Release date: Sunday, August 18, 2024, 5:14 PM
Last updated: Sunday, August 18, 2024, 5:15 p.m.
On Monday, August 19th, several teachers and instructional staff will return to school in preparation for welcoming students back after the summer holidays. For most teachers and instructional staff, it will be a busy day with training, paperwork and preparing lesson plans.
One such educator is Taher Gharib, Director of Salam Education, who says it’s a very busy time for them. “We start by welcoming both new and returning staff with specialized training and team building to ensure they are well prepared. Our teachers and leaders are spending a significant amount of time reviewing the data and planning customized approaches to help every child.”
As the organisation that manages both Al Salam Community School and Al Salam Private School and Nursery, he said there is also a lot of paperwork that needs to be processed. “Managing admissions and registrations at the start of the school year is also a challenge as all students need to be registered in the KHDA system before attending classes,” he said. “With many families returning to the UAE just days before schools reopen, our teams are working around the clock to ensure a smooth and efficient start to the new school term.”
Taher Ghalib
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Most students across the UAE will return to school on August 26 after a nearly two-month summer holiday, marking the start of a new academic year for some, but a continuation of the one that began in April for others.
Setting up a schedule
Afshan Yaqoob, director of Blossom Nursery School on Sharjah’s Mariam Island, returned to school last week and said teachers were busy preparing to welcome back students.
“We serve students from one to four years old, so it’s important to have a calming classroom environment,” she said. “Teachers spend a lot of time setting up different types of workstations to keep the children interested and entertained. We have special welcome activities and sensory play areas to help settle the children.”
Afshan Yaqoob
For her, the biggest challenge is getting her students into a routine. “Most kids don’t have a routine during the summer holidays and this affects their return to school,” she says. “We ask parents to ease into the routine at least a week before school starts. Once the term starts, have breakfast with your child in the morning and get them into a routine before school so they don’t have to wake up and rush to school.”
For new students, she says, the biggest hurdle is separation anxiety. “We encourage parents to make sure their children know what to expect,” she says. “They explain the school to them and they promise to pick them up at a certain time so they know they aren’t being abandoned and that their parents will be back at a certain time.”
Special Students
Princessia Abdul Karim, head of inclusion at Dubai Grammar School, started work last week. “All senior managers started work last week,” she said. “There are staff training programmes and trainings on topics such as child protection and curriculum planning. We are also organising social gatherings for parents who want to meet teachers before school starts.”
According to Princia, there is a lot that needs to be done before school reopens. “My students have slightly different needs and there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” she says. “I need to coordinate handover meetings with teachers who will have students with special needs in their classes so that previous teachers understand the needs of their students. This year, we are also trying out new skill development and life lesson programs for our students. There is a lot that needs to be prepared before the students return.”
Princessia Abdul Karim
Niju Sonu, a supervisor and coordinator at the Abu Dhabi-based Future Rehabilitation Centre, who starts work on Monday, says that returning to school after the summer holidays is particularly tough for students with special needs. “They have had their schedules completely thrown off during the summer holidays and the return to school is very tough,” she says. “We have a visual schedule that they can follow and we welcome them with toys, sensory activities and other things that they will enjoy.”
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