Year 1 Parent Handbook

Welcome toYear 1

Discovery College seeks to provide a stimulating and challenging learning programme for all our students. We aim to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people whohelp tocreate abetterand morepeaceful worldthrough understandingand respect of others.

We focus on the growth and development of the whole person, emphasising intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth for a life of active, responsible citizenship.

Education is based on developing truly internationally minded people who strive to be inquirers, thinkers, communicators, courageous, knowledgeable, open-minded, principled, balanced, caring, and reflective. These Learner Profile attributes are central to the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) we offer and permeate every aspect of learning in primary school.

This information booklet is specifically intended to provide information to our new Year 1 families. Parents will also receive a whole college parent and student handbook prior to the start of the school year.

We regardgood communication betweenhome andschoolasessential. We hopethis bookletwillprovideyouwithanunderstandingofhowtheCollegeoperates,particularlytheprimary school.Wewouldwelcometheopportunitytodiscussanyfurtherquestions you may have regarding our College.

We look forward to working with you and your child.

Emma-Louise Cathrae

Lucy Wood

Louise Mills Head of Primary DeputyHead of Primary PYP Coodinator

Term Dates for 2024-25

TERM ONE

DC CPD Day (no students in school)

Start date for all students

National Day

MidTerm Break

End ofTerm One (finish at12.00)

TERM TWO

StartofTerm Two

Chinese New Year

CPD Day (no students in school)

ChingMing Festival

End of Term Two

TERM THREE

Start of Term Three

Labour Day

CPD Day (no students in school)

Buddha’s Birthday (observed)

End ofTerm Three (finish at12.00)

12-13 August 2024

Wednesday14 August

Tuesday 1 October

7-11 October

Friday 15 December

Monday 6 January 2025

27-31 February

Monday 3 February

Friday 4 April

Thursday 3 April

Tuesday 22 April

Thursday1 May

Friday2 May

Monday 5 May

Friday 27 June

Please Note:

Theacademic year allows for 185 teaching days and 5CPD (Continuous Professional Development) days,the number requiredofall ESF/ESLschools (bearingschool closurers for weather orothereventualities).

Daily Timetable

From August, your child’s timetable will be shared, and you will also receive a copy from your class teacher.

The timetable will indicate when your child willattendspecialistclassesinmusic,drama,visualarts,PE,and Chinese. At all other times, the children will be in their own classroom or access other facilities in the college to support their learning with their class teacher.

8:20am Students must be inside classrooms

8.20am-8.30am Morning welcome and registration check

3.15pm Children dismissed (see dismissal procedures in this booklet for further information).

(Pleasenote these arrangements are provisional andmay besubject to change due toEDB announcements)

What todo onthe first week of school

You will be assigned to group A or B.

Wednesday 14 August

• Group A will come to the school at 8.30 am - 12 noon

• GroupB students willhave arest day at home.

Thursday 15 August

• Group A students will have a rest day at home.

• Group B will come to the school at 8.30 am - 12 noon

Friday 16 August

• Group A and Group B students will come to the school at 8.30 am - 12 noon

• Studentscan comeon thebusin themorning butmust becollected from school at 12 noon

On these three days, parents will wait in the foyer of the school for teachers to come and collect the children at 8.30 am At the end of the session parents will collect students from the collection point at the back of the school near the school pitch.

On these days, yourchildwill needto bring asnacktoschoolaswellas a water bottle.

Supporting your child on their first few days at school

Saygoodbye to yourchildso thatthey know you are leaving. Leave the school cheerfully and quickly,reassuring your child you will seethem laterin theday. Teacherswill alsodirect youwhen itmay behelpful forall parentsto leaveso wecan settleinto theday.

It isnormal for some children toexperience someseparation anxiety and be reluctant to let their parent leave. This is where the teachers’ expertise is important and they will know when it is the right time for parents to leave.

Once you have said goodbye, leavingwithoutchangingyourmindis best Taking another few minutes to leave can sometimesbe confusingandupsettingforyourchild

If your child is upset, there will be staff available to assist. Please know that we will not leave your child crying and distressed. We will contact you if a child is unduly distressed.

Supporting your child’s transition

During the Summer Holidays:

• Let your child practice dressing for school, using a lunchbox and drink bottle and packing a school bag.

• Adopt a low-key approach to the big day, initiating casual conversations about this new step and sharing positive stories. Avoid the big countdown such as ‘it’s only 10 sleeps until you start school.’ This can sometimes actually lead to additional and undue anxiety for some children.

• Establish family routines linked to the school year, such as organising themselves foroutings, beingresponsiblefortheir belongings and having a structured bedtime routine.

• Encourage the efforts your child makes in doing things for themselves and others.

You know your child best. It may be that you observe signs of anxiety in your child. It is important to talk about how they are feeling, to listen and to acknowledge their concerns. This will help to buildtheir confidenceand lessenthe stressthey may be experiencing.

The beginning of the school year:

• Encourage your child to organise clean clothes and pack their lunch and drink bottle the night before.

• Establishaconsistentroutineforbedtimetoensureyourchildiswell rested.

• Encourage your child to dress themselves so they can manage taking jumpersandshoesonandoff atschool.

• Besureyourchildhasabalancedbreakfast.Proteinandgoodfats arebuildingblocksforbraindevelopmentandlearning.

• Packahealthylunchandsnackandexplainwhentheyshouldbe eaten.Healthierfoodtypesareencouraged.DiscoveryCollegeis aPEANUTFREEschool.Attimes,dependingontheneedsofthe studentsasacohortfurtherrestrictionontypesoffoodbrought toschoolmaybeapplied.Ifyourchildhasanallergyoryouhave questionsaroundallergies,pleasecontacttheschool.

• Makesureyourchildcanmanageopeningcontainersandfood wrapping.

• Ensurethatyourchildisindependentintoileting.

GROW. DISCOVER. DREAM.

Parent -Teacher Communication

As partners in your child’s learning journey, communication is a key element of ensuring we work together to provide optimal learning opportunities and experiences to meet your child’s individual learning needs. This ongoing dialogue between parents, teachers and students occurs in different ways. This includes:

• Brief information: Please use email.

• For brief conversations: Please see teachers before or after school.

• For longer conversations: Please arrange a mutual time with the teacher to meet.

• Parent Teacher Conferences – Occurs in September

• Parent Teacher Conferences - Occurs in December

• Three-Way Conferences– Occursin March.

• Student-Led Conferences – Occurs in June.

• Online Reports –Available twice per year –January andJune.

• Weekly Explorer – The online newsletter provides a myriad of information about the learning programme. This can be accessed at http://explorer.discovery.edu.hk.

• Updates by the ESF App

• TheCollege websiteandParentPortal also contains updatedinformationin relation to many aspects of the school.

• Year One Programme information is available through updates on the Year 1 website available on the Parent Portal.

In addition to these there are also a class sharing opportunities and regular parent information sessions and workshops.

Pleasebeassuredthat in any instancewherethe classteacherhas anything specific to yourchild toshare, theywillcommunicate this to you through the diary, email or in person.

Parent Helpers and Volunteers

Parents are valued as an integral part of our College. There are numerous roles that parents/guardians can be involved in to support the school in its core operation of improving learningoutcomesfor students.Thesemay include attending field trips, information evenings, sharing your expertise through the inquiry units of learning and so on.

We also encourage parents/guardians to participate in the classrooms by assisting in the learning programmes. Class teachers will communicate ways you can assist in Term One.

This is an important aspect of school that we are continuing toreestablish afterthe liftingofrestrictions formthe previous few years.

College Life & Operations

Dismissal

From 3:15pm parents/guardians are asked to wait on the LGF by the school pitches. This will be where Year 1 children are dismissed from.

Children will only be released into the care of a parent/guardian or helper. Alternativearrangementsneed to becommunicatedclearlyto theteachervia email.

Forstudents whouse thebusto gohome, busmothers willalso needto be informed of any changes to the usual routine.

Homework/HomeReadingProgramme

Studentsareencouragedtofocustheirhomelearningactivitiesonreading.From time to time other tasks, including reinforcement activities, will be sent home.

IndependenceandResponsibility

Therearemany ways wecan work together to developindependenceand responsibility from the children. Encourage your children to:

• Carry their own school bag.

• Be responsible for delivering and alerting the teacher of notes in their diary.

• Enter the school and unpack their bag on their own.

• Informteachersif they are unwell.

• Be responsible for their belongings.

Lunch and Snack

Snack is important for your child to keep their energy and concentration levels up during the morning.

• Ensurethat your child knows which istheir snack and lunch.

• Snack should be kept to a minimum, such as a piece of fruit or a small healthy treat.

• We discourage packaged snacks that are high in sugar and preservatives.

• Drinkbottles arealso required.Onlyfill withwater –nofruit juiceor sports drinks.

Students will be able to purchase lunch from the cafeteria. Parents of Year 1 students can access information about how to do this on the school website.

Spend time with your child choosing appropriate and familiar foods.

Uniform

Discovery College uniform can be ordered online at: www.schooluniform.hk

Studentswill also require aschool bag Thismust bemanageable for your child yet large enough to fit in a lunch box, drink bottle, clothing, a diary and A4 books and folders in pouches.

Pleaseensure youlabel allclothing(first/last nameand class) as well as hats, lunch boxes and drink bottles.

Health

Goodhealthisessentialtoyourchild’swell-beingandabilitytolearn. Please adviseusof anything important that may hinder your child’s learning aswellasanymedicalhistory such as epilepsy, visionor hearing problems, allergies, asthma and learning difficulties.

Children who are ill or‘off colour’should not haveto cope with the demands of school.If you arein doubt,pleasekeepyourchild athomeandcontacttheschoolofficeandclassteachertoconfirm absence.

Ifyourchildhasaninfectiousdiseaseora serious illness and may be away from school for anextended periodof time,a phone call tothe College or classroom teacher would be appreciated.

TheCollege employs anursetohelpwithanyseriousmedical cases.ShealsosupportsotherneedsoftheCollegebyconducting promotional and educational sessions for staff, students and parents.

Pleasenotestudentswithtemperatures above37.5mustbe kept at home for 2 days to ensure the temperature subsides. This is a school policythat will not bechangedforindividualcases.

Medication /Emergency Information

Prescribedmedicationby adoctorcanonlybe brought to school and administeredtoa childbytheCollegenurse with WRITTEN authority from the parent. You must inform us if your childis on medication. Medication should be stored in the nurse's office, not in your child’s bag.

Peanut-Free School and Further Product Restrictions due to Severe Allergies

WithintheDiscovery CollegeCommunitywehaveseveral individuals with severe allergies. These allergies may lead to anaphylaxis. This is a rapidlyprogressiveallergicreactionthatispotentiallylife-threatening. Commonallergens in school aged students areoften nuts, sesame products and shellfish.

As a result, the College operates as a complete PEANUT free area. In addition, some spaces used by students may operate with further restrictions on products based on the medicalneeds of adultsand students.Ifthisisthecasefurtherdetailsandinformationregarding this will be sent toyoupriorto the start of school. Yoursupport is greatlyappreciated with this asit will assistus inensuring we have minimizedthe riskto thestudentsof concern.

LostProperty

Itemsthat are notclaimedarestored in the cupboardnear the security guard office on theground floor asyouwalkinto school.

Grow 成长

chéng zhang

Bepassionateaboutbeingthebestyoucanbe.

Findwonderinthe worldaround us. Dream

mèng xiang

Daretomakea differencefor yourself, humanityandourplanet.