Dear Parents and Friends of Clarion,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the International Day Committee, all our parents and staff members for their outstanding efforts in orchestrating this year’s International Day celebrations, which were a resounding success. Our parade of nations showcased the diversity of our community, with representation from 67 countries. This diversity reflects Dubai's multicultural landscape, providing our students with invaluable learning experiences that will shape their global perspectives.

As we approach the end of February, it's crucial to keep track of the remaining time in this school year:

• In two weeks Ramadan begins, from March 11, 2024.
• In four weeks our Spring break begins, from March 23, 2024.
• There are 74 school days remaining in this academic year.

We kindly ask our parents to continue supporting the school and their children by ensuring they attend school and arrive on time, minimizing any loss of instructional time.

There are still many incredible instructional opportunities, events, and activities planned for this year. The support of our parents and the strength of our school community have been instrumental in our success!

As we begin planning for next year, we invite our parents to help us grow our student population by spreading the word about the amazing school we have within your own networks.

Please find below some general information and notes:

1. Student Drop off and Pick up: Parent access to corridors after 8:05 AM has been limited, effective Tuesday, January 3, 2024. This is for safeguarding reasons and to ensure that classroom instruction is not interrupted.

• Parents of students from PreK – Grade 7 can continue to drop off their children at their classrooms before 8:00 AM. We kindly ask that parents leave the corridors by 8:05 am.
• Parents and students arriving after 8:00 AM are requested to bring their children to our Atrium area to get a late pass. Our staff members will then escort them to their respective classrooms.
• Grade 1 – Grade 7 students will still be picked up in the designated areas on the street or courtyard. Early years parents can continue to pick up their children at the classroom door. However, we kindly request that parents do not enter the hallways after 2:55 PM (Monday – Thursday) and 11:55 AM (Fridays) to ensure classroom instruction is not interrupted.
• Any materials or items for children arriving after 8:05 AM should be dropped off at our Atrium area, and we will ensure they are delivered to the students.

2. Birthday Celebrations: We encourage birthday celebrations; however, certain items such as donuts and birthday cakes with high sugar content, nuts, or frosting cannot be permitted. Your support in adhering to this policy is crucial. Like all schools, we have a diverse student population, some with allergies, and we respect families monitoring their children's refined sugar intake. Consider alternative options such as fruit platters, fruit kebabs, dried fruit without added sugar, and low-fat yogurt parfaits. Kindly check with your child’s homeroom teacher before providing food for celebrations.

Clarion boasts an exceptionally engaged and dynamic parent community, a pivotal factor in our ability to offer diverse opportunities to our students. A recent visitor described Clarion as a "Hidden Gem" in Dubai. As we embark on preparations for the next academic year, we invite our parents to play a key role in expanding our student community by sharing the exceptional qualities of our school within their networks.

3. Sports News: Below are a few highlights -

• On Monday, Grade 3 had the exciting opportunity to visit the Tennis Stadium to watch the Women’s Dubai Open. It was a fun trip and provided a great chance for students to witness the skill and dedication of professional tennis players.
• Congratulations to the Girls Football teams Under 11/Under 9, who participated in the Dassa Football Tournaments at EIS last week and JBS this week. With 1 draw and 1 win during their matches, they showcased outstanding progress in their gameplay.
• Also, kudos to the Under 8 and Under 9 Athletics teams for their participation in the Dassa Festival at JBS on Tuesday. Achieving joint 2nd place with Kings, they demonstrated fantastic team spirit and determination.

4. Student Arrivals: I would like to request continued support from our parents in ensuring that your child attends school and arrives on time. Thanks to the support of our parents, our student attendance has been very strong. However, we continue to observe a significant number of students arriving after 8:00 AM each school day. The KHDA inspectors noted this during their visit last month, and we have been instructed to address this concern.

5. Student Pick ups: A gentle reminder to parents to ensure timely pickup of their children after school. Students should be picked up at 3:00 PM, while those participating in CCI’s (Teacher Led Activities) or CCE’s (External Vendor Led Activities) should be picked up at 4:00 PM upon their conclusion.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, February 26, 2024.

Sincerely,

Larry