ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

LEAVING YOUR CHILD

When bringing your child into School, please encourage them to be involved in their morning routine.

Put their bag into their cubby hole Put their water bottle in the tray Put their diary into the basket Say ‘Good Morning’ to their teacher

For the first week of School you are very welcome to come into the classroom and settle your child. When we start the carpet session with the whole class we ask that you please say goodbye and leave at this time. We are very sensitive towards the needs of the children and will support them accordingly. If you are at all worried, please let us know and we will give you a call later to let you know that all is well. If you have any changes in circumstance such as illness in the family or anything that might unsettle your child during the day, please let us know. Even if it seems very trivial, it could help us to support them.

SUN PROTECTION

Please ensure that you have applied sun screen on your child before arriving at school each day during the summer months. It is advisable to purchase a longer lasting sun cream so that it will last the entire day. Children are also required to wear hats outside during outdoor play.

PUPIL DIARIES

Every child will have a Pupil Diary, which will be checked by a member of the EY team each day. We will write in any information regarding what your child may need to bring in or remember for a forthcoming event in School. Please check your child’s bag and diary every night.

CLOTHING

Please see the uniform list that you have been sent for the full list of items that your child will need in the EYC each day (also available on the website). Please can all clothing and other uniform items be clearly named. This helps us to identify items and also helps your child to be responsible for their own belongings. Sun hats, mosquito repellent, a spare set of clothes, a pair of wellies and a raincoat are also required and should be kept in School.

SNACKTIME

We provide all children with a healthy snack in the morning. A range of snacks is available including fresh fruit, healthy sandwiches, milk, raisin buns and cheese with crackers.

LUNCHTIME

Children all eat lunch together in the Early Years dining area. We have a family approach to dining and staff sit with the children to eat. A healthy meal is provided by the School for your child. The EY staff will encourage your child during lunch and monitor closely what they eat. We are sensitive to children who find mealtimes difficult and will work with parents to ensure that they are eating enough to sustain a busy day at School. Most children will eat well at School because they can see their peers eating and many will try new foods with confidence as a result. Please let us know of any special dietary requirements. Details of meals being served in the EYC can be found on the School website.

PARENT/TEACHER MEETINGS & REPORTS

There will be a ‘Meet the Teacher’ meeting in the first half of the Autumn Term where the K1 Curriculum will be outlined to parents. There will also be a Parent/Teacher consultation where you will be able to discuss how your child has settled and what progress they have made in that first term. At the end of the Autumn Term you will receive a short report outlining progress and areas for development. In the Spring Term, we will hold a Celebration of Learning Day where you will be invited into the classroom to participate in a session with your child and have an informal meeting with your child and the teacher to update you with progress and targets.

In the Summer Term, a full academic report will be sent to you summing up your child’s achievement over the K1 year. You are always very welcome to come and chat to the K1 staff about your child and do not need to wait until the parents’ evening to discuss any queries you may have. Staff will meet and greet each morning and at home times and this may be a good time for a quick chat. If a longer session is required, please make an appointment with your Class Teacher.

COLLECTING YOUR CHILD

If there is a change in childcare arrangements, we would encourage you to write changes/ play arrangements in your child’s diary or directly contact the EYC Office. In the event that someone unfamiliar to the Class Teacher comes to collect a child, parents will be contacted to check before the child is allowed to go. Informing us of any changes in advance makes this process as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

ILLNESS

It is good practice in Hong Kong to check your child’s temperature before they come to School each day. Any child with a fever (oral temperature higher than 37.5°C or ear temperature higher than 38°C) should stay off School for 24 hours. If your child requires Panadol or other pain-relieving medicines to attend School without a temperature they should not be sent to School. Any child who has suffered from sickness or diarrhoea must stay away from the EYC for at least 48 hours from the last bout of illness. We will call you if your child suffers from a fever, sickness or diarrhoea whilst at School and ask you to come and collect them. This is to protect our youngest and most vulnerable children from infection. You must please inform us immediately if your child has an infectious disease. The EYC reserves the right to refuse admission to any child on health grounds and follows the whole School sickness policy.

ACCIDENTS & INJURIES

Whilst every possible care is taken to ensure that your child is safe in our care, children will at some point inevitably bump or bruise themselves in the course of their play. When this happens, we will comfort a child who is distressed and deal with any minor injury in the EYC (by cleaning a graze, applying a plaster etc.). Any more serious injuries will be referred for further treatment.

TOILETING

Your child must be fully toilet trained, wearing underwear (no nappies or pull up pants). We encourage all children to be independent when going to the toilet. Staff can support children where needed and frequent reminders are given during the day. Please provide spare clothes and underwear which can be kept at School so that children can change if needed. A note will be added to the diary if your child has been changed.

ONLINE LEARNING JOURNEYS

Every child in the Early years has their own Online Learning Journey. This is accessible via the internet. You will receive an email asking you to create a parent account. Then you can see observations of your child, including photos and comments. You can respond to these observations with your own comments. Your child’s work will be kept in a folder and sent home at the end of the year.

OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS

Your child only needs to bring the items stipulated on the uniform list to School each day. Please do not send toys or snacks into School with your child as they may get lost or damaged and there is plenty at School for your child to play with and to eat and drink! There may be children in School with your child with severe allergies and this is another reason why we ask that no foodstuffs should be sent in your child’s bag.

WATER

All children need to bring a plastic water bottle to School every day, clearly labelled with their name. It should only contain water (please no juice or fizzy drinks). They are stored so that children can help themselves during the course of the day.

ANY QUESTIONS/QUERIES OR PROBLEMS

Please come and talk to your child’s Class Teacher initially. They will have a good relationship with you and your child and should be able to answer any queries or issues that may arise. If you feel that you would like to discuss a matter further, you may make an appointment to chat things through with Ms Brabiner (Early Years Leader).