The Parent Connection
The latest Dunecrest news for MS/HS parents!
January 16, 2022
Be Safe & Stay Healthy
Greetings from the Dunecrest Secondary School!!!
As I personally combat the COVID virus, I sincerely hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and healthy. If you or anyone in your family is dealing with COVID, may the symptoms be simple and may the recovery be swift. Sending positive vibes your way and hoping/praying for negative PCR tests.
Mandated Restrictions Continue
For the time being, the changes implemented at the start of the New Year will continue:
- All PE lessons, organized trips, events, and internal gatherings, such as assemblies and performances, will remain on hold
- Extra-curricular activities taking place at school, either within or outside official hours, will remain on hold
- The Cafeteria will remain closed
- At Dunecrest, we are restricting parent and visitor access to the school.
The KHDA will review these guidelines at the end of January. These rules are in place to minimize the spread of Covid-19, and to ensure that students are still able to benefit from face-to-face learning. Our aim for the foreseeable future is to keep the school open but under the understanding that the safety of students and staff is paramount.
As you know, we are working in a highly changeable environment, and we are making important operational decisions daily. The KHDA is supportive of our plan to enable Dunecrest to continue providing students with a high-quality education on campus.
Dunecrest XL Has Been Postponed
The most recent directive from KHDA is that all school trips will continue to be suspended for an unspecified period of time. As Dubai and the world continue to adjust to the challenges of Covid-19, the School Leadership Team has decided it is in the best interest of our students' and teachers' health and safety to postpone all Dunecrest XL trips for this school year.
This decision was not taken lightly and many factors were considered. We are working with all providers to arrange for these trips and activities to proceed as planned in early November 2022. All students will remain registered in their chosen activities.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Carter at your convenience.
School Uniform Reboot
We want to remind all families about the proper Dunecrest uniform attire that is expected to be worn daily. Students must wear the burgundy polo with the shorts, skort or pants every day. Additionally, due to current KHDA restrictions on using changing rooms, students can also choose to wear their P.E kit throughout the day. Students should wear flat closed-toe shoes like running shoes and/or walking shoes in any color. Crocs, sandals and/or slides are not a suitable type of shoe.
Many female students have requested to wear athletic leggings for P.E. The school is in the process of getting school issued leggings from our uniform supplier; however, in the meantime female students can wear plain black leggings underneath the burgundy P.E shorts.
Students who arrive at school without the proper uniform will be sent to the Secondary office. They will be able to call home to have the uniform delivered or taken to the uniform store to purchase the appropriate piece of clothing.
Please refer to the chart below highlighting the school uniform options for our MS/HS students. If you have any questions, please contact the Dunecrest Secondary office.
HS Semester Exams Canceled
As previously announced, the end of semester one exams for HS students have been canceled.
As a result, the end-of-semester assessment plan is as follow:
The Semester 1 grade will be determined by the average grade between quarter 1 and quarter 2 (adding the Q1 and Q2 grade (50% each), divided by two).
Assessment of student learning will still occur, but it will be managed within the scheduled 65-minute class period
Any assessment event that takes place between now and February 2 will be part of the quarter 2 grades.
The regular daily timetable will continue through Wednesday, February 2. Dunecrest will be closed for a short holiday break from Thursday, February 3 to Sunday, February 6. Monday, February 7, will be the first day of quarter 3/semester 2.
Thank you for your attention to this information.
The Revised Daily Timetable 2022: Monday - Thursday
The Revised Daily Timetable for Friday
Calendar Events
Upcoming Dates and Events to Remember
- February 2: Final day of quarter 2/semester 1
- February 3 & 4: Holiday - NO SCHOOL
- February 7: First day of quarter 3/semester 2
- February 14-18: Dunecrest XL has been canceled
Parent Inspiration
From the Principal's Desk
Email: info@dunecrest.ae
Website: http://dunecrest.ae
Location: Dunecrest American School - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 4 508 7444
Facebook: facebook.com/DunecrestDubai
Twitter: @DunecrestDubai