Dear Family,
Welcome to the 11th edition of our newsletter. As we have now entered the month of July we are getting closer and closer to our school opening. Our new teachers and learning assistants will be joining us next month to ensure the school is set up and ready for our children to start learning on Sunday 2nd September. We know for our families joining us from schools in Abu Dhabi today is your last day at school before the summer holidays, we hope you have had a fantastic last day and have an enjoyable summer holiday.
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The Importance of School Lunches
Research shows what every parent knows – children learn better and are more focused and alert when they have slept well and have been eating healthily. This includes having a proper breakfast before school. At The Aquila School, we are pleased to be working in partnership with a local food supplier who will be organising the catering for our school.
In the reception area, we will have our newly renamed café- The Parrot Café named after Aquila our school parrot. Aquila has been with us since the end of January – sadly she is unable to fly but is happy in her new home at school. We have been trying hard to teach her to say her name but we have not yet been successful. Maybe one of the new Aquila children will have more luck! The Parrot café will be open all day from 7.30am to 4pm for families and the community and will be the hub of the school. As well as a selection of healthy snacks and light bites (including jacket potatoes!) there will be a selection of hot and cold drinks available. Every Thursday after assembly we will have a meet the leadership of the school coffee morning with complimentary refreshments – we very much hope you will be able to join us for one of these sessions.
For children, we will be able to offer a variety of hot and cold food – so that children can have a balanced meal in school and to save families having to prepare this. Our caterers will be at the new families meeting on 29th August to show the range of food that will be available – there will even be some samples to try!
We know that having food together is an important social and learning occasion and we will ensure these times are relaxed and enjoyable for our children – good conversations coupled with good healthy food – so that children are refreshed and ready for an afternoon of amazing learning!
Facilities
Our central courtyard is starting to take shape and will be a lovely relaxing area for children to sit and read or learn to play chess! We have a number of areas available for children to play and relax at lunch and play time, including, our astro pitch, Teletubby hill, central courtyard area and field. If you have stopped by the school recently you would have noticed our painters have started to add our Aquila colours to the external building walls. We think it is looking very light and fresh, we can’t wait to see the whole building finished. Lastly and most anticipated, we hope our Aquila children are practising their swimming over the summer as our pools are almost ready! Our training pool is being filled and the big pool is enjoying some final touches!
Staff Update
Muhammed – Lifeguard
We welcome Muhammed our lifeguard. Muhammed is a qualified teacher with a Master’s degree in PE as well as a PADI and scuba diving instructor with experience of working in schools and the military. He is also a powerlifting coach and won 16 medals in the MENA games! We are so pleased to have such an outstanding person working with us. Welcome Muhammed.
Further Updates
In the last few weeks we have been thinking very hard about how we will celebrate children who follow our school rules. At The Aquila School we will be following the Jenny Mosely approach to behaviour management and golden rules.
Our golden rules are-
- We are gentle
- We are kind and helpful
- We listen
- We are honest
- We work hard
- We look after the property
We know that – by keeping to the golden rules – our children will be safe, happy and able to learn.
Here is a sneak peek at our golden tickets which children will receive when they exceed one of these golden rules. We know the children will be motivated to collect as many as possible to enter in the weekly draw which will take place in our Thursday assembly. We know that Aquila children will also enjoy the range of activities on offer in our weekly golden time – more details in a future newsletter!
Offers
Community Bus Offer
Did you know we offer a free community bus for founding students? We have limited spaces available and are subject to confirmation of enrolment and location. Contact our Admissions team on +97 150 788 7207 or to find out more contact: admissions@theaquilaschool.com
Refer a Friend!
At The Aquila School, we recognise that parents and friends are the best ambassadors for our unique style of learning and community-minded environment. To support this, we are rewarding all enrolled families with an extra 5% off your child’s tuition fees if you refer a friend to join The Aquila School.
Upcoming Events
Open Day
Saturday, 28th July
Part of our school is now open for all families to meet our leaders and see our classrooms for the very first time. Children (and ambitious parents!) can test their creative skills by entering our UAE Design Challenge for a chance to win a helicopter flight over Dubai.
Where: The Aquila School, Dubailand. Opposite Sky Court Towers. Enter at the white flags.
Time: 10am – 2pm
