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Photos: Dubai schools celebrate year-end events in style

Dubai - Vehicles decorated with banners and balloons during car parades emerged out of a mist to bid adieu in style.

Schools in Dubai have been busy finding creative ways to wave goodbye to the students to mark the end of the academic year.
Vehicles decorated with banners and balloons during car parades emerged out of a mist to bid adieu in style.
Conversely, children too popped their heads out from their car's sunroof displaying banners stating they too love their school and teachers. Schools in Dubai closed down in March in order to stem the spread of Covid-19.
As a result of this, students have missed their typical end-of-the year-plans and special events such as in-person graduation ceremonies.
In order to make up for this, teachers from four Gems schools - Cambridge International School - Dubai, Gems FirstPoint School - The Villa, Gems Metropole School - Motor City and Gems Wellington Primary School - participated in nine car parades with almost 100 surprise home visits and seven hours of virtual graduation ceremonies.
Lachlan MacKinnon, CEO and principal of Cambridge International School, Dubai, said: "What a fabulous turnout! We suddenly had over 100 cars with students, parents and friends ready to celebrate. The cars paraded past teachers with the senior leadership team wishing every student a fantastic and bright future."
Around 150 school staff, including teachers and principals, celebrated the year-end milestone events with students and parents in 1,540 cars decorated fancily.
Around 600 students, including 232 Year 13 graduates, attended the car parades held at the schools.
Danny Doyle, head of school at Gems FirstPoint School - The Villa, said: "Our families are our school and the children are the reason we all came into teaching. So, the wave-byes are as much for us as they are for the children. For us, it is important to keep that contact, to see them, to let them know we miss them, we still think about them and we still care so much about them. It has been wonderful to see our families, to be able to talk to them, ask how they are and keep the connections ready for our return in September."
Phoebe Roberts, a Year 5 student, of GEMS FirstPoint School, said, "The drive-through was amazing. I loved seeing my teacher and teaching assistant again after so many weeks apart. We have seen them every day through distance learning, but it hasn't been the same and we all enjoy each other's company so much when we are in school. It was also nice to be able to enter through the school gates and remember my school that I love. I can't wait to be back there in September to see all my friends."
At GEMS Wellington Primary School, more than 100 teachers secretly made plans together with their Grade 6 parents to arrange home visits to congratulate graduating students in person and gift them a graduation goodie bag.
Meanwhile, Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) recently announced that schools will be allowed to reopen in September, so long as they adhere to specific health and safety protocols.
nandini@khaleejtimes.com