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ISK Parent Handbook

201617

Last updated: August, 2016 Page | 1

School Contact Details

International School of Koje 98 Segandogil, Okpo1Dong, Geojesi, Gyeongsangnamdo, Republic of Korea Tel: +82 55 687 5000 Fax: +82 55 687 3306 Website: www.iskoje.org Email: [email protected]

Contents

1. ISK Structure and Staff P. 3

2. Curriculum P. 9

3. General Information P. 16

4. Behaviour Issues P. 23

5. After School Activities P.24


http://www.iskoje.org/

mailto:[email protected]

1. ISK Structure and Staff

ISK Mission:

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 young people are we aiming to develop?’ 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 Structure

ISK consists of an Infant School, Junior School and Middle School with a total of 23 classes between them. The

division into three distinct sections with a Head for each section is a new development for 201617. We believe

this will support continued improvements in learning, in school organisation and communication.

● Infant School: Foundation to Year 2 Head of Infant School, Mr Dan Slevin

● Junior School: Year 3 to Year 6 Head of Junior School, Ms Diane Williams

● Middle School: Year 7 to Year 9 Head of Middle School, Mr Paul Boland


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

same age as Grade 1 in the US. Year 3 are the same age as Grade 2, and so on. Each class has an animal name or

is named after a mythical creature. It can take some time for new students and parents to become familiar with

them all!

In the table below is the current staff list. We all use first names in school (with one or two exceptions) and the

right hand column shows the names we are known as by the students.

ISK Academic Staff 201617

Position Class Name School Name

Principal Myles Jackson Mr Myles

Assistant Principal Pastoral Colin Haddow Mr Colin

Assistant Principal Curriculum Diestene Williams Ms Dee

Head of Middle School & MS Social Studies

7.1 Griffin Paul Boland Mr Paul

Head of Junior School Diane Williams Ms Diane

Head of Infant School Daniel Slevin Mr Dan

Foundation Ladybird Oana Rehurek Ms Oana

Reception 1 Koala Lida Hofman Ms Lids

Reception 2 Bumblebee Janice Sim Ms Janice

Y1.1 Penguin Jennifer McBride Ms Jennifer

Y1.2 Dolphin Claire Chun Ms Claire

Y2.1 Raccoon Ramona Bucoveanu Ms Ramona

Y2.2 Squirrel Kristine Ertl Ms Kristine

Y2.3 Rabbit Martje Potgeiter & Neil Matheson

Ms Martje & Mr Neil

Y2.4 Hedgehog Rochelle Marshall Ms Rochelle

Y3.1 Panther Michelle Fletcher Ms Fletcher


Language Arts Leader for Learning

Y3.2 Tiger Henry Laygo Mr Henry

Y3.3 Lion Mark Nuotio Mr Mark

Y4.1

Mother Tongue and International Mindedness Leader for Learning

Coyote Tara Dhital Ms Tara

Y4.2 Fox Tonya Gideon Ms Tonya

Y4.3 Wolf Jane Horn Ms Jane

Y5.1 Falcon Ian Davies Mr Ian

Y5.2 Eagle Nuala Malone Ms Nuala

Y6.1 Shark Dan Devere Mr Dan

Y6.2 IPC Leader for Learning

Crocodile Steven McCready Mr Steven

Y7.2

IMYC Leader for Learning , MS Science

Dragon Amanda Hart Ms Amanda

Y8

MS Language Arts Phoenix Rebecca Schmitz Ms Becki

Y9

MS Mathematics Kraken Steven Gall Mr Steven

Technology & ICT Integration

Technology & Maths Leader for Learning

Colin Gear Mr Colin

Computing Mark Lindsay Mr Mark

English as an Additional Language

EAL Leader for Learning Duckyoung Becker Ms Duck


English as an Additional Language Clayton Lehman Mr C.

Learning Support & Counsellor

Learning Support Leader for Learning

Maricar Ronidel Ms Maricar

Learning Support Malen Guerra Ms Marilen

PE

Sports Leader for Learning Gym White Mr Gym

PE

PE Leader for Learning Dave Honig Mr Dave

PE Frances Bacol Ms Frances

Music

Arts Leader for Learning Betthilde Keij Ms Betthilde

Art Amanda Brost Ms Mandy

Art Jiyeon Seo Ms Jiyeon

Music Eunbyoul Ma Ms Ma

Music Suwon Lee Ms Suwon

Korean

Korean Leader for Learning Oona Haddow Miss Oona

Korean Hyun Suk Hong Ms Hyunsuk

Korean Jeehyun Park Ms Jeehyun

Korean Seungnam Lee Ms Seungnam

Learning Assistant Koala Julie Bae Ms Julie

Learning Assistant Ladybird Soonbok Kim Ms Soonbok (or Ms Soon)

Learning Assistant Ladybird Kay Song Ms Kay


Learning Assistant Penguin Aeran Jeong Ms Aeran

Learning Assistant Bumblebee Hanna Lee Ms Hanna

Learning Assistant Dolphin Jimin Park Ms Jimin

Librarian Eunae Lee Ms Eunae

Academic Administrator Eunmee Shin Ms Eunmee

ISK Staff June 2016

Further staff details are available at www.iskoje.org

School Administration

The ‘office staff’ at ISK are led by the Head of School, Mr YH Eom and the Director of Administration, Ms Jeannie

Park.

Office Team Main Responsibilities Ms Jeongeun Admissions Ms Amy Hong Reception &

Student admissions Ms Seungeun Chang Human resources Mr Kirak Jeong Facilities, Maintenance, IT Ms Seo Young Jeong Accounts Ms Suyeon Lee (Su) Resources


http://www.iskoje.org/

Admissions

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

website.

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 201516 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 MultiAge Classes

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

classes. This can happen, for example, if there are three classes in a year group, but the total number of students

would fit comfortably into two classes. This may result in a change of the student’s regular teacher. It may also

happen that the school needs to create a multiage 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. Our experience of midyear class


changes, or of teaching multiage 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.

2. 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) – Foundation and

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 can be found on 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.


International Mindedness:

We believe that international mindedness is

a quality that is going to be central to the

lives of children who may:

• Travel more

• Work away from their home country in

different cultural settings

• Work in their home countries but for

organisations operating within different

cultural parameters

• Live in their home countries but alongside

increasingly diverse cultures

• Be a part of solving world problems that

require the contribution of different

cultures

• Live in a world that is influenced significantly by events generating from within

cultures other than their own

Our school definition of International Mindedness was developed with children, parents and staff and underpins

our approach towards developing such a quality.

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 also uses 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:


At ISK, we 'assess for learning'. This means all tests and assessments are done with the learning and progress of

the child in mind. Children undergo baseline assessments in Maths and Language Arts on entry to the school and

periodically throughout the academic year to identify where they are. This allows teachers to plan with specific

targets in mind and to move all children forward in their learning.

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.

October – Parent Teacher Conferences

February – Written Reports short format

April – Student Led Conferences

June – Written Reports long format

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 achieved IPC accreditation in the Spring of 2016 and hopes

to become IMYC accredited in 2017. To achieve these

accreditations is a major challenge and all members of the ISK

community play a part teachers, students and parents.

Learning about the IPC & IMYC and how to support children’s

learning is a focus of parent information meetings and various

other events throughout the year.

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.

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/iskpoliciesandprocedures.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.

Using the most up to date research and working collaboratively as a professional learning team, we will be revising the current home learning policy so updates will follow soon.

See the current ISK Home Learning Policy www.iskoje.org/curriculumdocuments.html

Mother Tongue Support

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 15.00 ● Wednesdays – 13.20

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 15.10 to 16.10


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

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

3. General Information

School Newsletter:

The biweekly 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.

Blogs and other parent communication:

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

Blogs: All classes have a blog which uses a system called Haiku. All classes will post an update after every two

school weeks, beginning on Friday 2nd Sept .

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/parentteacherassociationpta.html .

The PTA forms subcommittees 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.


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

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.

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 wellbeing of all students is our number one priority, parking, dropoff, and pickup 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 multistorey 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.


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

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 does not approve of holidays or other trips being taken during term time. However, we will approve of absence for important family commitments (such as weddings or funerals). In these cases, teachers should be given as much notice as possible by email. Please note that we do not provide homework or other educational guidance for students taking leave of absence 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 contact the homeroom teacher 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 four 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. Please contact the school office regarding

withdrawal [email protected] . There is also a withdrawal form on our website in the admissions section.

School & House TShirts

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

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 tshirt, house tshirt 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 ‘flip 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

tshirts 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 bareshouldered 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 lowcut, seethrough, 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 & tshirt. In

cooler weather students should also wear a tracksuit. 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 skin care. 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, raincoat 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 usually eat their snacks outside during their 20 minute break.

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

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

nutfree, 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.

Use of Student Images In order to keep our ISK parents and wider community informed with school events, achievements, successes and all of the learning taking place throughout the year, we take advantage of various communication media ranging from, but not limited to:

● ISK website ● School newsletters ● Class blogs & emails ● Social media such as Facebook and Twitter ● Printed materials such as posters, brochures, leaflets. ● Local and national newspapers.

To make the most of these publications, we often include photographs and, in some circumstances, videos of students. Information provided with such images will possibly include a description of the learning or activity and the class name or year group. Identifiable students may be named in class blogs which are private groups. Students will never be named and no other personal information will be divulged if images are publically accessible. If for any reason you do not wish your child’s image to be used in this way or to make request for an image to be removed, please contact the Assistant Principal ([email protected]) at your earliest convenience.



4. Behaviour Issues

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/iskpoliciesandprocedures.html

Bullying: All children have the right to be happy in school, to be safe and able to learn. Bullying can prevent a child from being able to have any of these things and so we have a responsibility to respond proactively to any instances of behaviour which interfere with those basic rights. Bullying is a complex issue and at ISK we work with teachers and students to develop a common understanding of the difference between bullying and other forms of behaviour. Bullying is at one end of a continuum of behaviours and identifying the point at which inappropriate behaviour becomes bullying is not always easy. For this reason, labelling inappropriate behaviour as bullying is not always possible or helpful, but we still take such behaviour very seriously. We will always base our intervention on the ISK Disciplinary Procedures. Our aim in dealing with instances of bullying is to protect the child who is being bullied. We also aim to modify the behaviour of the child who is carrying out the bullying and help them to understand the impact of their behaviour. Bullying types of behaviour that take place between students outside of school (eg through online social networks), will be taken very seriously and will result in sanctions being applied in school. This is because such behaviour can take away another student’s basic rights to be happy in school, to be safe and to be able to learn.

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.




5. After School Activities Supporting Information about After School Activities (ASA) At ISK we offer a wide range of after school activities for our students Year 1 and upwards each season. We encourage students to participate in the activities and clubs of interest, as we believe that engagement in cocurricular activities is an important part of the overall school experience. The activities run from Monday to Friday and each student has an opportunity to participate. The activities are run by our amazing staff, who are happy to offer activities they are interested in and have a passion for. As a result, the activities offered may be different from one season to the next. This provides students with a fantastic opportunity to try different things over the course of the year. We have offered activities as diverse as cooking club, football, choir, orchestra, science club, puzzles & games club, yoga, basketball, hiking, 10 pin bowling, newspaper club, and many more! ASA Seasons: Dates of the ASA seasons follow the Sport Seasons. FALL SEASON: September 5 November 18 (Sports will start on August 29) WINTER SEASON: November 21 March 3 SPRING SEASON: March 6 June 23 (Please note: no ASA from April 1721) Middle school competitive sports run from 3.104.30 pm, all other clubs run from 3.10pm 4.10pm. Calendar & Dates Round 1 and Round 2 We aim to send out the Sign up Email after school , so you can discuss choices for ASA with your child. Please check our Haiku Parent Community Pages and ISK newsletters regularly. You can also find all performances, games and tournaments listed on the community calendar. These are the dates we will use for Round 1 and Round 2 in the ISK School Year 20162017 (all being well!)

DATES FALL WINTER SUMMER

ROUND 1 August 19 November 3 February 6

ROUND 2 August 25 November 10 February 14

Sign up in two rounds per season: At ISK we have two ASA sign up forms per season. Signups are deliberately arranged with two dates, round 1 and round 2. This is done to give priority to our sport and art programs, which is the focus of round 1. Round 2 (a second signup) goes out usually one or two weeks later, to allow time for parents and students to choose the best options. Round 2 has a range of activities, such as noncompetitive sports, drama, lego, calligraphy, etc. First Come First Served Some activities have no limit on numbers, for these activities we would like as many as possible to sign up! Some other activities have a maximum number set and places will be allocated on a “firstcomefirst served” basis as many activities do fill up quickly due to high demand. Round 1 and Round 2 sign up system Each sign up receives a timestamp. In every round, the ASA allocation list is made based on the times of sign up.


Round 1: Our sign up system takes out the opportunity to sign up for an after school activity automatically, once it is filled up (in case of a maximum number). When you try to sign up (maybe after this time), it does not show the activity anymore. Round 2: Indicating First, Second, Third choices In Round 2, students are asked to indicate first, second and third choice. We strive to honour preferences in a fair and objective way.

● It is not guaranteed that your child will get their first preference activity, particularly for more popular activities

● We don't always just allocate all the first choices. Making sure all students (or as many as possible) get a spot in an ASA, we sometimes look at the second choice or even the third choice.

● Something we do not do is use the numbers of boys and girls to prioritise allocation. We aim to give all interested students one activity before students are given a second.

● It is possible for students to take part in up to 4 activities per week (1 per day offered), but due to the high demand for activities this is very unlikely.

● Unfortunately it will be the case that some students will have 1 or 2 activities and others will have 3 or 4. This ultimately comes down to demand per club.

● Please note that we only allow 1 ASA per round for Y1 students. New / Returning students Students arriving at the school after the signup period will of course be given the chance to join any activities with available spots. In case of returning students and new students at ISK; all students follow the same process and procedures of ASA sign up. Previous participation in an ASA does not guarantee a spot in the next season, except for a progressive activity such as dance. Deadline Each sign up has a deadline (last day to sign up), please try to sign up as soon as you can, and definitely before this date. Sign ups go fast; within one hour we might receive 80 responses. What to check before signing up

● Read the ASA information and attached letter carefully before making your choices. ● Pay attention to age restrictions, equipment needed (if any), times and days of the week. ● A Y1 student may not join a club which lists "Y2Y4" as its age restriction. ● Please ensure that if you select multiple clubs, these clubs occur on different days from each other. ● Note that competitive sports have two days of training a week. (Monday and Thursday for Y4Y6, Tuesday

and Friday for Middle School) Frustration and Disappointments; please let us know Because of our allocation procedure it is a time consuming effort to allocate and check all the ASA of previous seasons. It can happen that a few students are lucky season after season and some students keep on missing out (because of time of sign up / any other reason) If your child has missed out on multiple occasions we understand it can be frustrating. In this case, please put a note in the comments when signing up . We will then check this information in sign up sheets from previous years and will try to avoid a student signing in for many seasons in a row and not getting any ASA. While we do our best, choices might not always be available and it is likely to have some disappointments if choices are not granted. We are simply doing our best to make the ASA allocation as fair as possible. We are here to help, explain and assist you with any issues you might have. Safety & Attendance

Students should attend every session of their activity. If absent for illness, parents are asked to please ensure the activity leader knows in advance. Students are still under the care of the school during their activities and so we must monitor attendance very carefully. With the nature of our ASA, especially sports (preparing for tournaments) and music (musicals, choirs, preparing for performances), we expect both from parents and


students Commitment to finish a season

Attendance unless the child is ill ASA are not cancelled in case of bad weather or an ill teacher; in this case we will do our best to find a replacing activity / replacement teacher. Costs Some ASA have a fee to cover costs of equipment, outfits, uniforms, travel, costumes, technical equipment or other costs. Discounts are not offered for those who participate in multiple sports and refunds are not offered to those who cancel. Parent offered ASA We have had several parents volunteer to run ASA’s. What a wonderful addition! We are thankful for these parents who offer their time. If parents run an ASA, their child is guaranteed a spot in this ASA, if needed. (In case this concerns a Y1 student; this is an exception to the rule of one ASA per round in a season). If you would like to offer an ASA, please let Gym White ([email protected]) or Betthilde Keij ([email protected]) know. Indicate the following: Parent name and contact number, Club Name & Club Description, Preferred Location, Age Range, Number of Students (Minimum and Maximum / unlimited), Preferred Day(s), Costs, Equipment or Other Requirements and any other comments about your club. After Signing up What happens? Who to contact if any questions? After Round 1 sign up, a list of confirmed students per ASA will be send to you via email. In this way you can check in which ASA your child is enrolled, before signing up for Round 2. A full list of confirmed students per ASA will be send out after both sign ups before the new season starts. An activity may not go ahead if a very small number signs up for it. In this case, students will be contacted and offered an alternative. In case of questions; please feel free to come and talk to Gym White ([email protected]) for Sports and Betthilde Keij ([email protected]) for Music & Arts any other. SignUp & Have Fun! The most important thing for us is that students are able to take full advantage of the activities on offer and that they fully enjoy their time here at ISK. Signing up for various clubs can encourage further development of creative skills, athletic skills and abilities, or even enhance their academic growth! Regardless of what kind of club a student chooses, the experience is almost certain to improve selfconfidence and their willingness to try new things. Perhaps most importantly though, students in these activities are guaranteed to have fun! Instrumental Lessons at ISK

The instrumental programme is a very important part of the education provided at ISK and a significant contributor to the culture of the school. For this reason, prospective parents are always informed of it when they visit the school. Visiting Teachers at ISK provide a vital function in broadening the range of education that the school is able to offer. Visiting teachers currently provide Instrumental music tuition (such as piano, violin, guitar, flute, drums). Approximately 15% of ISK students have instrumental music lessons provided by private teachers at ISK and additional students also take part in related musical






activities, such as the developing school Orchestra and future String Groups. The instrumental programme is also personally important to the students who receive lessons. The special relationship students have with their instrumental teachers and the distinctive types of activity in the lessons contributes to cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of the student. Studies show that this can have very beneficial effects on the student’s general development and academic performance. Instrumental Lessons for students in Y1 and up take place during school time, in break times, and after school time. This depends on the preferred time, indicated by the parent of an ISK student. A student is allowed only one pullout lesson per week, in case of instrument lessons during the day. Please refer to the general information document here and the guidelines here.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/18NYxaUgua70FUQyA01CKExlSI1yqlDqQUBYTBw1_2hU/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jecPoKVGdyrLpB2t9t4BsRXEGNKqquwlcEZxB2tvxnw/edit

Sports Information ***Text of letter to parents follows*** Dear Parents, Guardians and Student Athletes, August , 2016 As you know, at ISK we constantly strive to make improvements to the quality of the school and the overall experience the students receive. This year, we have made a commitment to offer our student athletes the opportunity to participate at highlevel sports tournaments throughout Korea. To achieve this, we have joined the KISAC (Korean Schools’ Activities Conference) league as well as the SKAC (Southern Korean Activities Conference) league which will allow greater player participation and higher standards of competition. You will see from the table below that the school year has been split into seasons (fall, winter and spring). The seasons are aligned with the calendar of tournaments. For instance, our focus for the fall will be soccer and crosscountry running. For the 20162017 school year, tournament dates have already been set. There will hopefully be a few more games added as each season progresses. To be a member of a sports team will require a high level of commitment from students. Our intention is have two practice/training sessions per week as part of the established AfterSchool Activities programme. Often, tournaments will be held at the weekend and, inevitably, will involve travel to other schools and venues in different parts of the country. For instance, KISAC tournaments will require overnight accommodation and may require flights to Jeju Island or bus travel to Seoul and Busan. SKAC tournaments are one day events. Consequently, all participating students will be charged a seasonal ‘sports fee’ to cover the costs for such things as entry fees, transportation, hotels and meals etc.

Middle School Seasons Cost

Fall (Aug 29 Nov 18) Soccer

Training Tues/Fri 3:104:10

SKAC Futsal Divisional @ GIFS October 8 SKAC Futsal Tournament @ HIS November 8 KISAC Red Tournament in Jeju November 18/19

400,000 won

Plus 40,000 if you need a uniform and

25,000 if you need a hoodie

Cross Country SKAC Sept 8 @ HIS SKAC October 18 @ HFS

150,000 + 20,000 for shirt and 25,000

for hoodie

Winter (Nov 21 –March 3) Volleyball


Friendly @ KIS Jeju Wednesday January 25 SKAC MS VB @ ISK February 4 KISAC Red Tournament @ ISK Feb 10/11

SKAC MS VB Tournament @ BIFS/BFS March 7

400,000 won



Swim Team KISAC EL/MS @ BHA (Jeju) December 3 KISAC MS @ CI (Incheon)

TBD

Spring (March 6 – June 23) Basketball


SKAC MS BB Divisional @ HIS April 15 SKAC MS BB Finals @ BIFS/BFS Weds May 18 KISAC Red Tournament KISJ & BHA Jeju May 20/21

400,000 won




Elementary School Seasons Cost

Fall (Aug 29 Nov 18) Soccer

Training Mon/Thurs 3:104:10

SKAC EL Soccer @ DIS September 24 SKAC EL Soccer Finals @ HFS October 13

150,000 + 40,000 for shirt and 25,000

if you need a hoodie

Winter (Nov 21 –March 3)

Volleyball


SKAC EL Divisional VB @ DIS Dec 10 SKAC EL VB @ ISK Feb 3

150,000 + 40,000 for shirt and 25,000

if you need a hoodie

Swim Team KISAC EL/MS @ BHA (Jeju) December 3 (50m pool) KISAC El @ DCSL (Seoul) February 18

TBD

Spring (March 6 – June 23)

Basketball


SKAC ES BB Divisional @ BIFS/BFS March 11 SKAC ES BB Final @ ISK April 25

150,000 + 50,000 if you need a

uniform and 25,000 if you need a

hoodie

Please note that all students interested in being part of a sports team are required to pay the ‘sports fee’ before team selections begin. Students are expected to attend all practices and competitions for the entire season, communicating with their coach if there are any scheduling conflicts. Each student will be guaranteed an invite to participate in one overnight tournament. If the student or parent decides not to participate there will be no refund or partial refund. However, in case of cancellation of major events, a level of refund will be considered. Students should wear contacts or sports goggles as glasses will not be permitted at practices or competitions. All signups will take place online prior to each season along with the other AfterSchool Activities. Thank you in advance for your support. Kind regards, Gym White PE and Sports Leader for Learn

ISK SPORTS PROGRAMME BANK DETAILS When paying, please use your child’s name as a reference so that we can track the payment. Thank you. Name of Bank

Kyongnam Bank Okpo Branch

Account No. 543210213628 Currency KRW Beneficiary International School of Koje Bank Address 53021, OkpoDong, GeojeSi,

Gyeongnam, South Korea. Tel: +82 55 687 5048

SWIFT CODE KYNAKR22


Further Information:

Details of other school policies and procedures are available on our website:

Administrative Policies www.iskoje.org/iskpoliciesandprocedures.html

Curriculum Info: www.iskoje.org/curriculumdocuments.html

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.

For all general enquiries please contact [email protected]



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


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