UAE: Schools welcome back students on Monday after three-week-long winter break

Schools across the UAE welcomed their students back on Monday after a three-week long winter break.

Traffic peaked around school zones during the morning and late afternoon hours as the yellow school buses were once again seen circulating the emirates’ roads.

Joyful cheers were also back in school corridors as students returned to classrooms, with some even sitting their term and mock examinations that began today after the winter break.

Lisa Johnson, Principal, American Academy for Girls says, “Everyone was all smiles returning from holiday to school. We were excited to see friends and colleagues and share our winter break adventures. We also had quite a few new students beginning today, as this is a normal transition time for international families.

“The first day of school after a long break can still be a challenging time, as normal sleeping schedules have been adjusted and separation from family after the break can cause anxiety for younger children.”

Our teachers have supported this by setting smaller academic goals for the day, taking breaks to rest and recharge when needed, and providing activities that allow students to interact with their friends."

As academic retention can decline over breaks, principals underlined, many teachers spent time reviewing material from the previous semester. “To refresh knowledge and build a foundation for the new material that will be covered is imperative. Time was also dedicated to reviewing personal and academic goals to make 2023 a successful year,” added Johnson.

Some schools have utilised the break to do required renovations in school libraries and around the campus, while striving to create the best possible learning environment for their students.

Lauren Pennington, Assistant Head Teacher – Years 2-4, GEMS Royal Dubai School says, “It has been a wonderful day welcoming our new and existing students back to School for Term 2. We have been fortunate enough to open a new FS1 class this term, and it has been great to see the happy faces of our new joiners in their smart school uniforms. We look forward to another exciting term ahead.”

David Hutson, Head of School at Dwight School Dubai, noted, “Today has gone really well; everyone is happy to be back, refreshed and ready to start term 2.”

Students looked forward to the return

Meanwhile, students enjoyed coming back to their schools just as much as the schools enjoyed welcoming then, with many stating “It’s been a great feeling being back to school today.”

Hind Abdalla Mohamed Fakhra Al Ali, Year 3 student at GEMS Royal Dubai School says, “I am so excited to be back to school and see my friends. I am a member of the netball squad and I look forward to [resuming] training!”

Year 4 student, Aakash says, “I enjoyed my winter break quite a lot, [and] met my cousins who came to visit me, but I was also looking forward to rejoining school, and meeting my friends and teachers. Now that my cousins have left and everyone is getting back to their normal routine, I was also somewhere looking forward to the return.

The only issue is getting up early. This is something one especially misses after a long winter break. But having said this, it was a good day at school today.”

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