Al Awar, Manal Farsakh, Rula Kafity, Houda Moaswes, Nada Na-has, Irada Rabah, Jouhaina Wehbe, or Jemala Yagmurova, please thank these wonder-ful FABc members for their skillful and dedicated work on the Broadway Revue. All of those ladies will tell you that the single FABc member who deserves the most credit is the visionary Ghia Haddad. Together they produced a wonderful gift for UAS. Thank you, Ghia and the FABc.

I hope you had the chance to see it, but, if you missed that chance, know that video and still shots will be available. The FABc Broadway Revue is a gift I hope you will enjoy and appreciate for so many reasons:

1. it was great fun,2. it highlighted the talents of, and provided theater experience for, members

across the UAS school community spectrum, 3. the outside resources brought in for the show highlighted potential directions

UAS can go with the auditorium facility and performance programs, 4. the donations of costumes and props by the FABc added significantly to the re-

sources of the UAS Drama and Music programs, and 5. did I mention how much fun it was!?!

Thank you FABc!!!

News you can use:Student-led conferences in the Elementary start this Wednesday afternoon and

continue into Thursday morning. Parents who have attended student-led conferences know they are a very valuable way of keeping up with their children’s learning. You should receive your scheduled time from your child’s teacher—contact your child’s teacher if you do not receive a scheduled time for the student-led conference.

We are completing a year in which our Cafeteria vendor has received the best re-views of any of the last six years. The Cafeteria offers more variety and more

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nutritious foods, but not all students are having balanced, nutritious meals—some are eating at the morning break and then not again after that time. Please check with your child about his/her eating habits, often.

The common areas at UAS are alive with Elementary student artwork for the next two weeks (until May 7). Come to see fascinating and beautiful works from stu-dents KG2-Grade 6 during Arts Alive!

Calendar

April 27-29 M-W Bookworm Book Fair - thousands of children’s books for sale in the Elementary Library28 T 3:30 Gr. 4-6 Pop Choir Concert29 W Noon dismissal; Student-Led Conferences in the afternoon30 Th No classes for students; Student-Led Conferences as scheduled

May 3 S 8:15 Director’s Forum in MPH

4:15 Grade 4&5 Talent Show in the MPH

4 M First day for MAP testing in Elementary (expect from your child’s teacher the testing schedule for your child’s class)

14 Th No School –Islamic Holiday24 S 4:15 Grade 6 Farewell (to Elementary) Concert

June18 Th Noon dismissal Last day of classes for 2014-2015 school year22 M Elementary 2nd Semester reports posted to Portal

August 31 M Projected 1st day of classes for 2015-2016 school year (2015-2016 school calendar not yet approved by KHDA)

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Summer Safety Tips: A Guide to Protecting Kids When Activities Heat Up

There's something about the summer season that makes kids run faster and play harder. Here are a few helpful tips on how to keep kids safe this season.Be Sun SavvyHere's a summer-bummer: a person's sunlight exposure during childhood

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S NOTES

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Ms. Beverly Kempley

Universal American School of Dubai Elementary Assistant Principal

and adolescence is generally considered to increase the risk of melanoma. Here are a few tips for sun safety: 

1. Apply early and repeat. For kids six months and older (as well as adults), sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater reduce the intensity of UVRs that cause sunburns. Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure, so it can absorb into the skin and decrease the likelihood that it will be washed off. Reapply every two hours and after kids swim, sweat or dry off with a towel. For most users, proper application and reapplication are more important factors than using a product with a higher SPF.

2. Cover. Dress kids in protective clothing and hats. Clothing can be an excel-lent barrier of ultraviolet rays. Many light-weight sun-protective styles cover the neck, elbows and knees.

3. Keep infants out of the sun. Keep babies younger than six months out of direct sunlight, dressed in cool, comfortable clothing and wearing hats with brims.

4. Plan early morning play. Plan outdoor activities to avoid peak-sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as much as possible. Sound impossible for your active kids? Make sure you all can get a break from the sun, when needed.  

5. Beware of shade. Many people think sitting in the shade is a simple sun compromise. Shade does provide relief from the heat, but it offers parents a false sense of security about UVR protection. You can still sunburn in shade, because light is scattered and reflected. A fair-skinned person sitting under a tree can burn in less than an hour.

6. Check the weather. Look for the ultra-violet (UV) index (on a site like Weather.com) when planning outdoor activities; it predicts the intensity of UV light based on the sun's position, cloud movements, altitude, ozone data and other factors. Higher UV index numbers predict more intense UV light. 

Splash Safely (and Other Water Rules)Drowning happens quickly and quietly.  Drowning is the leading cause of uninten-tional injury deaths in kids one to four-years-old. Here are some helpful tips to pre-vent accidents around the water. 

1. Stay off cell phones. Don't allow yourself to get distracted when your kids are in the water. And, yes, chatting with other parents is a common distraction as well.

2. Know your skills. Adults and caregivers should refresh their In-

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fant Child CPR certification each year, especially before summer, if there is a pool in-volved. Kids should never swim alone, and having adults or caregivers know water safety skills is smart.

3. Put a guard up. Even kiddie pools in backyards should be drained after use.  For houses that have swimming pools, fencing should be at least four feet high and surround the pool on all sides, with doors that close and lock by themselves. Pool supply companies may offer options for alarms and other safety systems. Remember to never rely solely on an alarm or a fence. Train your kids to never go near the pool without an adult.

Prevent DehydrationYou may be surprised how much -- and when -- kids should drink liquids. To prevent dehydration, kids should drink 12 ounces of fluid 30 minutes before an activity begins and take mandatory fluid breaks (like many day camps require), with kids under 90 pounds drinking five ounces every 20 minutes during activities and kids over 90 pounds drinking nine ounces every 20 minutes. Tip: A child's gulp equals a half-ounce of fluid, so your child should drink about 10 gulps for every 20 minutes of play. Watch for warning signs of dehydration, like thirst, dry/sticky mouth, headache, muscle cramping, irritability, fatigue, weakness, dizziness or decreased performance.   Never Wait in a Hot Car It only takes 10 minutes for a car to heat up by 19 degrees. Every so often, we hear news stories of parents forgetting infants or leaving a sleeping toddler in the car, and tragedies that ensue. Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute. Degrees can be deceiving. Fatalities can occur at temperatures as low as the mid-50s because a vehi-cle heats up so quickly. Children are at a great risk for heat stroke because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult's does. Cracking a window? Not a solution. Some advanced technologies are still being developed that may help prevent heat stroke deaths in vehicles, but nothing has been proven effective yet.

Don't get overwhelmed by all this information.  Summer is a time for having fun.  Just make sure you are informed about these important summer safety tips, then go have fun and enjoy your summer!This summary was taken from the following website.  https://www.care.com/a/summer-safety-tips-a-guide-to-protecting-kids-when-activities-heat-up-1106031447

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Transitions Ahead! The end of the year is approaching, meaning changes are ahead. For some fami-

lies TRANSITIONS, whether moving, going to middle school, or simply spending the summer away from home, bring a whole range of emotions. It’s normal to have mixed feelings and for those feelings to come and go.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

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Ms. Stephanie Stone and Miss Kim

Universal American School of Dubai

Elementary Counselors

Some ideas to help take care of you and your family members as you face these transitions:

Talk to someone you trust who will listen and validate your feelings. When talking to your child use open ended questions and try not to dismiss any negative feelings by being “the fixer” right away. Adjusting to a new reality is a process and being able to express negative feelings is an important part of that process.

Keep routines, as much as possible. This provides security during a time that may feel very much out of their control.

Eat healthy foods, get a lot of rest, and be sure to exercise. This is not only im-portant for your kids; taking care of yourself helps you take care of your fam-ily members during challenging times.

If a move is involved, accept help. Friends who are staying behind want to feel needed.

Reserve extra time with your child to check-in with him/her regularly.

For more ideas or to talk about making smooth transitions in regards to your child’s specific situation please contact Mrs. Stone (PreK-1st Grade) or Miss Kim (2nd -6th grade).

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Thank you to the FABc, the performers, the cast and the numerous volunteers

who devoted their talents and time to a great show!

Click here for the official Broadway Revue Highlights video.

“It brings all the community together; teachers, parents, students, staff to work on one project”

~Ghia Haddad and the FABC

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EVENTS

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Providing... Physical benefits, such as increased activity levels and skill development.

Providing... Social benefits, as children develop new social groups and make new friends.

Providing... Improved academics; children who are involved in school sport perform better academically.

Providing... A greater sense of belonging; when kids participate, they feel more connected to other children and their school.

KG2 SPORTS DAY - SUPPORTING BALANCE

AND DEVELOPMENT

Click here for the KG2 Sports Day Highlights video.

EVENTS

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GRADE 1 PARENT APPRECIATION TEA

The Grade 1 students held a a Parent Appreciation Tea after spring break where they prepared snacks, offered tea, and sang beautiful songs for their

parents as a way to say thank you. Congratulations for planning this special event and sharing it with our UAS community.

Thank you to the Grade 1 students for their performance and the care they took into organizing the celebration for parents... and thank you to Andrew Shutsa, Devon

Kirk, Leala Waldo, Susan Steen and Thao Tozin, for organizing the students!

EVENTS

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GRADE 4 ARTIFACTS MUSEUM

On the 16th April, Grade 4 held an artifact museum to showcase the artifacts that they made from their Ancient Civilization. Each class studied a different

civilization. Read on for more information!

4R: The children showed their artifacts from Ancient Egypt. There were model pyramids, canopic jars for holding internal organs and even a feather of truth.

4G: The children brought in their artifacts from the Ancient Aztec empire – there were daggers that were used for making sacrifices and lots of weapons. There was even a huge Cuauhxcicalli! That was the name of the sacrificial altar where people were sacrificed to appease the gods.

4A: Children made artifacts from Ancient Greece. There were lots of weapons and shields.

4MC: Children made artifacts from Ancient Rome, there were weapons and shields and even a replica coliseum and pair of sandals belonging to a Roman gladiator.

All the children in every class made great connections between their artifacts and things that exist in modern times.

Well done Grade 4 students for researching your artifacts and making connections to how the artifacts have transformed to fit modern times! Students persevered

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EXPLORING ART

Students across the elementary school prepare to share their learning and perceptions through their art. Every picture truly tells a story... join us to

celebrate their learning through Arts Alive!

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Join us through May 7 in the school lobby to celebrate perceptions through art!

ELEMENTARY ARTS ALIVE!

“Every Picture Tells a Story!”Art’s Alive Display

April 26 – May 7, 2015

We are pleased to announce that arts alive is officially underway.  Our KG2 – 6th Grade students have worked feverishly all year to create thousands of pieces of art work currently hanging in the front and back lobby. 

We encourage you to join us on a “gallery walk” within the next two weeks.  Feel free to complete a form while viewing the art work so that we may pass the feedback onto our students.

Thanks to the support staff and security for helping us hang, carry, and display the thousands of pieces of work.  We are truly grateful!

Remember to look the eyes and not the hands so that our artists may enjoy their work for years to come. 

Enjoy the show! The Elementary School Art Department

KG2 Lion Masks - On Display Now!

Students made Lion Masks in KG2 Art class! They then performed a dance to ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’ from ‘The Lion King’. You can see some of our masks on

display during Arts Alive this week.

Thank you for your support of the Arts programs at UAS!

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There are two reasons UAS holds two MAP testing sessions each school year. The first is to establish a baseline and then determine an approximate amount of academic growth for each child. The second reason is to collect data to analyze our educational programs at Universal American School.

Some, though not most, worry about the MAP TEST. We often hear questions like, “What can I do to help my child prepare?” “What specifically do they need to work on right now so that they can do well on the test?” The bottom line is that there is no need to panic, no need to prepare - there is nothing to cram for as your children have been learning and preparing for the entire school year. The most important role that you can play is to be par-ents and ensure that your child gets a good night’s sleep, has a healthy breakfast and at-tends school on a regular basis. Leave the rest to us!

The MAP test does not impact a child’s grade, but the results inform our teaching of your child and the children will be teaching in the future. MAP testing provides us an op-portunity to reflect.

MAP BEGINS IN MAY

MAP Testing begins May 4th and will continue through the end of May.

Access the UAS MAP Resource Page for more information!

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If you missed the MAP Parent Presentation at the beginning of the school year, you may view it here. You may also view the MAP Resource Page on the Elementary School Blog. Please review the FAQs below!

What are the different NWEA assessments used at UAS?We give the Reading, Language Usage, Math and Science assessments from grades 3

through 10 and we give Reading and Math to KG2-2.

What are the questions like on the MAP test?When taking a MAP™ test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a stu-

dent answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions be-come more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. In an optimal test, a student answers approximately half the items correctly and half incorrectly. The final score is an estimate of the student’s achievement level.

How long does it take to complete a test?Although the tests are not timed, it usually takes students about one hour to complete

each MAP test. However, students are given whatever time they need to finish each MAP test they take.

When will my child be tested and how often?We typically test students at the beginning of the school year in fall and at the end of

the school year in spring.

Do all students in the same grade take the same test?No. MAP assessments are designed to target a student’s academic performance.

These tests are tailored to an individual’s current achievement level. This gives each stu-dent a fair opportunity to show what he or she knows and can do. The computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions so that each student takes a unique test based on their in-structional level.

How do teachers use the test scores?NWEA tests are important to teachers because they keep track of progress and

growth in basic skills. They let teachers know where a student’s strengths are and if help is needed in any specific areas. Teachers use this information to help them guide instruction in the classroom.

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Student-Led Conferences are fast approaching this week!  The children are finishing up their presentations and practicing what they will they will share with you during your scheduled conference .  We expect that you will be both surprised and delighted at the level of maturity and poise the children have when speaking about their own learning.  

Our approach to teaching and learning is intended to support our school’s mission by empowering our students to be active participants in their education in order to de-velop their critical thinking skills. It is important for students to think critically about their learning as it helps them to become self-directed learners. One way in which we accomplish this goal is through Student Led Conferences. For those of you who are new to UAS, we will give you a little insight as to what to expect when you come to a student-led conference.

SPRING CONFERENCES

Spring Conference take on a Student Led Conferencing format at UAS. This is a time to involve children in their own

learning and their own reflection WITH their parents. Join us on April 29-30!

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1. Your child is completely in charge - many teachers will provide a checklist for them to cover, but your child will be doing almost all the speaking during the conference.

2. Your child will showcase work they have done over the school year, and also share some reflections on their learning.

3. Different from the fall conferences, the spring conference time is consid-ered to be “hands-off” for the classroom teacher.  Teachers will be there to answer clarifying questions, but essentially your child will lead.  If you would like to schedule another appointment to meet privately about your child’s progress, please do so.

Tips for Parents at Student Led Conferences

We encourage you to participate in your child’s Student Led Conference in the fol-lowing ways:

Listen Carefully – Your child has planned for this conference and wants to proudly show you what he/she has learned.

Look for Growth – Your child has been working hard and will be encouraged by your genuine interest.

Ask Questions – Your child will be eager to answer positively phrased ques-tions such as “What was the reason for…?” and “How did you decide to…?”

Collaborate – Work together with your child to find areas for growth.

Offer Support – Your child will appreciate your willingness to support his/her learning efforts.  Use positive comments such as, “I like the way you…”, “The best part of this is…”

Thank you for your support on this special day. Please remember that all chil-dren respond and grow as a result of constructive feedback!

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Show your Interest!ASA SESSION III

Interested in a Mini-Program for 6 weeks?

Yes we are looking at the possibility of opening a third ASA session. There are definite differences to the first two sessions.

There are only 5 programs, maybe 6.All activities will be sponsored by outside companies.There will be a fee for each activity.Parents must arrange OWN transportation after the activity.

The activities UAS is prepared to sponsor are:

Mondays: Golden Eagle Martial Arts KUNG FU  (grades 1-6)          TENNIS (if we can secure the gym on Mondays)          CHESS (grades 2-6)

Wednesdays: REAL MADRID Football (in the gym) (grades 1-4)

Thursdays: KidzART (grades 1-3)          ROBOTICS (grades 4-6)

If you would like more information concerning this 6-week ASA programPlease email Ms. Donna (dmisslitz@uasdubai.ae)

Donna Misslitz Elementary Physical Education teacherElementary After School Activities Coordinator