It is a common refrain from parents that education seems more "complicated" now than when they were growing up. It doesn't have to be. Our parent...
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It feels like just yesterday we were starting the summer of 2019. Our teachers are back and gearing up for the 2019-2020 school year. We are...
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{This post is part of an ongoing series of profiles of GEMS World Academy faculty members.}
Emily Smith, the librarian at GEMS World Academy Chicago,...
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To many in our city, GEMS World Academy Chicago is a fairly new name. Given that we welcomed our first students just a few years ago in fall 2014, it...
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Welcome to our Community Innovators blog series! Innovation has been part of the DNA of GEMS Education schools since the organization’s founding in...
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Welcome to our Community Innovators blog series! Innovation has been part of the DNA of GEMS Education schools since the organization’s founding in...
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Welcome to our Community Innovators blog series! Innovation has been part of the DNA of GEMS Education schools since the organization’s founding in...
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Welcome to our Community Innovators blog series! Innovation has been part of the DNA of GEMS Education schools since the organization’s founding in...
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{This post is the first in an ongoing series of profiles of GEMS World Academy faculty members.}
A key tenet of the math program at GEMS World...
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To many in our city, GEMS World Academy Chicago is a fairly new name. Given that we welcomed our first students just a few years ago in fall 2014, it...
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In a way, families enrolled at GEMS World Academy Chicago actually belong to five different schools.
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Being part of a global network of schools means that GEMS World Academy Chicago can provide access to co-learning experiences with peers at sibling...
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Read the news headlines on just about any given day, and the need for global education becomes clear. The social, political, economic and...
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This is the third post in our #BuildingBiggerDreams series highlighting our new Upper School campus. Follow along on our blog and on social media as...
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{This post was written by Dee-Dee Sanders, the director of college counseling at GEMS World Academy Chicago.}
When people find out what I do, they...
Read MoreThis is the second post in our #BuildingBiggerDreams series highlighting our new Upper School campus opening fall 2019. Follow along on our blog and...
Read MoreThis is the first post in our #BuildingBiggerDreams series highlighting our new Upper School campus, which opens in the fall of 2019. Follow along...
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The way we look at education is changing. It makes sense that how we design school buildings would follow suit.
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{This post was written by Scott Pasieka, Lower School counselor at GEMS World Academy Chicago.}
One of the many blessings that come with the...
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Procrastination is a common phenomenon that affects people of all ages and walks of life. In students, it often involves putting off studying for a...
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Banned Books Week, which took place Sept. 23-29 in the United States, is an event that celebrates the freedom to read, as well as the exchange of...
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{Third in a 3-part series}
An iPad, a recording studio and a 3-D printer are just tools. But when used in thoughtful, purposeful ways, these tools...
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GEMS World Academy Chicago is happy to welcome Tom Cangiano as our new head of school. Mr. Cangiano brings to the role a rich background in...
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{Second in a 3-part series}
It wasn't that long ago that technology was seen as something that squashed, or at least hindered, creativity and...
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Taking action is one of the essential elements of the Primary Years Program, the first phase of the International Baccalaureate curriculum framework....
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"Symbiosis" is a word that few people would expect to hear a 3-year-old say, much less understand. At GEMS World Academy Chicago, an entire preschool...
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According to a number of recent studies, more college-bound students are eschewing liberal arts majors like English and history for computer science...
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{First in a series}
Technology has the potential to spark fundamental change in how students learn and how teachers teach.
As the U.S. Department of...
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This post was written by Johanna Schooley, librarian at GEMS World Academy Chicago.
Gone are the days when the only educational connections/links...
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Most of us can remember instances from our school days when we worked feverishly to complete assignments or projects by the due date. But after...
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Walk into the Design & Innovation Lab at GEMS World Academy Chicago, and you'll likely find yourself gripped by the desire to make something.
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A foundational tenet of the mission at GEMS World Academy Chicago is that learning happens everywhere.
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Art as self-expression. Art as activism. Art as weapon.
A group of eighth-graders at GEMS World Academy Chicago recently explored the ways in which...
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In a culture that treats sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and working to the point of physical and mental burnout as a badge of honor, making the case...
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Pre-K students at GEMS World Academy Chicago complete a unit on symbiosis, which revolves around the idea that humans and animals rely upon and...
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Schools serving a student population that spans pre-K through Grade 12 can offer a unique benefit — the chance for younger and older students to...
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Is your teen lackluster about school? Do you worry that she seems to be, not failing exactly, but disengaged or apathetic about class? If so, you're...
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This blog post was written by Taneal Sanders, Grade 5 teacher at GEMS World Academy Chicago.
Here I am, a 41-year-old woman, whose least favorite...
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The concept of social and emotional learning (SEL) in education has steadily gained traction in recent years. SEL both supports and enhances core...
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In a highly competitive and achievement-driven culture, the thought of failure as a positive outcome in the classroom can seem counterintuitive (if...
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Why study art in school?
The question has asked been repeatedly over the years, often igniting passionate debate. One reason the question comes up is...
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Parents and educators can find it challenging to get children of all ages motivated and excited about reading, especially in the digital age. A...
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One of the ideas embedded in the academic approach at GEMS World Academy Chicago is that learning happens everywhere — not just within the classroom...
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Every year, global finance company Bloomberg conducts an exhaustive survey of recruiters to find out what skills are most in demand by employers, and...
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Having a summer vacation is a healthy chance for children to take a break from the routine of spending their days in the classroom, and it's an...
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The phenomenon of "fake news," while not new, became a popular topic of conversation during the 2016 presidential campaign, when numerous fabricated...
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A key component of the academic program at GEMS World Academy Chicago is that we tie disciplines together in our daily inquiries. This...
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Science writer and Internet personality Kyle Hill has cultivated a devoted following by exploring the connection between science and pop culture. He...
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A group of teachers from GEMS World Academy Chicago recently visited Carnegie Mellon University's CREATE Lab, which deploys robotics in an effort to...
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Recess is often viewed as the time when students take a break from the learning they do in school. But reseach shows that in fact, recess is itself a...
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Baseball season is the best time of the year for many fans, but it's also a great time for STEAM educators, regardless of their interest in the game.
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GEMS Middle School math teacher Richard Getzel writes this blog post about how the use of games in math class can help students master math concepts...
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For years, the use of robotics in science and math lessons has been heralded as a way to bring an innovative and exciting teaching model to the...
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As part of the innovative Field Studies program at GEMS World Academy Chicago, students regularly venture outside our school walls to explore...
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The school environment is critical for a youth's social and academic development. Combined with home, family and social circles, school largely...
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Americans ring in the new year with parties, countdowns, midnight kisses and the ball drop in Times Square. But what do people do in other cultures?...
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The experience of reading has changed dramatically during the past decade or so. Traditional print books remain the format of choice for most...
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Many parents begin planning for their children's college education shortly after their kids are born, if not earlier than that.
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This summer, elite athletes from 205 countries are competing in more than 300 events at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. In addition to being a...
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While the summer months often conjure up thoughts of lazy days spent at the playground and under the sprinkler, this isn't the reality for many...
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Geoff Jones, the founding head of school at GEMS World Academy-Chicago, reflects on his time at GEMS as he retires from a 45-year career in education.
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Taking risks is part of the academic culture at GEMS World Academy-Chicago. In keeping with the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile, which...
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Global citizenship is a cornerstone value of GEMS World Academy-Chicago, one that defines both our approach and our community.
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Design thinking and a commitment to service intersected throughout the semester for Middle School students at GEMS World Academy-Chicago.
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GEMS World Academy-Chicago is committed to forming lasting relationships between our faculty and parents to create a nurturing environment for our...
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The beginning of spring can be a magical time for children, especially here in the Chicago area. After months spent huddling indoors on frigid winter...
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Chess, fencing, dance, soccer, the Russian language — students at GEMS World Academy-Chicago can explore these and other interests after the final...
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GEMS World Academy-Chicago recently announced an exciting partnership with Outernet, a local technology organization that helps deliver...
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Parents and teachers play a big role in the conferences that take place each semester at GEMS World...
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The creative use of technology is a big part of our educational approach at GEMS World Academy-Chicago. Starting in our youngest grades, teachers...
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When J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in 1997, kids weren't the only ones who were thrilled with the mega...
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In the United States, Thanksgiving is the time when families gather together and express gratitude for all they have — often while enjoying the...
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GEMS World Academy-Chicago proudly supports our city's many museums. They offer access to world treasures, important historical context and hands-on...
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Halloween is almost here! In the United States, Halloween is a time for jack-o-lanterns, costumes, bonfires and trick-or-treating. It's one of the...
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When it comes to your child's education, the early years are some of the most important. A good preschool lays the foundation for a lifetime of...
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I) WHY SHOULD I READ?
“The importance of reading as an avenue to improved reading has been stressed by theorists, researchers, and practitioners...
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Geoff Jones, head of school at GEMS World Academy-Chicago, takes a look at the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for teachers, students and...
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It's that time again...
For many kids, few transitions are as thorny as the one leading from summer vacation to school.
The relative freedom of the...
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Homework – the word alone can make students (and some parents) turn pale with dread. For generations, though, educators have relied on homework to...
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It’s no secret that parental involvement in education translates directly to student success. At GEMS World Academy-Chicago, we often use the flipped...
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GEMS World Academy-Chicago's middle-school students are finishing the school year by spending the week at the NIU Lorado Taft Outdoor Education...
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We are at a great turning point in education, one where increasing social and political pressures are making it harder for teachers to do their jobs....
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Most kids love video games, but there continues to be debate on whether or not they have a place in the classroom.
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Our Head of School, Geoff Jones, reflects on GEMS World Academy-Chicago's first year and what we have to look forward to in the future.
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We’ve all heard of the “Summer Slide” — where students can lose as much as 20 percent of what they’ve learned in school if there’s no stimulus during...
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This week we were pleased to have CEO Denise Galluci and Head of School Geoff Jones officialy open The GEMS World Academy Design and Innovation Lab.
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By Karen Percak, Librarian and Media Specialist at GEMS World Academy-Chicago
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Most Chicago private schools have already sent out their acceptance / rejection letters, leaving many parents still unsure of where their children...
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Of all the stages in your child’s growth, the teenage years can be particularly challenging. Teenagers go through lots of developmental and...
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How should a premier school in downtown Chicago prepare kids for the future? When Microsoft Research thinks to the near future they see a world...
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As early as infancy, children are fascinated by screens and by the time they reach pre-school, your kids are probably swiping your smart phone or...
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This month marks the fifth anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative aimed at raising a generation of healthy kids. An...
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In the United States, Valentine’s Day has expanded beyond the traditional commemoration of romantic love. Students often celebrate by exchanging...
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We live in a world of screens. We read our morning paper on an iPad, commute while answering emails on our phones, go to work and stare at a computer...
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GEMS World Academy is located in the heart of downtown Chicago, which means we’re steps away from the city’s hottest tourist attractions. If you’ve...
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We know the world has drastically changed for our children. For them to be successful in today’s networked world, they will need new strategies and...
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Read MoreFor students to become global citizens they must explore, ask questions, observe, empathize and act in the world without borders. During the year a...
At GEMS World Academy-Chicago we think John Seeley-Brown has something big to say about innovation in education.
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Practicing connected and blended learning has never been more important. Along with learning in our state of the art school building and throughout...
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Art teacher Elysia Sheehan believes in transdiciplinary connections and Field Studies. Her work exhibits the talent and creativity of our students...
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Students used iPads and basic ethnographic methods to observe the environment and interview people their landscape.
