Primary Parent Handbook
Primary Parent Handbook
Primary Parent Handbook
HANDBOOK
Con t en t s
3. Mission, Vision and International Mindedness
4. Message from the Head of Primary
5. Organisational Structure and School Calendar
6. School Day
· Absences, Leaving School and Emergency Closure
·Assembly
·Breaks
·Materials
·School Hours
9. Policy and Procedure
·Behaviour and Child Protection
·Communication
·Dangerous Items
·First aid and Illness
·Homework
·Information Technology
·Mobile Devices
·Parent Volunteers - ISS Primary Parent Partnership
·Payment of Accounts
·Procedures for Emergencies
·PTFA
·Recycling
·Reporting
·Requests for Student Records
·School Magazine
·Security on Campus
·Smoking
·Sun Safety
·Staff
-Toileting
·Transportation
Con t en t s
Policy and Procedure continued
·Uniform
·Valuables and Lost and Found
·Withdrawal from ISS
14. Curriculum
·ISS Learner Outcomes / Profile
·The Learner Profile
·Written Curriculum
·What Do We Want Students to Understand
·What Do We Want Students to Learn
·Skills
·Attitudes
·Action
·The Taught Curriculum
·The Assessed Curriculum
·Subject Areas
·Language Through Inquiry
·Mathematics Through Inquiry
·Arts Through Inquiry
·PSPE Through Inquiry
·Additional Languages Through Inquiry
·ICT Through Inquiry
·The Program of Inquiry
·PYP Exhibition
·Learning Outside the Classroom
·Learning Support and Student Services
·School Library
·Swimming
Vision "That every ISS student should have the
confidence to be themselves, be
independent in thought and action, be
enterprising and prepared for life as a
global citizen. International School Suva
will strive to become the premier provider
of primary and secondary education in
the South Pacific where students will be
This handbook will provide you with information and guidelines to help you and
your child understand the functioning of the school, provide answers to questions
regarding school life and the ISS curriculum and to facilitate a smooth transition into
our community.
Ultimately the school and parents are the team around your child, and together we
can support your child's academic and social development.
Here at International School Suva, we have dedicated, caring staff members who
are committed to providing an outstanding education for our students. Please take
the time to get to know your child?s teachers. If you do have any questions or
concerns that arise throughout the school year, please feel free to contact your
child?s teacher or the primary school office to meet with me.
Rebecca Clentworth
Head of Primary
PrimaryOrganisational
Structure
The pedagogical leadership and management of ISS Primary is shared by the Primary
Leadership Team consisting of the Head of Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme
(PYP) Coordinator. Furthermore, a distributed leadership model is in place to support the
Primary Leadership Team in the implementation of the strategic plan and the alignment
of mission, guiding statements and practice. The Primary School Leadership Team is
responsible to the Head of School.
Pr im ar y Sch ool Leader sh ip Team
Head of Primary Ms. Rebecca Clentworth
PYP Coordinator Mrs. Renee Dansey
M iddle Level Leader sh ip
Learning and Teaching Coach (Seesaw)
Learning and Teaching Coach (Specialist Subjects)
Learning and Teaching Coach (ESL)
Learning and Teaching Coach (Ocean Science)
Learning and Teaching Coach (Mentor Teacher
Year Level Coordinators
Learning Support Coordinator
School Calendar
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/[email protected]&ctz=Pacific/Fiji
Term dates
Ter m d ates for t he year are p ub lished on t he web site.
.
TheSchool Day
Ab sences, Leaving School Ear ly and Em er g ency Closure
Ab sences: If your child is t o b e ab sent , please infor m t he p r im ar y school office or your
child 's teacher via em ail, Seesaw m essag e or telep hone b efore 8.0 0 am . If you leave a
voice m essag e or send a text m essag e, please com m unicate your child 's nam e, her/ his
class, t he reason for ab sence and ant icip ated leng t h of ab sence.
Our com m unit y is a hig hly m ob ile one and we req uest t hat a fam ily's travel plans
respect t he school calend ar.
Office Em ail:
Lor na Evening levening @iss.school.fj
Vir i Rat ub uli vrat ub [email protected]
Phone: 339330 0
After noon Dism issal: If a child is t o b e picked up by som eone ot her t han t he nor m al
p arent /careg iver, a p arent should em ail t he relevant teacher t o not ify t hem of t he
ar rang em ent . For last m inute chang e of plans or if you are unab le t o em ail, please
ensure you speak d irect ly t o t he p r im ar y office staff.
After noon Bus: At 2:30 all b us st udent s line up on t he Pr im ar y field and w alk d ow n t he
step s t o t heir b us. Teacher s on d ut y check t he child 's b us p ass. All b uses are expected
t o leave school by 2:4 5p m .
After noon Car Pick Up : All car line st udent s line up on t he p r im ar y field at 2:30 p m
and are w alked d ow n t o t he pick up area. Any st udent not picked up by 2:4 5p m will b e
taken t o t he p r im ar y school office.
Leaving School Ear ly: If a child is t o b e picked up b efore t he end of t he school d ay
t he p arent or careg iver picking up t he child m ust receive a red 'Per m ission t o Leave t he
School Ground s' slip from t he p r im ar y office. This need s t o b e p resented t o secur it y
b efore b eing allowed t o leave.
Late Pick Up : If you are r unning late t o pick up your child please contact t he p r im ar y
office im m ed iately. The secur it y can super vise left child ren at t he g ate once contact has
b een m ade.
Em er g ency Closure If t he school is t o b e closed b ecause of inclem ent weat her or
em er g ency, ISS will act ivate t he SMS system p rovid ing shor t com m unicat ions t o p arent
p rovided em er g ency contact num b er s. Please ensure your contact infor m at ion is alw ays
up t o d ate. Em ail and rad io not ificat ions m ay also b e used .
Assem b ly: Pr im ar y assem b lies are held ever y Fr id ay m or ning at 8.15am on a rotat ion
b asis in t he Am p hit heater. W hole school assem b lies are held in our m ult ip ur p ose hall
ap p roxim ately t wice a ter m t o celeb rate t hem ed occasions. Parent s are invited and
encourag ed t o attend t he assem b lies as t hey p rovide an op p or t unit y for st udent s t o
share t heir lear ning and achievem ent s and fur t her develop confidence in p ub lic
per for m ances and speaking .
Breaks Dur ing t he Day
Lunch Break and Dr inks: St udent s have a choice of b r ing ing t heir ow n lunch or
order ing from t he school canteen. A canteen m enu is availab le on t he school web site
or from t he p r im ar y office at t he b eg inning of each ter m . Order s for t he canteen
are via a reusab le container inclusive of m oney req uired and order. Please p rovide
your child wit h a healt hy snack for m id -m or ning as snack order s for p r im ar y st udent s
are not availab le from t he canteen. We encourag e our st udent s t o eat healt hy and
b alanced lunches t hat should include fr uit or veg etab les. St udent s should refrain
from b r ing ing t o school chocolates, fizzy d r inks, sweet s or cand ies.
St udent s should have a refillab le w ater b ott le at all t im es. Filtered w ater is availab le
from t he d r inking fountains. Lunch b oxes should b e as com p act as p ossib le and
lab eled clear ly wit h t he st udent ?s nam e and class. Refr ig erat or s are availab le for use
in p r im ar y classroom . Microw aves are not availab le, t herefore a use of t her m os for
hot lunches is recom m ended .
All classes eat t heir snacks and lunches super vised by t he d ut y teacher in t he
eat ing areas b efore m oving t o play areas.
Playt im e : St udent s have t w o play per iod s: one at m or ning tea for 15 m inutes and
anot her after lunch for 4 5 m inutes. Teacher s super vise play t im e in all play areas.
St udent s of Ear ly Child hood 1 t o Recep t ion play in t heir ear ly lear ning area. Year 1 ?
Year 5 st udent s play in t he super vised areas near t he p r im ar y classroom s. The
lib rar y is open t o st udent s d ur ing t he lunch b reak.
In case of wet weat her, st udent s can rem ain ind oor s or play in one of t he
super vised out d oor play sp aces.
Mater ials and Sup plies: All st udent s are p rovided wit h t he necessar y school
stat ioner y, m ater ial and sup plies by t he school as p ar t of t heir p aid school fees..
St udent s m ay also choose t o b r ing in t heir ow n stat ioner y or pencil case. St udent s
should b r ing t heir b elong ing s t o school in a sm all b ackp ack
Please ensure all your child 's b elong ing s are clear ly lab elled wit h t heir nam e and
class.
School Hour s
Ear ly Child hood 1:
Mond ay t o Fr id ay, 8.0 0 am ? 1.0 0 p m
Ear ly Child hood 2 t o Year 5:
Mond ay t o Fr id ay, 8.0 0 am - 2.30 p m .
In an effor t t o com m unicate effect ively t o all p arent s, t he school will use several m odes
of com m unicat ion t o infor m our com m unit y.
Weekly up d ates t hroug h Seesaw on w hat is com ing up in t he class
- Post s of st udent w or k and reflect ions on Seesaw
- Em ail
- Pr im ar y Bytes
- W hat sAp p p arent g roup s
- School Faceb ook Pag e
- School Calend ar
- Talanoa
Paym ent of Account s: Paym ent s m ay b e m ade in cash, check or cred it card at
t he Business office. The p r im ar y office d oes not hand le any m oney. Please contact
s t he Business office for infor m at ion reg ard ing t uit ion p aym ent plans. All fam ilies m ust
b e cur rent wit h t heir t uit ion p aym ent s for t heir child ren t o attend ISS. Transcr ip t s
and rep or t card s are not released unt il p aym ent s are up t o d ate.
Proced ures for Em er g encies: Fire d r ills, evacuat ion and lockd ow n exercises are
car r ied out reg ular ly t hroug hout t he year accord ing t o our evacuat ion p olicy and
p roced ures.
PTA (Parent Teacher Associat ion): The p r im ar y funct ion of t he PTA is t o help
fam ilies - new com er s and ret ur ning fam ilies alike - feel p ar t of t he school com m unit y.
The PTA p rovides a for um for com m unicat ion and som e financial sup p or t by
fund raising . The PTA coord inates a wide var iet y of social event s, club s and act ivit ies
t hroug hout t he year.
Rep or t ing : ISS issues a rep or t at t he end of each sem ester June and Decem b er.
Prog ress rep or t s are issued for st udent s w ho join ISS d ur ing t he year.
How we com m unicate infor m at ion ab out your child 's lear ning ?
Ter m One:
- Parent Teacher Conference ? 10 m inute for m al conference
Ter m Tw o:
- For m al W r itten Rep or t ? end of Ter m Tw o. This rep or t consist s of achievem ent
result s in Mat hem at ics, Lang uag e, Wor k Hab it s, Specialist Sub ject s includ ing
Music, Visual Ar t s, Lang uag e St ud ies, Desig n and PSPE and com m ent s
reg ard ing t he Prog ram m e of Inq uir ies invest ig ated .
Ter m Three:
- Parent Teacher Conference ? 10 m inute for m al conference
- St udent -led Conference from ECH1 ? Year 4 . Child ren share and d iscuss t heir
p or t folio and take p ar t in lear ning act ivit ies wit h t heir p arent s.
- Exhib it ion
Ter m Four :
- For m al W r itten Rep or t ? end of Ter m Four.
- Por t folios ? ind ivid ual st udent ?s lear ning jour ney.
Req uest s for St udent Record s: Req uest s for official school transfer s, transcr ip t s
or confir m at ion of enrolm ent letter s should b e m ade t o t he Pr im ar y School
Ad m inistrat ion team . Rep or t s of academ ic achievem ent are sent t o ot her schools
only up on t he req uest by t he school.
School Mag azine: The school m ag azine is an annual record of event s, act ivit ies
and people at ISS. This is p rep ared d ur ing t he year, b ot h in d ig ital and p r int for m .
t he p r inted ver sion is d istr ib uted t o st udent s at t he end of ter m 4 .
Secur it y on Cam p us: All visit or s t o t he cam p us are req uired t o rep or t t o t he front
g ate. Parent s m ay b e asked t o p resent ident ificat ion by t he p r im ar y secur it y
g uard .
Sm oking : Please note t hat ISS is a sm oke-free cam p us. No m em b er of our
com m unit y, includ ing st udent s, facult y, staff, p arent s or visit or s, are per m itted t o
sm oke on t he school p rem ises.
Sun Safet y: All st udent s are encourag ed t o show sun safe b ehaviour by wear ing a
hat w hen out side; playing , lear ning , d ur ing PE, sp or t and on excur sions. The
school hat s are availab le from t he school unifor m shop.
Staff: ISS p r im ar y em plo ys over 50 well-q ualified and exper ienced local and exp at
teacher s, teaching assistant s and ad m inistrat ive staff.
Toilet ing It is expected t hat all child ren b e independent wit h t oilet ing on entr y
t o ISS. For m ore infor m at ion please ask for a copy of our p olicy.
Transp or tat ion: ISS offer s a hom e - school b us ser vice. W hile using t he b us
ser vice, st udent s are expected t o follow t he b us expectat ions and b ehave
ap p rop r iately. See t he p r im ar y office for b us routes, cost s and b us expectat ions.
Unifor m and Dress Code: The ISS unifor m shop, sit uated in t he ISS
ad m inistrat ion b uild ing , is open d aily from 8.0 0 am t o 4 .0 0 p m t hroug hout t he
school year.
St udent s are asked t o wear cor rect unifor m at all t im es. If inap p rop r iate
clot hing or school wear is w or n t o school, a rem inder note will b e sent hom e
t o p arent s. Please ensure all clot hing is lab eled wit h your child ?s nam e.
Unifor m Item s
Gir ls: Navy b lue shor t s/skor t s wit h b ula shir t .
Bo ys: Bula shir t wit h navy shor t s or navy sulu.
Shoes: Safe, sup p or t ive b lack, navy b lue and b row n sand als or sp or t s
r unner s and w hite socks. Foot wear is t o b e w or n out d oor s at all t im es.
Rub b er scuffs or slip -ons (includ ing jand als, flip flop s, t hong s) are not
reg arded as school unifor m .
Sp or t s Unifor m : Navy b lue sp or t sing let /shir t wit h navy b lue shor t s and
sp or t s shoes. House colour t shir t s are also availab le for p urchase.
Valuab les and Lost & Found : St udent s are asked not t o b r ing valuab les
int o school unless p ar t of a p roject or ot her piece of school-related w or k.
Under t hese circum stances, any valuab les should b e g iven t o t he school office
for safe-keeping . Unless item s are dep osited wit h t he school office, t he school
is not resp onsib le for t heir loss or t heft .
A lost and found b ox is kep t at school. We ask t hat all your child ?s ar t icles b e
clear ly lab eled wit h his/ her nam e. At specific t im es d ur ing t he school year,
any uncollected item s are sent t o t he second hand unifor m shop. Nam ed
item s are ret ur ned t o ow ner s reg ular ly.
W it hd raw al from ISS: W hen a st udent is t o b e wit hd raw n per m anent ly
from school, p arent s should infor m t he p r im ar y ad m inistrat ion in w r it ing . This
will enab le t he office t o p rep are t he st udent s leaving d ocum ent s. Before such
d ocum ent s can b e issued , a clearance for m m ust b e p rep ared and sig ned by
var ious school dep ar t m ent s. Once t he clearance p rocess is com pleted
p arent s can pick up all d ocum entat ion from t he office.
The PYP p rog ram m e is an inter nat ional cur r iculum
fram ew or k, w hich com b ines t he b est research and
p ract ice from nat ional school system s wit h t he
collect ive knowled g e and exper ience of
inter nat ional schools t o p rovide an excellent
ed ucat ional p rog ram m e for child ren ag ed 4 -12. It
p rovides an ag e-ap p rop r iate p rog ram m e for
child ren from d iver se cult ures and lang uag e
b ackg round s, and is transferab le wit hin nat ional
and inter nat ional system s. The IBPYP focuses on
t he develop m ent of t he w hole child : academ ic,
social, p hysical, em ot ional and cult ural. This is
exp ressed in t he overall aim s of t he IBPYP, out lined
in t he IB Lear ner Profile.
Curriculum
ISSLEARNEROUTCOMES/PROFILE
Acquiring the skills necessary to conduct research and construct meaning, stimulating a love of
Inquirers
learning that will be sustained throughout their lives. Demonstrate curiosity and value learning
questioning the truth and principle behind concepts.
Thinkers Exercising initiative in applying higher level thinking skills critically and creatively to make sound
decisions, to solve complex problems and to reflect on findings.
Communicators Receiving and expressing ideas and information confidently in more than one language or mode of
communication, including the language of mathematical symbols, use of computer technology and
non-verbal modes of communication. Demonstrate effective listening skills.
Courageous Approaching and analyzing unfamiliar situations with the confidence required to explore new roles,
ideas and strategies. Showing the courage and commitment to articulate and defend their beliefs.
Knowledgeable Exploring themes which have global and local relevance and importance, in order to acquire a critical
mass of knowledge and skills in a range of subject areas.
Principled Having a sound grasp of principles of moral reasoning. Displaying integrity, honesty and a sense of
fairness and justice. Advocacy for those unable to speak for themselves and just causes.
Caring Showing sensitivity towards the needs and the feelings of others. Displaying self-respect, self-esteem
and being enthusiastically involved in the community. Developing the skills and knowledge and
compassion to empower others and serve the community.
Open-minded Respecting the views, values and traditions of others. Seeking and considering a range of perspectives
with sensitivity and tolerance.
Balanced Understanding the importance of physical, spiritual and mental balance and personal well-being.
Taking action through participating in a wide of cross-cultural activities including arts and sort.
Reflective Giving thoughtful consideration to learning and analyzing personal strengths and weaknesses in a
constructive manner.
Visionary Picturing different directions, assessing how to move forward using judgment and foresight, wisdom,
integrity and perseverance. Knowing when to be a participant or a spectator.
The IB lear ner p rofile rep resent s ten attr ib utes valued by IB Wor ld Schools. We b elieve t hese attr ib utes, and
ot her s like t hem , can help ind ivid uals and g roup s b ecom e resp onsib le m em b er s of local, nat ional and g lob al
com m unit ies. (IB, 20 13)
ISS has included anot her, Visionar y as p ar t of our school wide lear ner out com es.
Our Curriculum
The Lear ner Profile
The Lear ner Profile is central t o t he w or k of t he Inter nat ional Baccalaureate at ISS.
The aim of all IB p rog ram m es is t o develop inter nat ionally m inded people w ho,
recog nizing t heir com m on hum anit y and shared g uard ianship of t he planet help t o
create a b etter and m ore peaceful w or ld . IB lear ner s str ive t o b e Inq uirer s,
knowled g eab le, Thinker s, Com m unicat or s, Pr incipled , Open-m inded , Courag eous,
Car ing , Balanced and Reflect ive.
Op t ions Prog ram : St udent s are g rouped across year levels and are exp osed
t o a var iet y of lear ning op p or t unit ies focused on Science, Technolog y,
Eng ineer ing , Ar t s and Mat hem at ics, lear n d ifferent sp or t s and have t he t im e t o
inq uire deeper int o t heir ow n p assions and q uest ions.
Lear ning Sup p or t : If you have any q uest ions, com m ent s or
concer ns ab out your child ?s lear ning in school, m eet wit h your
child ?s class teacher fir st . If necessar y, a refer ral can b e m ade for
him / her t o t he Lear ning Sup p or t Team . They will ob ser ve your child
in class and m ay car r y out var ious t ypes of assessm ent . They m ay
m od ify your child ?s classroom p rog ram m e wit h t he class teacher
and offer extra sup p or t wit hin t he classroom . They will also m ake
recom m end at ions for w ays in w hich p arent s can assist at hom e or
req uest an exter nal assessm ent . All exter nal assessm ent s are
expected t o b e shared wit h t he school.
ESL (Eng lish as a Second Lang uag e): ESL sup p or t is p rovided
from Year 1 ? Year 5. The ESL p rog ram teaches Eng lish t o
non-nat ive speaker s in an academ ic sett ing . The ESL/ Lear ning
Sup p or t case m anag er s for t hat year level sup p or t classroom
teacher s and help ESL lear ner s acq uire t he lang uag e skills of
listening , speaking , read ing and w r it ing in Eng lish. Lear ning an
ad d it ional lang uag e g enerally follow s t he p atter n of lear ning a fir st
lang uag e. Conver sat ional Eng lish is m ost often lear ned q uite
rapid ly an enab les st udent s t o com m unicate wit h t heir peer s and
b ecom e act ive p ar t icip ant s in t he social environm ent of school.
Research ind icates, however, t hat it m ay take up t o five t o seven
year s for non-nat ive speaker s t o develop t he academ ic aspect s of
t he lang uag e t o t he sam e stand ard as nat ive speaker s. ESL
st udent s m ay receive sup p or t t o b eg in wit h as intensive Eng lish
wit hd raw n and /or t hroug h in-class sessions.
Counselor : he p r im ar y school has a counselor t o sup p or t t he
deliver y of t he PSPE cur r iculum . The counselor will also assist
child ren w ho m ay b e dealing wit h ot her em ot ional stresses or
str ug g les as needed .
Transit ion: Most fam ilies find t hat living ab road is enr iching and
t he ad vent ure t hey had hoped for. However, t he up heaval of m oving
t o a new countr y usually involves a per iod of stress. Fir st , fam ilies
m ove aw ay from estab lished rout ines, relat ives and fr iend s.
Second , it is t ypical t o exper ience cult ure shock. The fam ily need s
t o b e under stand ing and sup p or t ive of each ot her in t he fir st
m ont hs. Each Pr im ar y School staff m em b er is aw are of t he
challeng es fam ilies face w hile m aking cross cult ural m oves.
Transit ion ed ucat ion is p ar t of t he p rog ram m e and sup p or t s
child ren in t heir sett ling and ad just m ent .
School Lib rar y: The school lib rar y is a vital resource for t he
w hole school. The ISS Lib rar y is a center for research,
lear ning and recreat ional read ing . The lib rar y houses a
collect ion of m ater ials in var ious for m at s such as b ooks,
per iod icals, e-b ooks, aud io b ooks, and DVDs. Som e m ater ials
are availab le in ot her lang uag es. Pr im ar y School st udent s
m ay use t he lib rar y b efore or after school if super vised by a
p arent or careg iver. Teacher s b or row b ook set s from t he
lib rar y for classroom use on a reg ular b asis. Child ren are
taken t o t he lib rar y and involved wit h a lib rar y lesson each
week, in order t o p rovide access t o lib rar y b ooks and ot her
resources. The lib rar y is also open at lunch t im es and b efore
and after school for casual use and renew al of b ooks issued .
Parent s m ay also visit t he lib rar y and b or row b ooks using
t heir child ren?s account s. Please check t he ISS web site for
lib rar y hour s.