• To promote positive attitudes towards cultural diversity;
• To provide a high quality and supportive learning and social environment in which pupils can develop a positive working attitude and the ability to work independently and co-operatively;
• To foster positive self-esteem, enabling children to develop confidence and act with initiative and to encourage children to value others, treating them with consideration and respect;
• To develop positive and caring relationships between school and home, to forge links with local and global communities and help the child develop a sense of community responsibility.
• To manage our financial resources responsibly, providing a safe and stimulating environment with the highest level of staffing and continued professional development.
Parents are encouraged to
maintain a close contact with the school, thus enhancing the “family
atmosphere”. Parent/Teacher consultations give parents the opportunity
to see and privately discuss their children’s work and progress.
Parents are welcome to contact the school at previously arranged times
if they have a query or wish to raise something with the class teacher.
Similarly, staff will often consult parents informally, before or after
school.
Good discipline is essential for maintaining the standards
we set and for creating an atmosphere in which teachers and children can
work together with mutual respect. To achieve this aim, a great deal of
initial guidance and control is obviously needed and high standards of
behaviour are always expected, as each child represents “the family”
of the school, in and outside the premises. Children are encouraged to
show respect for others and to respect the rights of others. Emphasis
is placed on encouragement, praise, reasoning and incentives. Children
who misbehave are spoken to privately and parents may be involved if necessary.
Sanctions such as the withdrawal of privileges are used if there is a
breakdown of discipline. Continued unacceptable behaviour are discussed
directly with parents.
There are few rules, and those which do exist are for practical and health
reasons – e.g. long hair tied back for girls, no gums, unusual amount
of money, jewels or expensive toys, etc. Children are informed about playground
behaviour rules and made aware of the consequences of breaking them.
Knowledge is not “received knowledge” any more, it no longer consists of right and wrong answers – it is a matter of opinion from students and these opinions are initially equally valid. When students are asked for evidence to support their views, they learn to distinguish weak evidence from strong.
As a final stage, students take their own stands on different issues (scientific, social, historical, etc.) on the basis of their own analysis which reflects their values, experience and knowledge. Students need also to find enduring values and ideals which do not contradict their experience of reality but at the same time provide an adequate basis for everyday living. The future success of our students is based on our commitment to teach them to understand values, the importance of values to their lives and that poor values can be hurtful to others and destructive to themselves. Our students are helped to see that knowledge is value dependent, culture dependent and changeable.
Students in introductory
English courses (1st, 2nd, 3rd) need more structures and are more likely
to want the “right” answers and clear guidelines. In higher
levels (4th, 5th, 6th) they are asked to appreciate other points of view,
evaluate them and rethink their decisions whenever conditions change and
new information comes to light.
In all levels, students are encouraged to draw connections between what
they already know and what they are learning, in all levels the amount
of information is limited in each presentation and concepts, not facts,
are stressed in order to be easily understood and remembered.
Throughout PRIMARY
LEVEL students are guided to become more self-reflective and self-regulated
learners by coaching them on how to improve their reading comprehension,
how to summarize, how to participate in class discussion or oral presentations
and how to study for oral and written tasks
Parents are the child’s first and most important teachers. Being involved in the child’s education, both at home and at school greatly improves chances for success.
• support your
child’s learning by showing interest in education
• ask about school activities and encourage your child to talk about
what goes on at school
• encourage reading by having magazines and books appropriate to
the child’s age
• encourage listening to English by having or borrowing video tapes,
DVD’s, computer programs, watching films in English or listening
to songs
• use Websites (at home or cyber cafes) that provide useful information
and guidelines for projects or topics children are studying at school.
Always give children
the opportunity to show what they can do. Comment and admire any piece
of work they accomplish. Praise and encourage the effort they show rather
than point out what they cannot yet do.
Your involvement throughout the year will help increase your child’s
academic success.
