isk parent handbook 2015-16 draft - international school of koje · 2019-10-26 · isk parent...

ISK Parent Handbook

2015-16

DRAFT

Last updated: August 17, 2015 Page | 1

SCHOOL CONTACT DETAILS School Address:

International School of Koje 9-8 Segando-gil, Okpo-1-Dong, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea Tel: +82 55 687 5000 Fax: +82 55 687 3306 Website: www.iskoje.org Email: [email protected]


http://www.iskoje.org/

mailto:[email protected]

ISK Mission and Vision

The mission statement of our school is its foundation. It answers two fundamental questions about the school,

‘Why are we here?’ and ‘What kind of children are we aiming to produce?’ The mission statement is used as a

guide in decision making. For example, when considering a curriculum programme or a school event, we ask the

question, ‘Does it help us achieve our mission?’ The mission was created by all members of the school community:

parents, teachers and students. The ‘Steps to Success’ are the main things that we do in school to try and achieve

our mission.


School Governance

The International School of Koje (ISK) is part of a not-for-profit foundation called the Seyoung Foundation whose

role is to oversee the school and Koje College. The school has a board called the Management Committee whose

responsibility is to ensure the smooth operation of the school and to report back to the Seyoung Foundation.

The Chairman of the Management Committee is Mr. Jung, who is also the President of Koje College. The Principal

of ISK is also a member of the Management Committee, as is the Director of Administration (Jeannie Park). In

total, there are five Management Committee members including two professors from Koje College and a

representative from the local government.

ISK Management Committee - June2015

School Structure and Staff

ISK consists of Early Years, Primary and Middle School programs with a total of 26 classes.

● The year level names are based on the English system, which is one year out from the US. Year 2 are the

same age as Grade 1.

● For some events we divide the school into what we call the Lower and Upper Schools:

Lower School - Reception to Year 4

Upper School - Year 5 to Year 9


ISK Academic Staff List 2015-16 Myles Jackson, Principal

Colin Haddow, Assistant Principal (Pastoral)

Rebecca Morse, Assistant Principal (Curriculum)

Class or Subject Teacher Name Curriculum School Section

Reception 1 Koala Lida Hofman EARLY YEARS:

Early Years

International Primary

Curriculum (EYIPC)

Lower School

Reception 2

Bumblebee Janice Sim

Year 1.1 Seal Dan Devere PRIMARY SCHOOL:

International Primary

Curriculum

(IPC)

Year 1.2 Penguin Jennifer McBride

Year 1.3 Dolphin Ekaterina Kuruch (Teaching for Learning Leader)

Year 1.4 Otter Diestene Williams (Language Arts Leader for Learning)

Year 2.1 Owl Tara Dhital

Year 2.2 Squirrel Kristine Ertl

Year 2.3 Raccoon Ramona Bucoveanu

Year 2.4 Hedgehog Ingvild Landro

Year 2.5 Rabbit Bonnie To

Year 3.1 Panther Michelle Fletcher

Year 3.2 Tiger Nuala Malone

Year 3.3 Lion John Crawford

Year 4.1 Wolf Hannah Robinson

Year 4.2 Fox Tonya Gideon

Year 4.3 Coyote Geoffrey Barham

Year 5.1 Falcon Lindsey Banks Upper School

Year 5.2 Eagle Daniel Slevin

Year 5.3 Hawk Diane Williams (Primary Leader for Learning)

Year 6.1 Crocodile Steven McCready

Year 6.2 Shark Paul Hammond (Mathematics Leader for Learning)

Year 7.1 Griffin Homeroom teacher: Dave Honig MIDDLE SCHOOL:

International Middle

Years Curriculum

(IMYC)

Year 7.2 Dragon Homeroom teacher: Amanda Hart

Year 8.1 Phoenix Homeroom teacher: Steven Gall

Year 9 Kraken Homeroom teacher: Lizelle van Wyk

MS Mathematics Steven Gall


MS Science Lizelle Van Wyk (Community and Service Leader for

Learning)

MS Technology /ICT

Integration Teacher Colin Gear

MS Language Arts Rebecca Schmitz

MS Social Studies Danielle Mashon (IMYC Leader for Learning)

Cross Programme Single Subject Teachers

Library Patricia Gleason

Release Teacher Amanda Hart (PSHE Leader for Learning)

EAL (English as an

Additional Language) Paul Boland (EAL Leader for Learning)

EAL Rene McNeil

EAL Duck Becker

EAL Claire Chun

EAL Oana Rehurek

Learning Support Maricar Ronidell (Learning Support Leader for Learning)

Learning Support Susan Campbell

Learning Support Marilen Guerra

Korean Oona Haddow

Korean Laura Trevor

Korean Hyun Suk Hong

PE / PSHE Gym White (Sports & Physical Education Leader for

Learning)

PE Joanne Lee

PE / PSHE Dave Honig

Music Betthilde Keij (Ats Leader for Learning)

Music Eunbyoul Ma

Music Suwon Lee

Art Jiyeon Seo

Art Mandy Brost

Learning Assistants

Reception 1 Koala Julie Bae Early Years Lower School

Reception 2

Bumblebee Hyungyeong (Hannah) Lee


Year 1.1 Seal Kay Song Primary School

Year 1.2 Penguin Aeran Jeong

Year 1.3 Dolphin Soonbok Kim

Year 1.4 Otter Jin Hee Park

Year 2 Jimin Park

Other

Academic

Administrator Eunmee Shin

Library Assistant Eunae Lee

ISK Staff - June 2015

Further staff details are available at www.iskoje.org


http://www.iskoje.org/

School Administration

The Admin Team or ‘office staff’ at ISK are led by the Director of Administration, Jeannie Park. Their main

responsibilities are:

● Jeongeun Kim - Office Manager

● Rha-e Kim – Facilities Management

● Seon-mi Kim – Accounts

● Seo Young Jeong – Accounts Assistant

● Younhee Cho – Human Resources

● Jesy Silva - Admissions & Reception

Admissions

Details about the admissions process, school fees and the and the ISK Admissions Policy are posted on the school

website. www.iskoje.org/policy-and-forms.html

Class Placement

Learners are placed in classes strictly according to their age on September 1st, not based on the results of

academic testing. At ISK our Mission is to enable everyone to do their best, which means that we must challenge

all learners appropriately. We do this by adapting the level of challenge in the classroom rather than by moving

the learners to different age groups. We do this because we believe that the social groupings of students are of

primary importance for long term success in school.

● In exceptional circumstances, due to special learning support requirements that we are unable to meet

any other way, a student may be placed in a younger age group.

● Parents of Early Years students should please note that children must be fully toilet trained and able to

use the toilet independently. Students who are not yet independent will be asked to remain at home until

they are ready.

● Sometimes, due to the numbers of students in a particular year level, it may be necessary to place

children in composite classes with two year levels working together.

● When placing children in classes, the school takes into account such factors as the number of boys and

girls in a particular group and the distribution of language groups. Social groupings are also a factor when

allocating existing students at the start of each academic year.

● The maximum class size for the 2015-16 academic year is 23.

● Parents cannot choose the teacher that they would like their child to have. Requests for particular class

placements are not accepted and all decisions regarding class placement are taken by the school.

Class Splits, Class Changes and Multi-Age Classes


http://www.iskoje.org/policy-and-forms.html

ISK is in a location where families come and go throughout the year and due to the nature of business in the

region, student numbers can rise or fall quickly. Sometimes, during an academic year, we may need to combine

two classes where the total number of students has fallen below the size of a single class. This may result in a

change of the student’s regular teacher. It may also happen that the school needs to make a multi-age class by

putting students together from two age groups eg a combined Year 1 & 2 class.

The school reserves the right to change a student’s class when we feel it is necessary to do so. In practice, it is not

something we do often and is only done when we feel that it must be done (eg when two classes have become

very small and there is no chance of the student numbers picking up again later in the academic year).

Our experience of mid-year class changes, or of teaching multi-age classes is that when handled well (as we

always do at ISK) there is no disruption to the education of the students and any social adjustments are usually

made very rapidly.

ISK Curriculum

One of the ‘Steps to Success’ in the ISK Mission is to focus on learning in everything we do. For this reason, we

sometimes describe ourselves as ‘a learning focused school’. We talk about learning a lot with the children, we ask

what they are learning, how they are learning it or why they are learning it. We ask them what they feel about

their learning progress and what they would like to learn in future. We aim for all school activities, trips and

events to enhance learning in specific ways.

ISK Definition of Learning:

The purpose of a school is to bring about learning and so, it is essential for a school to define what we think

learning is. The ISK definition of learning is written to be appropriate for use with children in order to help them

understand their own learning processes.


Curriculum Programmes:

ISK uses the following externally provided curriculum programmes:

● Early Years International Primary Curriculum (EYIPC) – Reception classes.

● International Primary Curriculum (IPC) – Year 1 to Year 6

● International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) – Year 7, 8, 9

The Learning Goals of the IPC & IMYC form the top level academic standards for the school in all subject areas.

The programme is thematically based and children’s learning is reinforced and deepened as the different subjects

are integrated using the theme. The IPC and IMYC provide schools with ‘Units of Work’ and appropriate learning

targets, activities and assessment rubrics.

The IPC & IMYC also provide a framework for school improvement through the IPC Self Review process and also

through school accreditation. Another key feature of the IPC & IMYC are the Personal Goals which we use at ISK to

support the positive development of student dispositions. (See below.)

Curriculum policy documents and other information relating to the programmes in the school will continue to be

added to our website in the Curriculum Section.


ISK Personal Goals:

The ISK Personal Goals are an important part of the curriculum and come

from the IPC. They are used to support personal growth in all age groups, in

all subject areas and other school activities. There are eight Personal Goals

and the school logo has been designed with them in mind. Each colour

represents a different personal goal. During the year we aim to ensure the

personal goals become highly visible throughout the school and we will continue to embed them into all aspects

of the life of the school.

ISK Personal Goals Student Descriptors

Respect I am polite and kind to everyone.

Adaptability I accept change and I welcome new ideas.

Morality I always try to do the right thing.

Resilience I keep trying, even when it is difficult.

Enquiry I ask why things are as they are and collect evidence to support my ideas.

Cooperation I try to help others and work as a team.

Communication I express myself and I listen to other people.

Thoughtfulness I reflect on what I have learned and what I would like to learn.

Boogie:

Boogie is short for kobugi

(거북이), which means ‘turtle’ in

Korean. He was created in June

2014 and has just been introduced

to the students. During this

academic year, we hope to make

more use of him as a way to

further embed the personal goals

into the life of ISK.

Student Data & Academic Targets

Periodically, students take standardized assessments so that we can use the data to improve student learning and

to focus school development. We use GL Assessments and International Schools’ Assessment or ISA tests. The


results and data from these assessments are analysed for trends and used to set annual academic targets for

individuals, year levels and a single whole school target.

ISK is also developing the use of the IPC & IMYC Assessment for Learning Programme. This is a skills based

assessment programme that provides rubrics for achievement that the students and teachers can use to

understand their level of achievement and to plan their next steps. Evidence of this in action is seen throughout

the school:

Reports & Parent Teacher Conferences

Parents receive feedback on children’s learning throughout the year, but each term there is an opportunity to

have an overview of current progress.

End of Term 1 – Parent Teacher Conferences

End of Term 2 – Written Reports

End of Term 3 – Student Led Conferences

End of Term 4 – Written Reports

Parents can arrange a meeting with a teacher at other times. If there are aspects of the children’s learning that

you wish to discuss, please contact your child’s teacher to request a meeting.

Curriculum Accreditation

ISK is working towards IPC Accreditation in the Spring of 2016 and hopes to achieve IMYC accreditation the

following year. To achieve these accreditations will be a major achievement and the whole school must perform

to a high standard. Learning about the IPC & IMYC, acquiring the necessary skills and making appropriate changes

is the focus of curriculum development in the school.


A Learning Focused School

ISK is a ‘learning focused school’ and this means that we aim to maximize learning in every lesson, event and

activity that we provide. All members of the school community are encouraged to continually reflect on their

learning. To help keep our focus on our learning, students and staff are very often asking questions such as, ‘What

are we learning now?’, ‘How will this improve learning?’, or ‘What have we learned today?’ Through this process

of reflection we aim to become increasingly effective as learners.

Professional Learning:

In a learning focused school, personal professional learning (‘learning about learning’) is a high priority. The more

we understand about how learning happens, the more effective we will become as teachers. Staff at ISK are

expected to demonstrate commitment to their own professional learning through a variety of means: observation

of teaching and learning, setting targets for professional learning, readings, participation in meetings, school visits

and courses.

Parent Information Events:

Several times per year, the school hosts parent information events, usually in the evening. These are

opportunities for parents to learn more about learning at ISK and about the programme developments taking

place in the school.

House System

There are four houses at ISK: Earth, Fire, Sky and Water. All students and staff are in a House.

Students receive House points for academic achievement or behavior and we aim, when possible, to link House

points to the Personal Goals.

● Teachers keep a tally in their classroom. Each week, students will come round to collect the points and the

results are announced in assembly. (Usually accompanied by lots of cheering!)

● Points are also built into sporting events or other competitions.

Recognition of Achievement


In previous academic years, students have received certificates (Principal’s Awards) for demonstrating high levels

of achievement. From August 2015 we will be taking a different approach to recognising achievement. In class and

at other times of day we already give out House Points to recognise positive behaviour or good academic

achievements and we will continue to do this. Many teachers also have their own in-class reward schemes and a

variety of ways to recognise and celebrate achievement. Two advantages of these types of approaches is that they

are more immediate for the children and they are also shared with the most relevant group.

School Newsletter

The bi-weekly school newsletter is sent out by email to parents. It is an essential channel of communication with

parents about school events and about learning in the school. All parents should read it so that we can be sure

that any arrangements for whole school events or changes of schedule are successfully communicated. Please

forward the newsletter to other family relatives. They will enjoy knowing more about your children’s lives here at

ISK.

Other newsletters, blogs and parent communication

Class newsletters: Usually a class newsletter is sent out at the beginning of each IPC or IMYC unit of work.

Regular class updates: Class teachers also send out regular email updates or blog posts on student learning and

advance notice of what is coming in the week ahead.

Blogs: From September 2015 all classes will have a blog or regular updates through the class page of our school

learning management system, which is called Haiku. Details will be shared with parents in the first week of school.

Reply slips: Increasingly, we use online forms to facilitate sign up for things, such as After School Activities. Please

understand that submitting an electronic form is equivalent to giving written acknowledgement.

Mass email to parents: We try to use mass emails sparingly, but in addition to the school newsletter, there are

occasions when it is needed: changes of school times, health and safety alerts, weather warnings, notice of a

specific event (eg a concert or parent information evening).

SMS message to parents: In an emergency or if the school must close due to a typhoon or snow, the school will

send an SMS (text message) to all parents and email everyone.

Printed letters to parents: We also give out printed letters, sometimes to multiple classes or occasionally the

whole school. Please check younger children’s bags daily and ask older children to check themselves when they

come home.

School Database

The school database has basic parent and student details. It is essential for children’s security that we have correct

phone numbers and active email addresses parents and care givers. In the event of an accident or other

emergency, we must be able to contact parents immediately. Children for whom we do not have medical details

will not be permitted to go on a school trip.

Parent Teacher Association


The PTA are very active in the school and run many events throughout the year. They meet with the Principal once

a month to discuss event planning and they also pass on concerns or queries about school issues. More info about

regular PTA activities is available on the PTA page of our website

http://www.iskoje.org/parent-teacher-association-pta.html .

The PTA forms sub-committees for every event and they organize and communicate through the PTA Facebook

page. Use this to make contact with the PTA and for updates about meeting times and locations.

Geoje Expat Guide:

The PTA have produced an excellent guide book to life on Geoje Island with up to date information on a very wide

range of topics. If you have not done so, please download a copy.

Day Trips and Overnight Trips

At ISK, trips are planned as an integral part of the curriculum. Trips at ISK are used for teaching and learning

integral to the curriculum. They are an educationally sound and important ingredient in the instructional program

of the school which supplement and enrich classroom procedures by providing learning experiences in an

environment outside ISK.

Trips are not optional and participation in all school trips or special events is expected, unless a medical

condition prevents participation. Parents will be sent an information letter, or receive an email along with a

Parent Confirmation Acknowledgement form to confirm that they are aware the trip is taking place and as notice

of the dates and times. Please note that this is not a ‘permission slip’. We assume permission is already granted by

enrollment in the school.

For most class trips ISK pays for the transportation and entrance fees. Parents will be asked to provide for snacks

and meals. Classes from Year 4 upwards also have an overnight trip during the year.

Sports teams from ISK compete against other international schools, regionally and nationally. Parents of team

members are required to contribute to the cost of travel, food and accommodation so that their child can

participate. Further information about sports trips will be provided prior to students being asked to sign up for the

team.

More information about trips please see the ISK Trips Policy www.iskoje.org/isk-policies-and-procedures.html

Home Learning Home Learning is set for a variety of purposes, such as for practice and reinforcement of learning, for exploratory

work or as advance preparation for work in class. Another important aspect of homework is to actively engage

parents in student learning and thereby help build the understanding that learning does not only take place in

school and that education is enhanced when we build a partnership for learning between the students, their

parents and the school.

See the ISK Home Learning Policy www.iskoje.org/curriculum-documents.html

Mother Tongue Support


http://www.iskoje.org/parent-teacher-association-pta.html

https://www.facebook.com/pages/OIS-Parent-Teacher-Association/137278459709187

https://www.facebook.com/pages/OIS-Parent-Teacher-Association/137278459709187

http://www.iskoje.org/parent-teacher-association-pta.html

http://www.iskoje.org/isk-policies-and-procedures.html

http://www.iskoje.org/curriculum-documents.html

At ISK we recognise that it is important for students whose first language is not English to continue to develop

their ‘mother tongue’. Current research indicates that maintaining a strong mother tongue will actually make it

easier for a student to acquire an additional language. This is contrary to what used to be the accepted wisdom -

that it was better to focus exclusively on English when studying in an English medium international school.

We encourage the use of English in school because it is the one language we all have in common and because it is

the primary medium in which we work. However, we also recognise that for certain types of task or for social

purposes it is important for students to be able to express themselves in their mother tongue. In social settings

this is only a problem when languages other than English are used for the purpose of excluding others and so we

actively promote the inclusive nature of English, rather than condemn the use of another language.

School Day

School Start Time: 08.25

School Finish Times:

● Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 14.50 ● Wednesdays – 14.00

After School Activities (ASA): There are a wide variety of after school programmes for Years 1 to 9. These will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 15.00 to 16.00

2014–15 Student Timetable:

This year, the school is introducing the use of a 6 day timetable which means that in the first week, Monday to

Friday will be Days 1 to 5, but the following Monday will be Day 6. This means that in the second week of school,

Tuesday will be Day 1, and so on throughout the year. If there is a school holiday or national holiday, then the next

school day will be whatever the next number is in the cycle.

What this means for students is that subjects will fall on different days of the week every time the 6 day cycle

begins again. Students and parents will need to be aware when lessons such as PE or library fall so that PE clothing

and library bags can be brought to school on those days.

Daily Arrival and Departure Students should arrive at school in the morning between 08.10 and 08.25. There will be a member of staff on duty at the entrance gate and others dispersed throughout the playground areas from 08.10 onwards. All parents are invited to leave their children at the playground where they will be supervised by staff. When the bell rings at 08.25, all students will be lined up in their classes, met by their teachers, and escorted into the building in a timely fashion. In the event of rain, students should have raincoats, rain boots and umbrellas. If the rain is deemed to be heavy, staff will send students directly to their classrooms, but not before 08.10.


At 08.30, the entrance gate will be locked. Students arriving after 08.30 will have to ring the security buzzer to be admitted. At the end of the school day, parents will be permitted to enter school grounds as far as the main steps. When students are ready to be collected, parents will be directed to ascend the steps where they will be united with their children. Staff will provide a short period of supervision at this time, but it is requested that all students and parents leave school grounds as soon as possible. After the final supervision is complete, the gate will be closed and any remaining children must wait in the school entrance. There is no supervised play on the playground after school and children cannot be left to play outside unsupervised.

Parking and Access to School

As with Okpo in general, parking in the local area remains to be a major issue. As the safety and well-being of all students is our number one priority, parking, drop-off, and pick-up information will be regularly reviewed and changes will be communicated to parents separately from this handbook. It is vital that all vehicle drivers adhere to the applicable rules. Presently, there is a temporary carpark in operation on the site of the old Okpo Apartments. This is shown in the map below as Elcru APT 2. It is currently open for anyone to use. Alternatively, Lotte Mart has a large multi-storey carpark attached. This is available from 10am every day. The roads around ISK have now been officially designated ‘School Zone’ status. You will notice that signage has been erected to alert drivers to this fact. Creating a school zone goes some way to ensuring the safety of everyone as they arrive or leave school on foot.

With this designation, there are certain laws that apply to road users:

No waiting or parking in the school zone is permitted. This applies to all drivers. It will be regarded as an offence, punishable by a traffic fine, to park or stop a vehicle for any reason. This includes parents who wish to drop off or collect their children. The fine for breaking the law in a school zone is double the regular fine.


The speed limit in the school zone is 30kph. The fine for breaking the law in a school zone is double the regular fine.

Causing an accident in a school zone that involves a child will be regarded as a criminal offence.

Using the Admiral Residence at the top of the hill past the school is not permitted for parking, nor is the road leading up to the Admiral Residence. Vehicle access to the school car park is restricted to staff only. In the event that access is required, please make a request at the ISK office. Students who cycle to school can store their bicycles under the entrance stairs for safekeeping during the school day. Parents and students who walk to school are reminded to use the sidewalks and crosswalks provided.

Currently ISK does not operate buses for travel to and from school. However, several companies do manage and operate bus services for students. Contact your company HR department for more information about this service.

Attendance & Absence Students are expected to attend the full school year and all school trips and events as required. All events and trips are designed as part of the ISK Curriculum and parents will always be informed in advance of the dates and times of such activities. The school monitors attendance and frequent or prolonged absence will be highlighted as an issue of concern. The school discourages holidays or other trips from being taken during term time, but if this must occur, eg for a special family commitment, teachers should be given plenty of advance notice by email. Please note that we do not provide homework or other educational guidance for students taking holidays during term time. The class teacher or office should be notified of unexpected absences by telephone or email (e.g. illness or injury). In addition to supporting the class teacher, this is an important safety issue, because in the event of a fire or other emergency, we must be able to accurately account for all students. Please try to avoid making dental or medical appointments within school hours. If this is unavoidable, please write a note to the school in advance. Children who leave early or arrive late must sign in/out at the office to ensure our register is accurate. As mentioned in the above, this is a very important safety issue.

Parents Visiting the School Parents are welcome participants at many school events during the year and many parent volunteers are regular visitors to the school, for example, to assist with reading support or to attend PTA activities. Please ring the bell for access and always ensure that, for security reasons, you sign in at the office and collect a visitor badge.

Notice of Withdrawal

Written notice of withdrawal (leaving the school) must be given six weeks in advance. This is to enable the school

to assist the student in transferring smoothly and in some cases it will allow us to contact and prepare students

who may be on a waiting list for a place in the school.


School & House T-Shirts

All students will be given an ISK t-shirt with the school logo on. In addition, all students will receive a House t-shirt

which can be worn during House events throughout the year.

Library Bags & Pencil Sets

All students will receive a new library bag and a set of custom printed coloured pencils featuring the ISK Personal

Goals.

Dress Code

There is no school uniform at ISK, but students may be required to wear a school t-shirt, house t-shirt or some

other items of clothing.

Footwear:

Students at ISK need a pair of comfortable indoor shoes which they keep at school. When they come into the

building, they change their outdoor shoes for indoor ones and this helps keep the school and the classrooms

clean. All footwear should be safe for school – no high heels or ‘flop flops’. Inappropriate footwear is a regular

cause of accidents on stairs and in the event of an emergency evacuation, such an accident can be life threatening

for the student and others.

General Clothing Guidelines – Early Years to Year 6:

Student clothing should be appropriate for a school setting. For example, there should be no bad language on

t-shirts and reasonable modesty should be maintained. Clothing should also allow freedom of movement and

enable children to be very active. Parents should use their judgment about this and consider that school is

primarily a place of study.

Clothing Guidelines – Middle School (Year 7 to Year 9):

To help create the best learning environment for Middle School students, the following standards for student

dress should be observed:

● Clothing or accessories may not display offensive, provocative, vulgar language or images and must not

advertise products which students may not legally purchase.

● Pants/trousers must not sag below the waist and must be at a safe length.

● Blouses and shirts should be constructed so that the top of the shoulder is covered and is fitted under the

arms. No halter tops, strapless tops, spaghetti straps, or bare-shouldered tops of any type will be allowed.

Tank tops are acceptable if the straps are three fingers wide. (Three of the student’s fingers.)

● Blouses and shirts which expose any portion of the waist, hips, or midriff are not allowed. Blouses/shirts

which are not appropriate for school include those which are low-cut, see-through, backless, or tube tops.

● When leggings are worn, skirts, pants, dresses or shorts must be worn over the leggings.

● Skirts, pants, dresses, and shorts must be beyond fingertip length.

● Outer clothing which resembles loungewear, pyjamas, or underwear is prohibited.

● Holes in clothing that are excessive in size or amount, are a distraction to the learning environment, or

allow skin to show are prohibited.

● Head apparel, except for religious or medical purposes, must not be worn inside the school building.

● Footwear is required and must be safe and appropriate for indoor and/or outdoor activity.


PE Kit:

Suitable clothes should be worn for all PE classes. Students should wear running shoes, hat, shorts & t-shirt. In

cooler weather students should also wear a track suit. All students should bring a named water bottle to PE.

● Reception to Year 5 – students should come to school dressed in their PE Kit on days that they have PE.

● Year 6 to Year 9 – students should change their clothes in school during the nearest break time to their PE

class. Teachers will facilitate this.

Hats & Sun Protection:

For sunny weather, all children should have a hat which they keep at school in their locker or cubby.

● From Reception to Year 2, the teachers and assistants will ensure that children wear the hats that parents

have provided.

● From Year 3 upwards, teachers will regularly remind children to wear hats on sunny days and to take

responsibility for their own skincare. Parents can also apply sunscreen to their children before they come

to school in the morning.

Wet Weather :

Children should come to school with an umbrella, rain coat and suitable shoes or rain boots on days when the

weather looks as if it might be wet. During break times when there may be a very light shower or a persistent, but

very light drizzle/mist, the children may be able to play outside if they have suitable clothes and footwear. This is a

great benefit for learning, because even a few minutes break outside can help children to feel more ready to learn

when they come back in.

Snack and Lunch Provision

In the mornings, younger students eat their snacks in the classroom and then receive 20 minutes of outside play.

Students from Year 3 and above, eat their snacks outside during their 20 minute break.

At ISK, we have a wonderful cafeteria providing excellent quality lunches. Information about the menu and

associated costs are communicated with parents before the start of term. Students up to Year 6 who elect to have

school lunches, will also receive a small snack at break time in the form of a piece of fruit or yoghurt etc.

As water dispensers are readily available in every classroom, students will still be required to bring a clearly

marked water bottle.

In addition, all other bottles and lunchboxes should have the student’s name written on them with a permanent

marker. Please do not send glass food containers or bottles.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of students, teachers, parents, and visitors to ISK is of the highest priority. At ISK, we do our

upmost to ensure that everyone is as safe as possible when they enter the school. To this end, we have now

established a PTA School Safety Committee responsible for channeling health and safety related issues between

parents and the school. For more information about general health and safety procedures, please refer to the ISK

Health and Safety Policy.

Allergies:

Some children in school are allergic to nuts and one child has very severe reactions. The school aims to be

nut-free, but guaranteeing that all packed lunches and snacks are nut free is not possible for us. Parents are asked

to be understanding and make their best effort to avoid sending in any foods containing nuts. Animal hair is also


known to be a serious problem and so dogs are not allowed on campus. Please inform the school with

information of any known allergies that your child has.


Medical Issues

Medical Conditions: Parents should advise the school of, and provide the necessary items in regards to, any medical conditions a student may suffer. Illness: It is important that when students are ill they remain at home. At school, if students display symptoms of illness, such as but not limited to, fever, chill, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, stomach ache, dizziness, then parents will be asked to come and take them home until they have fully recuperated to ensure the health of other students and staff. Medication: School staff cannot be responsible for administering medication, so any medication that a child brings to school must be of a type that the child can take themselves and the child needs to be of an appropriate age to do this. If this is not possible, please contact the class teacher so that we can arrange a suitable solution. Medical Emergencies:

In case of a medical emergency or illness, the school will contact the parents immediately and students will be

cared for until their parents collect them. If the evaluation of the staff member is that immediate action is

necessary, an ambulance will be called and the student will be taken to hospital.

ISK Disciplinary Procedures:

Our approach to behavior management and discipline derives from the Mission of our school, which describes a

respectful and supportive learning environment. For details of our school approach to discipline, please refer to

our policy document on the website: www.iskoje.org/isk-policies-and-procedures.html

Theft: Under the school's general insurance policy, the insurance is only valid if it can be proved that the school has been forcibly entered. There is a small amount of cover for student's property in such cases, but essentially the private property of pupils should be insured privately if required. Parents are advised that students should not bring items of value or large sums of money into the school unless absolutely necessary. If for any reason students need to bring such valuables to school they are advised to hand them to the school office immediately upon arrival. ISK cannot accept responsibility for the loss or theft of money or personal property.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further Information:

We hope you have found the information in this handbook useful. It is certainly not comprehensive and there is

always more that we could include. Please contact your child’s class teacher or homeroom teacher if you have any

further questions or need more information. Teachers will share their school email address with all parents in the

class and this is our recommended channel of communication.


http://www.iskoje.org/isk-policies-and-procedures.html

For all general enquiries please contact [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

isk parent handbook 2015-16 draft - international school of koje · 2019-10-26 · isk parent...

Documents