Letters to San Diego - The October fires in Southern California claimed many lives, almost $2 billion in property, agriculture, and business losses. At GAISS, the students, teachers and parents put together their hearts and prayers with the fire victims. The students wrote letters to their unknown friends in San Diego who suffered losses to their homes, schools, and playgrounds. These letters touch the hearts and souls of readers and are posted in the News section. Interfaith Picnic - On Sunday, August 12th GAISS participated in an Interfaith Picnic organized by the Loudoun Interfaith Bridges group. GAISS volunteers helped organize it in part and everyone who came had a great time. It was a wonderful outreach event for families and children of Loudoun County from different faith backgrounds. GAISS students also gave an excellent performance of Sikh Music.
Gurmat Sangeet Workshops - Like the past few years we organized several Gurmat Sangeet Workshops, student assessments, and camps over summer with our teachers from Raj Academy, UK. In addition we had Bhai Prem Singh visit us who taught Tabla and Jori. We were also honored to organize workshops for our students with Dr. Gurnam Singh and his staff from Punjabi University, Patiala in early June.
Hemkunt Kirtan Sammelan - One of GAISS's jathas participated in the inaugural Hemkunt Kirtan Sammelan in Orlando, Florida on August 4th and was bestowed the Kirtan Heritage Award.
Memorial Day Sammelan - One of GAISS's jathas participated in the Memorial Day Kirtan Sammelan in the GNFA Gurdwara on May 26th and received the 3rd position.
School Opening - GAISS opened on January 6th for the 1st semester of 2007 with a good student strength and renewed energy with the influx of new teachers and volunteers, by the Guru's grace.
Kirtan Programs - Student Jathas of GAISS begun the year with New Year's Eve Kirtan program at Raj Khalsa Gurdwara, followed by the 1st Friday Kirtan Divan and more, with a stepped up focus and Riyaaz discipline.
Symposiums - Our students won most of the zonal awards at the Hemkunt Symposium. In 2007 we will focus on internal competitions and debates to give an opportunity to all students to participate.
Special Activities - In Dec 05 and Feb 06 we held special Tabla classes under Bhai Prem Singh; We cosponsored Ek Ong Kaar Kaur's "Jap ji" workshop in March; We participated in the Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan at GNFA Gurdwara; and We held a Mela in lieu of Vaisakhi and Gurpurab celebrations with Games, Food Stalls, Gatkha and Dhol.
Miscellaneous - The 1st semester ended on June 3rd and on June 17th we hosted the Sojhi Sikh Education Symposium for the Sikh Research Institute to unveil the new standardized Gurmat and Punjabi School curriculum; and Amarjit Kaur Khangura and Amrit Kaur Sagoo joined the GAISS board in Oct’ 06, hence forth completing it.
Camps - This summer in collaboration with our mentors from Raj Academy, UK we hosted Gurmat Sangeet Specialist workshops in June and in August we had 2 Gurmat Sangeet Camps.
Outreach - We celebrated the Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev ji with a Sharing your Faith with your Neighbors interfaith event by specially inviting non-Sikhs guests, local school officials, along with civic, religious and law enforcement officials. The entire Kirtan program was conducted by the school’s students.
Year End - In honor of the life of Raagi Bhai Avtar Singh ji who passed away on Nov 24th the students sang the Kirtan Reets that his family preserved over the centuries at the December Kirtan Divans.
The year ended with a Graduation Ceremony which was held on December 16th. This year’s graduation ceremony’s speaker was Guru Amrit Singh Khalsa, a very successful business entrepreneur and community leader who inspired the children to become good Sikhs and business leaders.
Humanitarian Aid - When devastating tsunamis struck South Asia in late 2004, GAISS students and staff rose to the occasion. Working along with United Sikhs we collected funds and supplies to send overseas to aid in rescue and rehabilitation efforts. We worked with the local communities and parents to collect over $15000 and donated it towards humanitarian efforts in India, Malaysia and Srilanka. We also sent 45 boxes of clothes and supplies to Madras, India.
Later in 2005 when Hurrican Katrina hit New Orleans and the surrounding areas, we got together again and collected $2500 to support the humanitarian relief operations of UNITED SIKHS.
Symposiums - As in 2004 a number of our students participated in the Hemkunt Symposium. GAISS students won the first place in three out of four groups and a couple of second and third positions at the local level. In the zonal levels we had two first and one second place finishes and the students went on to compete in the International level in New York in August 2005. Our students fared extremely well and got a 2nd place finish and participation awards.
Special Activities - In the first half of 2005 GAISS had some very well known musicians hosting kirtan and music workshops at the school. Among these were Ustad Tarikh Khan, Iqbal Hussein, Bhai Dilbagh Singh and Gulbagh Singh's jatha, Bhai Avtar Singh ji's jatha and Rupinder Kaur.
In July 2005 GAISS held a very successful Sikh Music Concert. We thank all the professionals who took time for our school and the excellent parent volunteers who also helped with their time and efforts.
Kirtan Darbars - Three teams from the school particpated at Memorial Day Kirtan Sammelan at the GNFA Gurdwara; The Friday Kirtan Parivar Divan became even stronger and popular in the local Sangat; and Two teams from GAISS went to the Pittsburg Kirtan Sammelan and attained Exemplary and Excellent levels of performance, singing old Kirtan compositions in their original form and with string instruments.
Camps - Some students of GAISS attended Gurmat camps, particularly the one by the Guru Harkrishan Institute of Sikh Studies, in which GAISS staff also gave Gurmat Sangeet workshops and Kirtan classes on string instruments.
Outreach - We celebrated the Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev ji with a Sharing your Faith with your Neighbours interfaith event by inviting Sikhs, non-Sikhs and teachers of our students, along with civic, religious and law enforcement officials.
Highlights 
