Introduction
v
Mission
Statement
v
School
Objectives
v
PYP Learner
Profile
v
PYP
Attitudes
SECTION
A Academics
v
Scheduling
v
Bilingual
Curriculum
v
Units of
Inquiry
v
Monthly
Assemblies
v
Assessment
v
Home to
School Expectations
SECTION
B Policies and
Procedures
v
Attendance/Tardiness
v
Health
v
Dress Code
v
Lunches
v
School Trips
v
Discipline
v
Miscellaneous
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to
the Kindergarten Department at Kuwait Bilingual School. This
document, the Parent Handbook, is designed to inform the parent
community of all KG policies and procedures. Adherence to these
policies and procedures will ensure the KG program is running
efficiently and effectively making certain that your children
are getting the best education possible.
Through
active engagement with the International Baccalaureate learner
profile and attitudes we hope to achieve a risk free environment
nurturing learners so that we achieve our school’s mission and
goals. The teacher’s role in this is not to stand at the front
of the class teaching all day, but rather to create a learning
environment in which children explore ideas while learning
through and by the learner profile and attitudes which will
develop their ability to be independent life-long learners. It
is with great pleasure that KBS is able to support your children
in this endeavor.
Kindergarten Head of Department,
Mary
Bigwood
Mission Statement
Kuwait Bilingual School is a K-12 non-profit bilingual
educational institution, providing quality programs to instill
ethical and moral values, positive attitudes, leadership
attributes, commitment to global and local issues, and life-long
pursuit for learning.
School Objectives
KBS strives to develop students who will:
1.
Demonstrate the qualities of honesty, respect, tolerance,
courtesy, concern for others, humility and self-discipline in
daily practice.
2.
Demonstrate through action, qualities of self-control,
motivation and commitment to studies.
3.
Display willingness to take responsibility for personal
decisions and their consequences.
4.
Attain high standards in religious, linguistic,
mathematical and scientific knowledge.
5.
Attain qualities of effective oral and aural
communication appropriate to developmental stage.
6.
Acquire an understanding and appreciation of great human
achievement and aspirations through study of historical, social
and psychological traditions.
7.
Acquire knowledge of and participate in the fine arts for
enjoyment and personal growth.
8.
Develop technological skills necessary for communication,
research and effective participation in modern life.
9.
Develop creativity and innovation in all disciplines.
10.
Develop commitment to physical well-being through
participation in team and individual sporting activities.
11.
Adopt appropriate standards of personal hygiene and
illustrate awareness of a balanced nutritional diet.
12.
Acquire an understanding and respect for Islamic
traditions and culture while demonstrating a tolerance for the
beliefs of others.
13.
Display problem solving, research and study skills, to
exact maximum individual potential.
14.
Attain the ability to engage in constructive
self-criticism yet promote and maintain a positive self-image.
15.
Display independence of thought, respect for diversity of
opinion, and ability to adapt effectively to the demands of
our ever changing world.
16.
Develop strong citizenship skills, empathy and
involvement with the concerns of the local, regional, national
and world community.
17.
Develop the ability to use leisure time effectively.
18.
Maximize leadership skills.
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Learner Profile
Inquirers:
They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills
necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence
in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of
learning will be sustained throughout their lives.
Knowledgeable:
They explore
concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global
significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and
develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of
disciplines.
Thinkers:
They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically
and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, make
reasoned, ethical decisions.
Communicators:
They understand and express ideas and information confidently
and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of
modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in
collaboration with others.
Principled:
They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of
fairness, justice, and respect for the dignity of the
individual, groups, and communities.
Open-minded:
They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal
histories, and are open to the perspectives, values, and
traditions of other individuals and communities. They are
accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view,
and are willing to grow from experience.
Caring:
They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and
feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service,
and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and
to the environment.
Risk-takers:
They approach
unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and
forethought, and independence of spirit to explore new roles,
ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending
their beliefs.
Balanced:
They understand the
importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to
achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.
Reflective:
They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning
experience. They are able to assess and understand their
strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and
personal development.
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Attitudes
Appreciation: Appreciating the wonder and beauty of
the world and its people.
Commitment: Being committed to their own learning,
persevering and showing self-discipline and responsibility.
Confidence: Feeling confident in their ability as
learners, having courage to take risks, applying what they have
learned and making appropriate decisions and choices.
Cooperation: Cooperating, collaborating, and leading
or following as the situation demands.
Creativity:
Being creative and imaginative in their
thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas.
Curiosity:
Being curious about the nature of
learning, about the world, its people and cultures.
Empathy:
Imagining themselves in another’s
situation in order to understand his or her reasoning and
emotions, so as to be open-minded and reflective about the
perspectives of others.
Enthusiasm:
Enjoying learning and willingly putting
the effort into the process.
Independence : Thinking and acting
independently, making their own judgments based on reasoned
argument, and being able to defend their judgments.
Integrity:
Being honest and demonstrating a
considered sense of fairness.
Respect:
Respecting themselves, others and the
world around them.
Tolerance: Being sensitive about the differences
and diversity in the world and being responsive to the need of
others.
SECTION A
ACADEMICS
Bilingual
Philosophy
KBS prides itself on its ability to provide a dual language
program in Classical Arabic and English. Each day, students will
be instructed in the two languages allotting equal time for
both. Through language emersion students will learn language
arts, mathematics, science and social studies in an integrated
inquiry approach to learning. Music will be instructed in
English while Islamic Studies will be instructed in Arabic.
It must be
noted that while Arabic is the native language, English is the
second language and thus students are at this stage learning
English as a Second Language. As such it is expected that
students will learn at a faster rate in their native language.
It is through the native language that students will transfer
their learning to the English language as they begin to
communicate more in English. It is expected that effective
instruction in Arabic will aid the instructional process in
English.
Most
students enter KBS with little to no understanding of the
English language. Thus, while students may learn content and
reading at a faster rate in Arabic, they are learning to
communicate in English by learning vocabulary and English
acquisition. All the while they are learning this through the
same vocabulary and content that is taking place in the Arabic
classes. It is hoped that by the end of KG2 that students will
have acquired enough English language acquisition to begin to
apply more of the language academically in first and second
grades.
Early
Childhood Curriculum
ECC should
be conducted around a child centered classroom that fosters
independence and inquiry as according to the PYP approach to
learning. The following are the PYP units of Study anticipated
for this school year.
PYP
Units of Study
ü
Who We Are
ü
How We
Express Ourselves
ü
How We
Organize Ourselves
ü
Sharing the
Planet
ECC focuses
on several domains. Assessment will be according to these
domains and the PYP Attitudes and Learner Profile.
Domains of Learning:
·
Cognitive Development
·
Language Development and Literacy
·
Social Emotional Development
·
Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
·
Social and Emotional Development
·
Motor and Physical Development
·
Music, Movement and Creative Arts
·
Dramatic Play
Assessment
Assessment
in early childhood education consists of observation of
performance within the natural classroom setting and not
testing such as quizzes and exams. Teachers use assessment tools
such as checklists, rubrics and narrative notes to track
learning progress in language arts and mathematics especially.
Standards
of learning are used to gage if a child is meeting grade level
expectations with the domains of Early Childhood learning. The
report card will reflect whether your child is meeting these
expectations. Please note that young children will experience
spurts of growth. This could result in being above grade level
in one quarter and at grade level in the next. This is normal
and should not be seen as a failure in academics.
The
following scale will be used for the sole purpose of informing
the parents of their child’s progress toward these grade level
expectations.
M = Meeting expectations:
performance is where it should be at this time.
R = Reaching expectations:
Performance is near the expectations but teacher
support is needed to sustain this level.
N = Needs Support: performance is below grade level even with much
teacher support.
Home
School Expectations
For a
successful school experience it is essential that a partnership
is made between the school and family. Communication is key to
this process. Parents are expected to communicate with the
teacher about any and all concerns they might have about their
child. The teacher is your first line of defense for this
success. Do not attempt to contact the Head of Department or
the Arabic Coordinator until you have spoken directly to the
teacher first. Please note below the KBS line of
communication policy for the entire school:
Teacher
Head of Department
Director
Parent Conferences
Each
quarter parent conferences are scheduled. You may contact the
Kindergarten Department office to arrange for a conference or
stop by your child’s classroom to schedule it with the teacher.
You may also schedule a conference with a teacher at other times
during the year as needed. The teacher may also request other
conferences with you as well. Please note that all conferences
are scheduled. Teachers are not obligated to meet with you
unless you have a scheduled conference.
All
parents are advised to be 5 to 10 minutes early to a scheduled
appointment time. If you arrive late it is not guaranteed that
you will see the teacher. Each appointment will begin and end at
the time scheduled. This will ensure that each parent gets their
fair share of time. Should you need more time than was allotted,
you can arrange for another conference with the teacher. Please
note that a record of each conference will be taken and placed
in your child’s file so as to keep track of our communication
together.
Homework
Homework in
the Kindergarten department is limited to the reading of books
at home. Parents should be reading to their children each night
for no less than 20 minutes in a pleasant environment that does
not cause children stress in any way. Positive modeling of the
reading process in the home is essential to your child’s
literacy success. Research shows that students whose parents
read to them at home are better readers in school which
positively affects all other academics.
**Please
note that it is the school’s policy that you not hire tutors for
your child. Often tutors are not educators who can cause more
damage than good.
Sometime
during the second semester students will begin to bring books
home that they can and should read to an adult within the
family; preferably mom or dad (for some students this may occur
earlier if they are accelerating in reading). Parents should
monitor this process closely so that children learn to be
responsible in the homework process. It is essential that you
teach your children how to carefully take care of books turning
pages so they don’t rip and to store them in a safe place so
they don’t get damaged. Any books that are destroyed or lost
will have to be paid for in the kindergarten office where the
secretary will inform you of the cost for replacement.
Thursday Folders
Please
secure two plastic folders for student work to be sent home. One
is for Arabic class and the other is for English work. These
folders will only go home on Thursdays. Please take out all of
your child’s work and return on Sunday for the collection of the
next weeks work which will go home again on the next Thursday.
Backpacks
are not allowed in
the KG department. There is no functional need for them at this
grade level and they take up too much needed space. Classrooms
have no space to store them. Lunch boxes will be all your child
needs to bring each day should you choose to send your child
with a healthy lunch.
Health for Academics
Medical
advances have informed us that there are two essential health
issues that should take preference in order for children to be
ready to learn in school; sleep and diet. Doctors recommend that
children ages 3-5 get 10 to 12 hours of continuous sleep each
night. Their brains need this rest to renew the energy it takes
to learn effectively in school.
Diet is
also a key factor in effectively learning. The brain needs water
and a healthy breakfast with protein and carbohydrates to get
the brain ready for learning. Breakfast should be eaten before
your child arrives to school making them ready to learn. Without
proper sleep and diet KBS cannot guarantee your child will learn
at their best.
SECTION B
AND PROCEDURES
Attendance/Tardiness
It is
important that we approach early childhood seriously. Therefore
attendance and tardiness should be of the utmost importance. We
expect 100% attendance. A day lost in Kindergarten is
lost forever; there is no way to make this up. Continued
absences lead to gaps in learning and can also lead to retention
in the next year according to the Ministry of Education
policies. Please take note of the school calendar and do not
leave early or return late from school vacation periods.
For
absences due to illness you should inform the teacher and the
school nurse. A doctor’s note is required for an excused
absence.
Just as
important is punctuality. The first 20 minutes of the day is
perhaps the most important part of your child’s day at school.
This time is used for preparing students to learn, building
community, and enhancing oral language skills through Morning
Meeting. Morning Meeting sets the tone for the school day.
Missing this part of the day can throw your child off for the
day making them feel isolated from the class and learning
process. Plan to be at the classroom door no later than 10
minutes before the official time school begins. This little bit
of time gives your child opportunity to say hello to friends
before the work of learning begins. At the same time do not drop
your child off too early. Teachers are not required to be on
campus until 7:15 therefore supervision prior to this will not
be provided
When late
go to the KG Nurse where she will record the time you arrive and
will issue a tardy slip. Students will not be allowed to enter
the classroom late until the lesson going on in class
finishes, this may be 40-50 minutes of teaching lost by student.
In addition, if you are late, do not expect the teacher
to stop the class to speak with you. It is the teacher’s duty to
continue teaching the students without interruption.
Leaving
early is not advisable either. Please make all doctor and dental
appointments after school hours. There are no excuses for early
dismissal of students.
Kindergarten School Hours Sunday-Thursday
KG2 and KG1 hours 7:30-1:15
Nursery hours 7:30-12:30
Please note
that only during the Holy Month of Ramadan are school hours
altered when the beginning of the day falls approximately one
hour later.
Dress Code
All
students are required to attend school each day wearing the
proper KBS uniform with official logos. Parents are requested to
purchase more than one uniform set, as over washing can wear
items quickly. Secondly, it is healthy to have other sets for
convenience. Uniforms are available throughout the year from the
school. Each morning, parents are expected to check that sons
and daughters are properly dressed and groomed before leaving
home. It is advisable that you label your child’s school uniform
with their English name in case of lost items such as jackets.
Should your child come to school without a regulation uniform
you will be called right away to bring in the proper clothing
for your child to change to. Clothing similar to school uniform
are not allowed.
Lunch
The school has provided a
lunch program which can be purchased monthly. To participate in
the school lunch program please visit the kindergarten office to
apply and pay. Otherwise a student must bring a lunch from home.
Students will not be allowed to purchase items from the
canteen nor will teachers have opportunity to go and purchase
for them. Canteen items can be purchased only in the presence of
the parent after school hours.
School Trips
School trips will be academic
in nature and closely related to the Units of Study within the
Primary Years Program. Parents will be informed on the school
website when and where a field trip will take place.
Upon Teacher request you may
be asked to chaperone a field trip. If you are chosen to attend
a field trip you will be instructed what to do by the teacher.
Chaperones must adhere to the wishes of the teacher.
Trip Procedures
For all
school trips signed parent agreement slips must be returned to
the school before a child may attend a school trip. Students
will not be permitted to attend school trips without the parent
consent form being signed and returned to the Homeroom teacher.
Parents
should be aware that all official school trips are approved by
the Ministry of Education.
Approaches to Discipline
Children will have different
approaches to discipline at different ages. Child development
theory and experience can guide us to the most progressive
approach. Each school division will tailor its own approach,
within the perimeters of the general school policy.
In the KG department teachers
are expected to use a variety of ethical and respectful
strategies to manage classroom behavior. When a child chooses to
misbehave logical consequences will be applied. Should the child
pose any danger to other children he or she will be immediately
removed from the classroom and sent to the KG office to sit with
the Head of Department. At this time the parent will be informed
by a phone call or a letter home with the student. Numerous
visits to the KG office could result in not admitting your child
back to KBS in the following year.
Student Illness
Students
should not attend school with fever, diarrhea, vomiting or
contagious diseases (chicken pox, measles, or strep throat. When
a child falls ill at school, the Medical Officer will attend to
them in the Medical room. If in the view of the Medical Officer
the child needs to go home, they will ring a parent to collect
the child and sign the leaving slip.
Medication
For safety
reasons, it is preferred that all medications be given to the
child at home before they attend school. If this is not
possible, the Medication should be brought personally to the
Medical Officer. Teacher’s are not permitted to take or give
medications to students.
All
medication should have a doctor’s note with the following
information :
·
child’s name
·
name of medicine
·
details of dosage
·
time to be administered to the child.
Birthday Parties
It is the
policy of KBS to not allow birthday parties in any of the
classrooms. Each month at assembly the staff and students will
sing happy birthday to the children who have had a birthday in
that month.
Bus
Transportation Policy
KBS
offers a school transport service to parents. The cost is based
upon the distance and the number of students utilizing the
transport service. All buses have an adult supervisor.
Behavioral
Expectations
·
Any students riding upon school buses are expected to be
well behaved and follow the instructions of the Supervisor at
all times.
·
Students must behave courteously and respectful to the
Supervisor at all times.
·
Students should not litter the school buses.
·
Students should manage their own bags on and off of the
bus and act independently.
·
Repeated misbehavior on the bus could lead to suspension
of bus priveldges.
Parent’s Role
Parents are
expected to ensure that children are on time each morning and
waiting for the bus at the agreed point of collection. It must
be understood that the bus cannot wait since delay will make
other student’s late for school. In such circumstances, it
becomes the parent’s duty to ensure the child gets to school.
Parents
should discuss the importance of good conduct upon the bus and
punish misbehavior when it is brought to their attention. Any
student consistently misbehaving on the bus will lose bus
privileges.
Bus
supervisors are there for the children’s safety and must be
respected and obeyed by the students. Parent’s must counsel
children about behavior on the bus and to support the
Supervisor. Under no circumstances, should a parent undermine
the Supervisor in front of the child. Should there be any
disagreement, this should be discussed privately or brought to
the attention of the Administration.
In order to
take advantage of the bus service, parents are requested to meet
with the School Accountant. To expedite matters, the following
procedure should be followed :
·
Full semester bus cost must be settled in advance.
·
Clear directions or map to child’s home, together with all
contact numbers to be supplied.
Expectations at
School Programs
At KBS we always seek to commence programs at the stated
time as a courtesy to the students, teachers and parents in
attendance. Most children love their parents to be present when
they perform. Most parents understand the importance of their
attendance as an encouragement for the child’s efforts.
Student programs are often delicate presentations. In this
regard, parents following some simple procedures greatly assist:
Please …….
·
Try to arrive before the commencement of the program. Late
arrival can cause noise and disruption.
·
Switch off mobiles and refrain from making telephone
conversations during the program.
·
Refrain from talking and waving at your child during the
program. This can easily distract them from what they should be
doing in the performance.
·
Whilst taking a few photos may be nice, your most
important job is paying attention to the children and
encouraging their efforts with smiles and clapping. Remain
seated at all times.
·
Seek to encourage the children’s efforts by laughter,
clapping or praise.
·
Show interest in all children’s effort’s not merely your
child.
