Kindergarten

School starts at 07:45am with tea break from 09:50 – 10:25 and lunch break from 11:45 – 01:00pm. Formal class begin at 08:00am.  The children begin to depart as of 02:20pm to avoid too much  congestion on the car park.

Dropping Off and Collection of Children

Parents are asked to drop and collect their child by the classroom in the morning and in the afternoon.

After School Supervision

There is minimum supervision between 03:00 and 03.30 pm, therefore parents are asked to collect their child within that time.  If a child is to be collected by a different person, parents should call to inform the kindergarten of the name of the person.

When a child has to leave the campus during school hours, the class teacher will fill in a form and sign it. The parent/guardian collecting the child must also complete form details, sign and leave the form with the Security Guard at the gate.

Such leave should coincide with the school holidays.  In cases where this is not possible, the school should be informed in writing, stating departure date, duration of leave and the time the child will resume school.

All forms of medication should be in a box and handed to the class teacher or assistant with a note from the parent specifying the child’s name, dosage and the time to be administered; otherwise it will not be given.

Minor ailments or injuries are first screened by the teachers, Mrs Margery Quatre and Ms. Ruby who are qualified nurses.  If the case is deemed to be in need of professional attention, the child will be taken to the English River Clinic. Parents are always informed of the details of the ailment/accident and condition of the child. In minor cases, the child is made comfortable and remains under supervision in the sick bay until  parents arrive.

The school has a policy regarding head lice.  Every child’s head is checked for head lice on the first day of term.  This is done on average about three times per term.  If a child is found to have head lice, the parents are called immediately and the child is taken home. A detailed note about the head lice procedure is also handed to the parents. The child will resume school after  complete treatment i.e. no nits are visible.

Parents are asked to put a complete set of clothing in the child’s bag every day and a small face towel.

It is recommended that children dress in comfortable clothing that allow free and easy movement, especially when running and climbing, simple in style so that the child learns to change independently. Likewise, simple comfortable footwear (not laced, preferably with velcro grip), bags, bottles and boxes that are easy to open  and close.  This will promote self-reliance and independence.

A small toy during the first week is acceptable if it would provide the child security and help him/her  to settle down.  Once the purpose is served and the child begins to befriend other children, there will be no need for the toy or security blanket.  However, sometimes a special request may be made by the teacher for a specific activity after which the toy is returned.

It is important for parents to be made aware of the standards, expectations and ethics of the school from the beginning and that the very young children are geared towards these goals.

The medium of instruction is English but French is a subject taught in Primary 1 to S5.  However, for very young pupils of K1 who mostly come without much knowledge of English, Creole is used until a fair level of the English language is attained.

Learning a new language at this age is a long process, therefore some home help is necessary e.g. simple story books, rhymes, poems, song books, and some TV documentary series for young children are ideal.

The subjects and activities vary, each to develop specific skills, such as language, numeracy and phonetic/literacy skills, letter formation and handwriting pattern practice, Science based activities, creative and artistic activities, performing arts (music & dance) collective games and coordination activities.  These are all part of the school curriculum. Extra- curricular activities (ECA) take place every Monday from 1:50 pm – 2:30 pm.

Assessment and Reporting

Continuous assessments are carried out and recorded by the class teacher.

A detailed annual report is issued at the end of the third term.

Parent/Teacher consultations

These are short meetings on a one-to-one basis between the parent and the class teacher held in  the middle of first and second terms to discuss the child’s general performance, progress, adaptation and social behaviour. The meetings also help to establish a good rapport between  parents and teacher. Therefore, meetings can also be done during the term depending on concerns about your child either from class teachers or parents, upon appointment set.

Pupil Promotion

Usually a teacher works with a group over a period of two years, ensuring continuity of the  learning programme and discipline.  A child may be kept back if she/he does not meet the criteria for promotion to Primary 1.  This is done in consultation with the child’s parents.

Homework

There is no formal homework at this level. However, in the 2nd year the children are given a book from the Reading programme to read at home to reinforce their reading skills, about twice a week. A written work can also be given at times. Be informed that the work sent home have already been introduced.

Visits

Educational visits are sometimes organized based on the topics within the curriculum. Usually a letter is sent to parents a few days prior to the date.  Parents are welcome to join.

Swimming

Swimming is introduced at K1 level in term 3 for about four orientation sessions. K2 children attend regular weekly sessions. Children are taught basic water safety and confidence in the water.

Swimming is a school curricular activity; it is compulsory from K2 up to P3.  All children should take part unless he/she has a serious medical problem in which case a medical certificate must be presented.

The allocation of the children to the House system is done early in K1. The parents are informed through a letter to purchase the House t- shirt for the child, to be worn during P.E sessions.

It is recommended that parents/guardians fill all sections of the form.  We advise  parents/guardians to inform the class teacher of any changes in residential address and contact numbers and e-mail.  The form is issued to parents at the end of the orientation session to be completed and  returned to the class teachers on the first day of term.

Parents should provide mid-morning snacks, water, juices or milk.  The school encourages a healthy eating habit, therefore snacks need to be varied.

Lunches – Parents should make their own arrangement with the caterers who deliver to the respective section within the school. Lunch may be prepared at home too, but should be delivered on time i.e. 12:00 noon.  If lunch is put in the  child’s bag in the morning and is in a food flask, a  small plate should be provided for serving. If the food needs to be warmed in the microwave it should be in an appropriate container. Inform the class teacher or assistant.

We do not advise parents to give money to buy morning snacks as the children are too young to handle money and change.  In special cases only, the money may be left with the teacher or assistant and arrangement can be made to buy for the child or order can be made directly with the caterer for delivery at breaktime. Payment for lunches should be made to the caterer by parents.

Children may bring DVDs and USBs for viewing but educational themes and stories are of  preference.  All materials should be clearly labelled and given to the teacher who will return it  afterwards.

The school employs two full time Counsellors, Mrs. Marion Charlotte and Denise Scholastique, who offer pastoral care and deal with issues of a behavioural nature.

It is recommended that all personal belongings are clearly labelled to avoid loss.

We look forward to working in partnership with you. Your support, cooperation and understanding will be very much appreciated.

Items your child will need for school are:

• 3 pocket folders
• Pencil case with thick coloured crayons/ coloured pencils/ a glue stick/ a pencil/ an eraser/ a pair of scissors.
• 1 apron

School Caterers’ contact details:

Union Vale Campus: Mr Roland Payet; telephone number    2505046
Ile du Port Campus: Bite Me, telephone numbers 2746261

All academic information regarding your child’s progress/ performance is updated on the School management system, Ed Admin.