international school abu dhabi - parent handbook 2019-2020 · 2020-02-17 · amity international...

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Amity International School, Al Bahya, Abu Dhabi. T: +971 2 503 9000 [email protected] www.amityabudhabi.com

PARENT HANDBOOK

2019-2020

Updated by:

Parent Relations Executive

Ignazia Pili

January 2019

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.amityabudhabi.com/

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Welcome from the Principal

Dear Parents,

It is with great pleasure that I extend a very warm welcome to you and your

family to Amity International School.

Amity is an extraordinary school. We are blessed with a world-class campus

and state-of-the art, unique facilities that cater for the varied intellectual,

artistic and sporting talents of our diverse student community. However,

great schools are the product of not only their facilities, but the quality of the

relationships that exist within them. Amity students benefit from a rich

collaboration of parents, staff and peers from all around the world. By

embracing the opportunity to foster an environment of tolerance and

empathy, our school is home to a diverse community that inspires teachers

and students alike, to strive for excellence.

This excellence is apparent in all areas. Our dedicated and talented team of

teachers and tutors ensure our students are active, curious and that they

strive for academic, creative and physical distinction, taking advantage of the vast range of opportunities

available.

The importance of individual happiness is core to the school's ethos. By ensuring that our pastoral

programmes are robust and effective, we cultivate a strong school community that cares not only for each

other, but also for the community of Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the world beyond.

The National Curriculum of England, which is taught in all years, is complemented by an extensive

programme of co-curricular activities that develop skills such as leadership, creativity, critical thinking and

entrepreneurship. A student leaves Amity not only literate, articulate and numerate but in posses sion of skills

and character attributes that will afford them success in their future professional and personal lives as global

citizens in the mid-twenty-first century.

In the same way that we encourage our students to look to their future, Amity looks to continually build upon

each success through innovation and expansion of its academic and co-curricular provision. However, it

remains true to its founding values; the celebration of diversity, the inspiration of excellence, the benefits of

collaboration and the importance of togetherness.

I feel honoured to have this wonderful opportunity of working with you and developing a relationship that

will support the growth of your children. I feel confident that your sons and daughters will experience the

warmth, ambition, and strong sense of community that Amity has become renowned for.

Adrian Frost MA (oxon)

Principal



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Amity Core Values and Aims

Amity International School provides an engaging and challenging learning environment where students are

encouraged to excel intellectually, academically and socially. We nurture our students’ natural desires to learn with

a personalised educational programme, project-based learning and guided enquiry. These promote the development

of independent thinking, critical analysis, emotional intelligence and essential communication skills.

Our values guide our behaviour in building a successful community. We believe in:

Celebrating Diversity: We understand we are all different whilst recognising we are all the same.

Inspiring Excellence: We encourage each other to have high standards and be the best we can be.

Growing Together: We know when we all work together we achieve beyond our expectations.

Creating Collaboration: We inspire each other towards efficiently achieving a common goal.

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Value Education

We follow a values-based approach to learning, which seeks to promote an educational philosophy based on

valuing self, others and the environment. This system, developed by Dr Neil Hawkes, encourages adults to model

values and then give time for reflective practice that empowers our pupils to be effective learners and good

citizens. It helps children to develop holistically, nurturing a secure sense of self, respect for self and others and

supports the raising of academic standards.

Each month the whole school community works on a key value together. Staff will praise the children who follow

these values and encourage those who need support to reach their value goals.



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School Rules and Procedures

1. Attendance

Attendance is important to support your child’s learning. We appreciate you working with us to make sure pupils

attend throughout the term. School holidays are generous, and we appreciate you trying to arrange holiday and

other commitments outside of term times. ADEK guidelines state that children should attend school for a minimum

of 96% of the academic year. Should your child’s attendance fall below this level, the School Administrator will

contact you to discuss any concerns. This is in line with our Attendance Policy (available from our website).

As per our Attendance Policy (and ADEK guidelines), the following absences may be deemed ‘authorised’ when

confirmed by a signed letter from Parents/Guardians or by way of official documents:

Authorised Absences Unauthorised Absences

Illness.

Death of first or second degree relative.

Scheduled doctor appointments.

Official community task.

Mandatory appearance before an official body.

Essential urgent family travel for matters such as

medical treatment or the death of a family member.

Personal reasons agreed with the Heads of School

Shopping trips.

Unnecessary travel.

Other types of absences not included in the

authorised absences list.

How to communicate that your child is absent

a) Unplanned absence: please email Reception by 7.30am. Please make sure you include your child’s name

and class in your email, and provide the reason for their absence. Authorisation will be dependent on the

reason provided. If we do not receive any communication from you, the absence will be marked as

‘unexplained’ and you will be contacted by our staff. If your child is ill, please inform Reception on each

day of absence and forward any sick notes from a doctor/clinic.

FS Reception Main Reception

02 503 9011 02 503 9035

[email protected] [email protected]

b) Planned absence: parents are requested to complete the Request for Absence form. Your request will be

reviewed by the school Administrator and the Heads of School for authorisation.

School Holidays

Holidays are published on the school website. A copy of the school calendar is provided on the last page of this

handbook. Please note: dates are subject to change by ADEK and religious holidays are subject to moon sightings.





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2. School timings

3. Late arrivals

Late arrivals affect your child’s learning and the class school day. We therefore ask parents to ensure these are

limited to the minimum. If your child is late arriving at school (7.40am for Secondary children and 7.55am for

Primary and FS children), they must report to the relevant Reception area where they will be handed a late card.

This is to make sure the school registers are updated accordingly.

Please note: the Administrator will monitor punctuality and contact parents if your children are frequently late.

4. Early pickup

Early pickups affect your child’s learning and the class school day. We understand that sometimes an early pickup

is necessary, but we ask parents to keep disruptions of the school day to a minimum. If, in exceptional

circumstances, you need to pick up your child early, please contact the relevant Reception to complete the Early

Pickup Form (to be submitted to the security guard on your way out). While learning is in progress, parents are not

allowed to access the corridors, so a member of staff will collect your child from class while you wait in

Reception. We therefore ask parents to allow enough time as this procedure may take time.

Please note: early pickup will be monitored and parents will be contacted if this happens frequently.

5. Late collection

Please ensure your child is collected promptly at the end of the school day. If, in exceptional and unexpected

circumstances, you are delayed, please inform the relevant Reception. The Reception team will then coordinate

with the academic staff and make sure your child is aware of what is happening. Children can become distressed

when their parents are late and we appreciate your cooperation in trying to avoid being late. The School

Administrator will monitor punctuality and contact parents when there is a pattern of lateness in picking up.

Please note: if one of your children is attending an after school activity, please make sure the siblings are picked

up on time at the end of the school day. Before and after school times it is the parents’ or guardian’s responsibility

to supervise children in school.

6. Collection by a different adult

If, for any reason, your child needs to be collected from school by a different adult (who is not a designated person

with an ID badge), please email the school Reception and provide the name of the person who will be collecting.

Before collecting your child, the new person will need to visit the School Reception and provide their ID to prove

their identity. This is to ensure the safety of all children.

FS

(Nursery & Reception)

Primary

(Y1-Y6)

Secondary

(Y7-Y9)

Gates Open 7.30am 7.30am 7.30am

Registration 7.50am 7.50am 7.40am

National Anthem 7.53am 7.53am 7.53am

Classes Start 8.00am 8.00am 8.00am

Finish (Sun - Thu) 2.45pm (optional 1.30pm) 3.00pm 3.00pm



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7. Transportation

Velocity School Bus Transportation are the school bus providers. If you wish your child to travel on the school

bus, please contact the Bus Supervisor on 02 5039031 or email [email protected]. Arrangements and bus

payments should be made directly to the bus company. Velocity School Bus Transportation have a desk situated on

the first floor, next to the Uniform Shop, and parents are welcome to visit the desk at any time throughout the

school day.

We encourage good behaviour from our students at school and on the school bus. Bus behaviour reports are kept

by our School Administrator and any persistent, unacceptable behaviour will result in your child not being allowed

to travel on the school bus.

PLEASE NOTE: Parents of bus users are required to notify the school by 2.00pm, whenever their children are not

taking the return bus home after school. This is to allow enough time to inform all relevant staff and coordinate

accordingly. This notification should be sent to [email protected]. Thank you for your support with

this important matter.

8. School fees and payments

Tuition fees and any other school payments can be made through the Skiply App, bank transfer or directly to the

Cashier’s office in the main Reception. Any finance questions should be directed to [email protected].

If you have a child enrolled at Amity, siblings will receive priority for admission to the school as well as a 5%

discount on school fees. Our school fees are published here on our website.

9. School photographs

Professional photographers will take photos of the children once a year. These photos will be available for parents

to purchase. We also have our own photographers, who will take pictures of activities and events during the year.

Those pictures may be shared on our newsletters or social media channels, or used to create promotional material.

If you do not wish to grant permission for that, please complete the form on this link.

10. Concerns, complaints and suggestions

Our Complaints Policy (available on our website), gives details of our structured approach when dealing with

complaints. If you have any queries, comments or suggestions, please contact our Parent Relations Executive -

[email protected] .

11. Leaving Amity

Should you wish to withdraw your child from Amity, please contact the Parent Relations Executive. You will be

required to complete a withdrawal and clearance form before a Transfer Certificate can be issued.

Email: [email protected] .

12. Hire of facilities

Our facilities are available for private hire. Please contact [email protected] for more information.






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Uniform

It is an important part of school life that children wear the school uniform as per the school policy. There should

not be deviations in style or colours. Winter uniform includes either an Amity jumper or light jacket. Girls can

wear tights but they must be blue or white with no patterns. The Uniform Policy is available on our website.

Uniform items can also be purchased online from the ONLINE UNIFORM STORE. Alternatively, the uniform

can be purchased from the official Uniform Shop, located on the first floor above the main school Reception, next

to the auditorium. Hours of opening are 7.30am – 4.00pm, Saturday to Thursday. Payments can be cash or card.

Footware

Whilst footwear may be purchased elsewhere, this should be black, school shoes rather than trainers or sports

shoes. If your child does not wear the correct uniform, a note will be sent home by the class teacher. There is

some flexibility in the Primary School as to the style of shoe, however, in the Secondary School, shoes should

have a polishable finish.

Art Aprons

Children are encouraged to wear an Amity apron for art activities which can be purchased from the Uniform

Shop. Alternatively, an old shirt or apron from home may be used. These can be stored at school.

Bags

We request that children do not use trolley bags as they can cause accidents. Book bags must be provided to

prevent books (library and reading books) being damaged and/or lost. Amity book bags are available from the

Uniform Shop.

Hats

A school hat must be brought to school every day to allow the children to play safely in the sun. We have a ‘NO

hat, NO play’ policy. If children do not bring hats, they will not be allowed to play outside; children with no

hats must remain in the shade.

1. Dress up/theme days

To encourage and inspire learning, we often hold theme days, which enhance children’s learning and bring the

topic to life. You will be advised of ‘dress up’ days at the beginning of each term.

2. Spare clothes

Children in Foundation Stage are required to keep a spare set of clothes in school for any toileting accidents or if

they get wet or messy during play. These should be clearly labelled with their names.

3. Dress code for Parents

Parents should be respectful of our host country and refrain from wearing revealing clothes or tight fitting gym

clothes. Always keep shoulders and knees covered on the school premises.



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Communication

1. Class Dojo

Class Dojo is the primary form of communication between home and school. This is an online resource used to

share class and whole school information. On Class Dojo, teachers share information regarding your child’s life in

the classroom, and the Administration Team share letters, reminders, forms and other types of information. To

access Class Dojo you will require a user name and password, which is provided by the class teacher. You can use

Class Dojo on your PC or download the app on your mobile phone or tablet.

FS and Primary Secondary

Teachers in FS and Primary can also award Class Dojo

points for good behaviour, kind manners or excellent

work.

Each week, you will receive details of what topics your

child has covered that week and what is coming up in

the week ahead. Star of the Week is also mentioned on

Class Dojo each week. Parents and teachers are able to

exchange messages on Class Dojo Messanger,

however, for important communications (absence, late

arrival or pick-up arrangements) please email your

child’s teacher and Reception.

Due to the different structure of the Secondary

School, the Dojo messanger is not used in

Secondary. Please email your child's tutor if you

need to communicate with him/her about your child.

2. Contacting teachers/tutors

FS and Primary Secondary

If you need to contact your child’s teacher you can

either email them or message them on Class Dojo

(please be reminded that any communication regarding

absence, late arrival and early pickup should be sent via

email, not via Class Dojo messaging).

Secondary children have communication books

where you can write messages for your child’s tutor.

Alternatively, you can email your child’s tutor any

time.

Teachers and tutors will endeavour to reply to emails within 24 hours. Please understand that during class time

they are teaching and do not always have access to emails. In the case of an urgent matter please contact Reception

and they will take a message to pass onto the relevant staff.

3. Email

The school might also send out emails so we kindly ask you to check your account daily.



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4. Newsletter

The school newsletter is emailed to parents every week. There is a separate newsletter for Foundation Stage,

Primary and Secondary and each of them contains a link to the other two, so you can be informed of what happens

in all sections of the school. The newsletters contain curriculum and operational updates, achievements and

important diary dates.

5. Parent Teacher Consultations (PTCs) and Reports

Primary School

Our aim is to work in partnership with parents and therefore we operate an ‘open-door policy’, where parents are

able to see teachers for brief meetings at the beginning and end of each day. In addition, should either parents or

teachers have any concerns, meetings can be requested by either party, and scheduled on a required basis at any

time throughout the term.

We also host termly Parent / Teacher and Pupil Consultations. Our rationale for including pupils in these meetings

is that all research and evidence shows that, where children have ownership of their learning, they make greater

progress. Our communication and reporting plan has therefore been revised and will now follow the process

outlined below:

Term 1: Parent, pupil and teacher settling in and attainment discussions

Term 2: Teacher and pupil progress meetings and target setting followed by parent, teacher and pupil

meetings

Term 3: Teacher and pupil progress meetings and target setting followed by pupil-led conferencing with

Parents;

End of Year full written report

Secondary School

Interim reports are issued during Term 1 and Term 2 which give an overview of performance and effort. At the end

of Term 3, a full written report is issued showing academic progress and effort.

PTCs also take place during the academic year. This is an opportunity for teachers to update you on your child’s

academic and social progress. We do have an ‘open-door policy’ so, if you have any concerns at any time, please

speak to or email your child’s class teacher/tutor, who will be happy to update you or arrange a meeting with you.

6. Social Media

Facebook is updated regularly with events and photographs. Please visit: www.facebook.com/amityabudhabi.



http://www.facebook.com/amityabudhabi

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Community and School Life

1. House system

Students are allocated into Houses when they join Amity: Red, Black, White or Green (correlating to the UAE

flag). House Captains and Vice Captains are student representatives in the school and take part in various activities

supporting the younger children (such as Sports Day) and supporting teachers during school events.

2. Ambassadors

Children in Year 5 and above are encouraged to become School Ambassadors. This may be for an area of personal

interest or an area of school life they would like to be responsible for. Ambassador roles include Friendship,

Library, Environment, Safety, Innovation, Sport, Community and others.

3. Assemblies

Assemblies are an important part of school life. They are an opportunity to celebrate values, Personal, Social,

Health and Citizen Education (PSHCE), to recognise special achievements and give rewards. Parents are invited to

attend their children’s Special Assemblies.

4. Behaviour management and bullying

At Amity, we believe good behaviour is essential to create an effective learning environment. Good behaviour can

be taught by direct and intentional teaching of positive behaviour, integrated throughout the curriculum, as part of

an overall objective to raise the quality of teaching and learning. To reinforce this, we use our Golden Rules,

developed for each Key Stage, as well as our Amity behaviour chart.

Bullying is not tolerated within the school. If you have any concerns that your child is being bullied please do not

hesitate to speak to your class teacher or Head of School.

5. Phones/Electronics

Primary Secondary

Students are not permitted to use mobile phones

and electronic devices in school. If there is any

reason that a device is brought into school, the class

teacher must be informed. The school can accept no

responsibility for loss or damage of students’

personal devices on the school premises.

Students are permitted to bring a mobile device to

school. However, they are not allowed to use them

on site for any reason without staff permission. It is

expected that the phone will be locked in the

child’s locker for the duration of the day. If this

privilege is abused, the phone will be confiscated

until the end of the day and it may result in this

facility being denied altogether. Secondary students

also use laptop computers as part of our Bring Your

Own Device programme, to support teaching and

learning in school.



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Parental engagement

We have many activities throughout the year where parents can come into school and celebrate events with their

children. National Day Celebration and International Day are big events in the AIS calendar, as are Special

Assemblies, Sports Day, Coffee Mornings and Open Days.

1. Class Representatives

All classes have one or two parents who coordinate communication between the class teacher, the school and the

parents. Class Representatives may organise coffee mornings or play dates. Many have WhatsApp groups to

facilitate communication. Class Representatives play an important role in enhancing school communication and

helping new families to feel welcome. We respectfully ask that, should you have any cause for concern regarding

school matters or a student in school, please direct this to the Parent Relations Executive, and not discuss in an

open forum. We wish all our families and students to feel welcome and part of the Amity family and understand

upset can be caused unduly by inappropriate or negative comments.

2. Coffee Mornings

As part of the Amity community we have regular coffee mornings where parents can chat with other parents and

staff members informally.

3. Friends of Amity (Parent Teacher Association)

Friends of Amity is a group of parents who support the school community and organise a wide range of events

throughout the school year. If you would like to offer your support at any of the events please contact

[email protected] .

4. The School Café

The café in the lobby of our main Reception is open for parents to purchase refreshments and light snacks during

school hours. Timings: 7:30am to 4:00pm.




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Health and Safety

1. Healthy Eating

We encourage children to eat a healthy balanced diet. High sugar foods such as chocolate, sweets and fizzy drinks

are not permitted. As part of the curriculum, we educate children about healthy eating options and the benefits of

staying fit and healthy. Please do not send doughnuts, cakes or chocolates into school as celebratory gifts, as they

will be returned. Instead, please provide healthy fruits and snacks. Please see our Healthy Eating Policy for more

details.

Birthdays

We encourage birthday celebrations by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ with the class. If you wish to send in anything

for children to eat it must be healthy: a fruit display or fruit kebabs are suggested. You may also send in a favourite

story for the class teacher to read to the class or buy party bags for the class. Party bags can contain a small toy or

gift, but no sweets, chocolate or cakes.

During the whole year, we make an exception to this important rule during the following three school events:

National Day celebration, International Day and end of year class parties. Thank you for helping us teach our

children the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

2. Nuts and pork

We have a strict NO NUT policy in the school. Nuts or products containing nuts (including Nutella) are strictly

prohibited. Any food products containing nuts will be confiscated and disposed of.

Pork and pork products are not allowed on school site.

3. Allergies

When a child joins Amity, parents are required to complete a medical form to inform us of any allergic reactions

your child may have. All reported allergies are added to the school medical register. You can check or update your

child’s information at any time by contacting our clinic at [email protected].

4. Lunchtime

Children may choose to bring a healthy packed lunch to school or purchase healthy lunches from the school

canteen. A cashless system is used where parents have the option to preorder meals online or, alternatively. top up

their children’s RFID card so they can order in the canteen each day. Please contact Keita on 055 5893186 or

[email protected] for any further assistance.

5. School Clinic

The school clinic has three fully qualified, HAAD registered nurses. If your child visits the nurse, you will be

notified in writing. If your child has a head bump, temperature over 37.5℃, diarrhoea, vomiting, head lice,

suspected communicable diseases or any serious injury, the nurse will inform you. In the event that no contact is

made, you will be emailed with details of the injury/illness.





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6. Immunisation

You are required to provide the school an up-to-date list of your child’s vaccinations. The school will offer

vaccinations yearly, in line with the UAE schedule for immunisation. You will be informed of the vaccination

schedule and you will be required to complete a consent form before any vaccinations are given to your child.

7. Medical Consent Form

When your child joins the school, you are required to complete a consent form to allow medication, such as

Panadol, to be given to your child. This consent will be held for the duration of your child’s attendance at Amity.

Please inform the school immediately if there are any changes to your child’s medical requirements.

8. Sunscreen and hydration

Staff are not permitted to apply sunscreen to your child. It is recommended that you apply long lasting sunscreen

before school. Alternatively, you may send sunscreen to school, clearly labelled with your child’s name, which

your child must be able to apply independently.

Children should bring a water bottle to school EVERY day, and this should be labelled with their name.

Throughout the day children can access water fountains to refill their bottles.

9. Parent ID Badge

Parents are required to wear a Parent ID badge (with a blue lanyard) whenever they are on the school premises.

This is to ensure the safety and security of the children, parents and staff. Parent ID badges are supplied by the

school when you join Amity. To request your Parent ID badge, please complete the relevant form on this link.

ID badges can be provided for parents/guardians and/or nanny or driver. Two badges are provided for free, any

extra will be charged AED 25. Any parents not in possession of a Parent ID badge, will be asked to sign in at the

gate. Please email [email protected] with any queries.



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Wellbeing

1. Child Protection All children have a right to be safe, protected from abuse and able to flourish in their learning. Our prime concern

is the interests and safety of the children. All staff have a pastoral duty towards children. Due to our day-to-day

contact with individual children, we are well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour or

failure to develop.

Working in the child protection team are:

The School Counsellor, Sharlane Scheepers

The Child Protection Officers: Mohammed Awwad, Lynne Thompson, Rainier Maquilan

The School Heads: Adrian Frost, Jo Vigneron and Julie Engles,.

They work together to support our students and keep them safe.

School Counsellor Our School Counsellor offers support to children temporarily or in the longer term. A child can be referred for

counselling by a teacher or a parent. If you feel this is something that may benefit your child, please speak to your

child’s class teacher or the counsellor: [email protected] .

Pastoral Support

The following members of staff are responsible for Pastoral Support across the school:

Primary School: Lynne Thompson

Years 7&8: Peter Miller

Years 9&10: Jonathan Sheppard-Burgess




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Learning

1. Equipment and text books

All stationery, paper and books are provided by the school. From Year 3 upwards, if children choose to, they may

bring a small pencil case no larger than 10 x 20cm. We do not use text books, except in Arabic and some Secondary subjects. There are no additional charges for any

books we use.

2. Digital Learning in Secondary

In the Secondary School, students bring their own device to access resources and materials, and ultimately

augment the learning experience. Here is an outline of how a students’ usage of digital learning will evolve as they

progress through the Secondary School:

Year Groups Recommended Devices Usage

Years 7&8

A laptop capable of running

Microsoft 365 apps

(this software is provided by

the school).

Students will use their device mainly as a tool for finding and

receiving information, with the primary method of recording

and presenting information being handwritten notes in a book.

Assignments on MS Teams will be used by staff and students

to manage homework in a range of subjects.

Years 9-11 It is recommended that they

also have a stylus and

touchscreen as this increases

the possibilities of Microsoft

Teams and One Note and a

range of other software.

Heads of Department and individual teachers will select an

appropriate balance between handwritten and digital notes.

Students will use their devices to research, record information

and collaborate with their teachers and peers; the primary

Learning Management Systems used will be Microsoft Teams

and Century Technology. Digital literacy exercises will be

embedded within subjects in Years 9, 10 and 11. Assignments

on Microsoft Teams will be used by all staff and students to

manage homework in a range of subjects.

NB: If you own a laptop that does not match the above criteria – such as a MacBook Pro – your child is likely

to be able to work around the lack of a stylus. It is suggested that they try it for their first term.

Years 12-13

Laptop with stylus and

touchscreen.

When the students reach the Sixth Form they will have a high

degree of autonomy in how they choose to record their notes.

Teachers are likely to disseminate information using Microsoft

Teams, though it may be advisable for your child to check with

their subject teachers if you plan to buy a new device.



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Please find below the minimum requirements for your child’s device:

Windows PC Laptop (Dell, Asus, Acer, Lenovo)

Processor: Intel Core ™ i5 or better

Operating System: Windows 10

Memory: Minimum 8GB DDR3 RAM

Hard Drive: 500GB standard HDD or 256GB SSD

Wireless LAN card

Bluetooth optional

Ports, slots & chassis: 2 or more USB 2.0 / 3.0 slots.

Dimensions: 11-15 inch screen

3. Homework

We believe parents have a particularly valuable contribution to make in regards to homework. We hope parents

will support the school by making it clear to their children that they value homework, explaining how it can help

children progress at school. Positive comments motivate and help children. Parents should see their child’s teacher

if they have any problems with children completing homework. When your child has completed their homework,

please sign the end of their work to indicate you have seen it.

In the Primary School, homework is encouraged but not mandatory.

4. Library

Library sessions are held weekly with our School Librarian. Children will take part in a reading activity and will be

allowed to borrow a book from the library, to be returned the following week. Books should be cared for, kept in

the child’s book bag and brought back to school on library days, so that a new book can be issued.

5. Timetable A specialist timetable is issued at the beginning of the academic year to inform parents of P.E./swimming etc.

Please note that there will be occasions where it is necessary to deviate from the timetable and occasionally we

may need to make changes.

6. Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs)

At Amity, children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of co-curricular activities. These activities offer our

students the opportunity to experience new areas of learning. Children choose the activities with their parents at the

beginning of each term. This is done through an online platform called SOCS. All parents are provided with log in

details for SOCS by the Co-Curricular Department: Head of Co-Curricular and Co-Curricular Assistant.

Activities are offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. A certain number of activities are offered free of charge

by the school academic staff, while others are provided by external companies and incur a cost.

To facilitate participation to our Co-Curricular programme, the school provides bus transportation after CCAs. If

you have any enquiries regarding our CCA programme, please contact the Co-Curricular Assistant at

[email protected]. For any questions regarding bus transportation after CCAs, please contact the bus

company at [email protected].





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7. Physical Education

Physical Education is part of the curriculum and all children are required to take part unless there is a medical

reason for them to be excluded. The PE kit should be worn in line with the School Uniform Policy.

Nursery – Year 4 children should wear their PE kit to school for PE and swimming days, and will remain in their

PE kit for the full day. Children in Year 5 and above will be asked to change into PE kit for their lesson.

Separation of boys & girls

From Year 6 onwards, boys and girls are separated for PE and swimming lessons.

Swimming Watersports

Swimming is part of the PE curriculum and, as such, all

children are required to take part in swimming lessons,

unless there is a medical reason for them to be

excluded. Swimming attire should be in line with

School Uniform Policy and swim hats must be worn by

boys and girls. Students also need to bring goggles, a

comb, flip-flops and a towel. Changing rooms are

separate for boys and girls and there are individual

cubicles for children to get changed.

Children from Year 3 and above receive basic sailing

and kayaking theory and practice tuition as part of the

curriculum. Should children choose to further extend

their proficiency, watersports are also offered as a Co-

Curricular Activity (CCA).

Our Watersports Academy also offers several activities

that are open to the Amity Parents. Discounted fees are

available to Amity parents who wish to take part in our

watersports activities programme. For more

information, please contact the Watersports Academy

Director,

Mr Timothy Smith: [email protected].

Jewellery For safety reasons, wearing jewellery is not allowed during PE or swimming lessons. If a child is unable to remove

his/her jewellery by him/herself, earrings and bracelets must be kept at home on PE and swimming days. Only stud

earrings are allowed, as long as they don’t cause any hazard. Should you have any queries regarding this, please

contact Coach Mohammed on [email protected] .

8. Other educational experiences

Trips

All year groups (aside from Nursery classes) take part in at least one educational trip per year. All trips are subject

to ADEK approval. You will be required to complete a consent form to allow your child to attend trips.

Shows/Productions

Children take part in productions throughout the year, where parents are invited to watch. This may be linked to a

curriculum topic, a musical production or a play.

9. The Inclusion Team

We are an inclusive school and offer Special Educational Needs provision within our Inclusion Team. Please

contact the Inclusion Manager if you have any questions or concerns: [email protected].





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10. Star of the Week In FS and Primary, a ‘Star Of The Week’ certificate is presented to one child in each class who may have

demonstrated exemplary behaviour, worked hard on a specific piece of work, adhered to the values of the school,

made progress in a subject or gone above and beyond in some way.

Acronyms

ADEK Department of Education and Knowledge

CCA Co-curricular Activities

EAL English as an Additional Language

FS Foundation Stage

HAAD Health Authority – Abu Dhabi

ICT Information Communication Technology

KS Key Stage

MFL Modern Foreign Language

PSHCE Personal, Social, Health and Citizen Education

PTCs Parent Teacher Consultations



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Staff Contact Details

Middle Leadership Team

Bobby O'Connor Deputy Head - Primary [email protected]

Donna Walsh Assistant Head Primary (Y1&Y2) [email protected]

Ellen Smith Assistant Head - FS [email protected]

Jennifer Connell

Assistant Head Secondary –

Director of Scholarships, Careers

and Academic Enrichment

[email protected]

Jennifer Upsall Head of EAL Secondary [email protected]

Jonathan Sheppard-Burgess Assistant Head Secondary

(Y9&Y10) – Director of Sports [email protected]

Melissa Day Assistant Head Primary (Y3-Y6) [email protected]

Nikki Upsall Deputy Head - Secondary [email protected]

Peter Miller Assistant Head of Secondary –

(Y7&Y8) [email protected]

Siobhan Pearce Head of Inclusion [email protected]

Sophie Crosby Deputy Head - FS [email protected]

Specialist Academic Staff

Alison Messum Librarian [email protected]

Alpa Dabasia Director of Studies [email protected]

Amany Taman Head of Arabic [email protected]

Mohammed Awwad Head of PE [email protected]

Gaynor Graves Head of Music [email protected]

Gavin Warke Head of MFL [email protected]

Jamila Osman Head of Computing & Digital

Learning [email protected]

Jennifer Clarke Head of Performing Arts Teacher [email protected]

Jonathan Sheppard-Burgess Director of Sports [email protected]

Matthew Worth Head of Support & Study Skills [email protected]

Scott Walsh Assistant Head Co-Curricular [email protected]

Sharlane Scheepers Lead School Counsellor [email protected].

Timothy Smith Sailing Director/Chief Instructor [email protected]

Senior Leadership Team

Adrian Frost Principal [email protected]

Charlie Carter Head of Secondary [email protected]

Jo Vigneron Vice Principal/ Head of Primary [email protected]

Julie Engles Head of Foundation Stage [email protected]

Lynne Thompson Sr. Deputy Head - Primary [email protected]



























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Administrative Team

Emma Rudge Co-Curricular Assistant [email protected]

Cielo Tibig Nurse [email protected]

Ignazia Pili Parent Relation Executive [email protected]

John Valentin PA to Vice Principal [email protected]

Julia Guardiola Receptionist [email protected]

Katrina San Juan PA to Principal [email protected]

Lea Sering Cashier [email protected]

Misa Lablache Receptionist [email protected]

Nada Niaj School Administrator [email protected]

Rainier Maquilan Nurse [email protected]

Rashid Vayalli Accounts Executive [email protected]

Senareet Aljboor Assistant Registrar [email protected]

Zeina Younis Receptionist [email protected]

Administrative Leadership Team

Abdul Raheem Head of Operations [email protected]

Ashwaq Abdullah Gov Relations Exec (GRE) [email protected]

Naomie Etheridge Registrar [email protected]

Renju Thomas Accounts Manager [email protected]

Samantha Watson Head of Business Development,

Marketing & Admissions [email protected]





















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SCHOOL CALENDAR 2019-20

The school calendar is available on the school website:

http://www.aisadcalendar.com/week.aspx?ID=29393

From this page, parents can view all activities and events and filter by category.

Below is our main school calendar, as per ADEK approval.



http://www.aisadcalendar.com/week.aspx?ID=29393

international school abu dhabi - parent handbook 2019-2020 · 2020-02-17 · amity international...

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