Lower Primary Handbook

2012 Lower Primary School 2013 Parent Handbook

Hong Kong International School Lower Primary Administrative Team

Maya Nelson

Nate Dennison

Ben Hart

Principal mnelson@hkis.edu.hk

Associate Principal ndennison@hkis.edu.hk

Associate Principal bhart@hkis.edu.hk

Lower Primary Office

Anjali Lakhwani

Nikki Adams

Marjan Levy

Rita Wong

Cynthia Au

Executive Secretary Secretary Secretary Secretary Secretary

Tel: 2812-5454 Tel: 2812-5410 Tel: 2812-5412 Tel: 2812-5425 Tel: 2812-5425 alakhwani@hkis.edu.hk nadams@hkis.edu.hk mlevy@hkis.edu.hk rjwong@hkis.edu.hk cau@hkis.edu.hk

Health Office

Shannon Hilliard

Fay Beese

Tel: 2812-5414

Tel: 2812-5414

Bus Co-ordinator

Bus Company

Kenny Chu

Kwoon Chung Motors

Tel: 2812-5419 Mobile phone until 6:00 p.m. 6086-1143

Tel: 2578-1178

Hong Kong International School Lower Primary School 23 South Bay Close, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong • Tel: 2812-5000 • Fax: 2812-9590 • http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/lps

Welcome Letter from the Principal 2012-2013 School Year

Dear Lower Primary Parents, There is nothing that can compare to the energy of an early childhood elementary school! On behalf of our Lower Primary faculty and staff, I welcome you to our magical place. As you walk through the hallways and classrooms of our school and speak to the students and teachers, you will feel and see a sense of joy and passion for learning.

Our Mission Statement guides us and our Student Learning Results demonstrate our focus on every aspect of each student's growth, in the areas of Academic Excellence, Spirituality, Character Development, SelfMotivated Learning, Contributing to Society and Chinese Culture. We strive to nurture and develop students from diverse backgrounds and experiences who will make a difference in their communities and their worlds.

For 46 years, HKIS has been dedicated to the education, development and growth of each and every one of its students. Here, in the Lower Primary, all of our children are treated with respect, dignity and high expectations.

We believe that learning is a natural activity at this age, and that our Lower Primary is the natural place for the awakening of the whole child.

The Lower Primary is a happy place where growing good people, embracing the beauty of early childhood, and enjoying the process of learning is our entire focus. In the Lower Primary, we believe that when parents and teachers work together on behalf of each child, all the children here will maximize their learning and development, and achieve successes in all aspects of school.

Thank you for choosing HKIS and Lower Primary. We are honored that you have entrusted your child's education to us and look forward to a wonderful school year. We hope you will see for yourself what makes this place so very special, and so very magical.

Sincerely,

Maya Nelson Principal, Lower Primary

Please note the following important dates for your calender: Orientation and Registration: August 14th (R1-G2) and 15th (R1-R2), 2012 Back to School Night for Grades One and Two: August 29th, 2012 Back to School Night for Reception One and Two: September 5th, 2012 Grade Level Parent Coffees: September 18th (G1-G2) and 25th (R1-R2), 2012

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

1

Contents

General Information

Background of Hong Kong International School

4

School Policies and Procedures

15

Lower Primary Philosophy Statement

4

Admissions and Grade Placement

15

The Religious Dimension of our Program

5

Advertisements

15

Language Policy Across the Curriculum

5

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

15

Assessing Student Learning

16

Attendance and Absences

17

Behavior and Discipline

17

Learning and Growing in Early Childhood: The Educational Program

6

Organization of Grades in Lower Primary

6

How Does the Cluster Environment Work?

6

How Do We Teach Academics in the Early Years?

6

Specialist Classes

7

Birthdays 17 Chapels and Assemblies

17

Communication Between Home and School

17

Early Leaving

18

Student Services Center

11

End of Year Check Out Procedures

18

SSC Program Objectives

11

Field Trips

18

Guidance and Counseling Program

11

Homework 19

Learning Specialist Support

11

Labels in Clothing and Other Belongings

19

Health Office

12

Lost and Found

19

After School Programs

13

Lunch/Drinks 19 Nut Free Policy

19

Parent Advisory Group

20

Riding the School Bus Safely

14

Parent Faculty Organization

20

Training for Bus Mothers

14

Parents’ Presence in Hong Kong

21

Behavior Expected on the Bus

14

Parking 21

Safety Rules for all Bus Riders

14

Picking up Students During the Day

21

Enforcement of Bus Rules

14

Problems and Concerns

21

Changing Buses

14

Promoting a Culture of Respect

22

Registration and Transfers

23

Reporting on Student Learning

23

Safety Procedures

23

School Supplies/Backpacks or Bookbags

23

Six-Day Schedule

23

Student Safety Patrol

24

Telephone Calls

24

Tutoring

24

Uniform 24 Valuables 25 Visitors and Parent Volunteers in Lower Primary

25

Weather Warnings Procedures

26

Appendices Six Day Schedule 2012-13

28

Medical Consent Form

29

Notification of Both Parents’ Absence from Hong Kong

30

Appointment of Temporary Guardians

31

HKIS Community Partnership and Communication Guidelines 32 HKIS Shared Philosophy of Education

2

Hong Hong International School

35

Literacy Handbook

Math Handbook

Reading & Writing

44

Key skills for success in school

44

Literacy Curriculum in the Lower Primary

45

Research-Based Literacy Instruction

46

Reading and Writing Workshop

47

Math Curriculum in the Lower Primary

62

NAEYC Guidelines and NCTM Recommendations 62 Research-Based Math Instruction

63

Content Standards R1-G2

64

Number Sense

64

Algebra 65

Components of a Reading or Writing Workshop Lesson

47

Keys for Success in Reading and Writing

48

What the research in early literacy says

48

Reading and Writing Development

49

An ongoing continuum

49

Preconventional (ages 3-5) 50

Geometry and Spatial Sense

66

Measurement 67 Data Analysis and Probability

68

Process Standards R1-G2

69

Problem Solving

69

Reasoning and Proof

70

Communication 71 Connections 72

Emerging (ages 4-6)

52

Representation 72

Developing (ages 5-7)

54

References:

Beginning (ages 6-8)

Expanding (ages 7-9)

57

56

References:

For additional information about the NAEYC standards visit www.naeyc.org For additional information about the NCTM standards visit www.nctm.org/standards For additional information about the Everyday Math program visit www.everydaymath.com

New Standards Primary Literacy Committee. 1999. Reading and Writing Grade by Grade: Primary Literacy Standards for Kindergarten Through Third Grade. National Center on Education and the Economy and the University of Pittsburgh.

The Reading and Writing Project. 2010. Teachers College, NY Columbia University.

Calkins, L. 2003. Units of Study for Primary Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Glover, M. 2009. Engaging Young Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Hill, B.C. 2001. Developmental Continuums: A Framework for Literacy Instruction and Assessment K-8. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.

Fountas, I. and Gay Su Pinnell. 1996. Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for all Children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Neuman, Susan B., Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp. 2002.

Learning & Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Compiled by: Ann E. Freeman, Ph. D. Contributing Authors: Bonnie Campbell Hill, Madeleine Maceda Heide, Ann E. Freeman, Maggie Moon, Maya Nelson, Ben Hart, Nate Dennison

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

3

Background of Hong Kong International School

Hong Kong International School (HKIS) first opened its doors in Repulse Bay to 630 international students on September 14, 1967.

From humble beginnings, HKIS has expanded to cover two sites with Lower and Upper Primary schools based in Repulse Bay and Middle and High Schools based in Tai Tam. Employing more than 500 faculty and staff from Hong Kong and around the globe, HKIS provides an American-style education, teaching a wide and varied curriculum that encourages personal as well as academic growth. HKIS is accepted as one of the leading international schools in the world.

HKIS places understanding of China and appreciation of the Chinese culture within its core learning. The school prides itself on remaining at the cutting edge of technical and academic excellence, operating on a one-laptop-one-student basis with a highlyqualified and specialized multi-cultural faculty.

HKIS SAT scores are consistently above the US national mean. Students graduating from HKIS attend many of the best universities in the world.

In the 2011/12 academic year, HKIS educated over 2,600 R1 to Grade 12 students with over 40 different nationalities from wide-ranging backgrounds.

Lower Primary Philosophy Statement Our practices in serving children and families are based on our commitment to certain fundamental values that are rooted in the history of our profession and grounded in the Christian faith. Our work is guided by our school’s Mission Statement and the six Student Learning Results towards which we help our students strive.

What core beliefs do we have about children, families, teaching and learning?

We appreciate childhood as a unique stage of the human life cycle. We value the quality of children’s lives in the present, not just as preparation for the future.

Our work with children is based on an ever-growing body of knowledge of child development and learning. We appreciate and support the close ties between a child and his or her family. We recognize that children are best understood in the context of family, culture and society. We respect the dignity, worth and uniqueness of each individual child. We aspire to help children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust, respect and positive regard.

How are our core values made evident in our environment? n We believe that all children are competent and capable individuals who have a natural curiosity for learning. We believe that a positive experience during the early years of schooling has a profound effect on self-worth and future attitudes towards learning.

Therefore, we foster a child’s basic disposition to investigate and to make sense of their experiences, to teach them to care about and relate to others and to nourish their social, emotional, spiritual, physical, aesthetic, cultural, linguistic and intellectual development. We affirm the value of play and social interaction as a key learning medium. Within our active program of learning, children engage in concrete experiences that enable them to build on their existing knowledge and develop dispositions for life-long learning such as creativity, perseverance, care and responsibility. Through a balanced program of teacher initiated and student initiated learning, children interact with others to acquire skills that enable them to develop their interests, solve real problems and communicate cooperatively with others. We provide opportunities for children to be curious, to wonder, to ask questions and to learn from others. We encourage children to marvel at nature, to develop a sense of spirituality, to acquire an understanding of heritage and to make connections about the world.

4

Hong Hong International School

n We believe that teachers actively contribute to each student’s learning through their expectations, teaching strategies and commitment to learning.

Therefore, we have high expectations of students and scaffold learning to support increased levels of understanding, consistent with developmentally appropriate practice. We regularly assess student learning and modify our instruction to match children’s needs. We support children’s sense of self and growing awareness of their abilities by establishing a positive environment in which student’s efforts are valued and recognized. We guide and monitor student behavior and use appropriate methods of discipline.

n We believe that parents have a critical role in contributing to their child’s self-esteem and learning.

Therefore, we encourage parents to be involved in their child’s learning both within school and at home and we regularly communicate with parents in various ways about our program and about student progress.

n We believe that teachers nourish themselves as professionals by continuing to learn at all stages of their career.

Therefore, we identify areas for our own personal and professional growth and implement plans to strengthen our curriculum and instruction. We find ways to learn from our colleagues and to share our knowledge with others.

The Religious Dimension of our Program Hong Kong International School has its roots in the Christian faith and tradition. We are aware that, as an international school, we serve students from a wide range of religious backgrounds and experiences, both Christian and non-Christian. Our intent is not to convert children to a particular religious point of view. We teach students the basic tenets of the Christian faith and the ways of living that follow from it. We also teach about other world religions. This is done in an effort to increase students’ understanding and respect of Christianity and other faiths, one of our school-wide Student Learning Results. Through religion lessons, chapels and devotions, we hope to enable students to grow in the understanding and appreciation of the spiritual dimension of their lives. Spirituality is a journey of reverence, which explores the meaning of our lives and connections with God, other people, and the world.

In today’s world, it is clear that it is important to become a religiously educated person. A religiously educated person is someone who is capable of making a personal commitment in the midst of pluralistic beliefs and life stances and is, at the same time, ready to enter into genuine dialogue with people of other cultures and other religious traditions so as to live in harmony with them. Religious education at HKIS is an academic program about different religions that combines the mind and the heart in developing academic understanding and a strong sense of one’s spiritual identity.

Language Policy Across the Curriculum: English and other languages HKIS’s primary focus is to provide a high quality education with English as the language of instruction. Our school promotes and celebrates a school climate that values and appreciates cultural and linguistic diversity. In the context of our school, every student, teacher, and parent has many opportunities to build community through language. HKIS encourages everyone to be sensitive to how the use of different languages affects others. Our goal is for everyone to feel included and accepted. Therefore, in mixed-language groups outside the classroom, students are encouraged to use a language common to everyone in the group. Although our language of instruction is English, the occasional use of other languages in classroom settings may be appropriate if there is a need to clarify difficult concepts with someone from the same language background.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

5

Learning and Growing in Early Childhood: The Educational Program

Organization of Grades in Lower Primary Reception One is a pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. We currently have nine classes, with a class size of 15. We have two options for parents. • Half-day program, which runs in two sessions: Morning session: 7:55 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and afternoon session: 12:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. (with buses leaving at 3:00 p.m.) • Long-day program: 7:55 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. (with buses leaving at 2:00 p.m.)

Reception Two is our American Kindergarten program for five-year-olds. We currently have nine Reception Two classes, with a class size of 18. (7:55 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.), with buses leaving at 2:00 p.m.

Grade One is for six-year-olds and Grade Two is for seven-year-olds. We currently have nine classes in each of those grades, with a class size of 20. (7:55 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.), with buses leaving at 3:00 p.m.

How does the cluster environment work?

We appreciate having a warm and nurturing environment for our young children. Our building is organized in clusters of two to four classrooms located in one large open space. The space is divided into learning areas with walls and dividers. Teachers work together with teacher assistants so that activities and lessons are coordinated and children quickly learn how to function within this setting. We value a collaborative approach to teaching, and teachers often work in teams of two or four, sharing and exchanging ideas and strategies. Children often get to know children in other classrooms especially during the shared recess time outdoors.

How do we teach academics in the early years? n Literacy (Reading and Writing) The Lower Primary uses a standards-based curriculum which aligns with each of the stages of literacy development. There are two standards in Reading and one in Writing, and we have specific benchmarks for each standard for each grade level.

The complete Literacy Curriculum is available on the Lower Primary website at http:// dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/lps.

R1-12 Language Arts / English Standards Reading Habits

Students will acquire the habit of reading a variety of literary and informational texts for understanding and enjoyment.

Reading Process and Meaning

Using the reading process, students will demonstrate skills and apply strategies for understanding a variety of literary and informational texts.

Writing Process, Purpose, and Genre

Students will develop an understanding through a variety of genres.

Listening and Speaking

Students will use listening and speaking strategies for different purposes. (Students will listen and speak for effective communication and learning.)

Visual Literacy

Students interpret and respond to visual media.

Please refer to our Literacy Handbook on page 43. n Mathematics Each of the four divisions at HKIS use Principals and Standards for School Mathematics, a document written by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, as a framework for divisional grade level benchmarks. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is an international professional organization committed to excellence in mathematics teaching and learning for all

6

Hong Hong International School

students. The NCTM standards provide a vision of what mathematics instruction in schools should be, with a common set of standards that show the growth of mathematical knowledge across the grades. In Lower Primary, each grade level has specific and distinct grade level expectations.

There are ten standards that describe the mathematical knowledge, understanding and skills students should acquire from Reception One through Grade Twelve. There are five standards describing the mathematical content that students should learn to be successful, and five standards that highlight the mathematical processes that students draw on to use their content knowledge. These ten standards define the basic mathematics that all students have the opportunity to learn.

The process (or performance) standards:

The content standards:

Problem Solving

Number and Operations

Reasoning and Proof

Algebra

Communication

Geometry

Connections

Measurement

Representation

Data Analysis and Probability

Please refer to our Math Handbook section on page 63. n Religious Education Our Religious Education program provides a focus on Christianity in all classrooms, with key Bible stories, Bible verses, cluster chapels, devotions, songs and prayer time. In this way, our children talk and learn about the Christian God and Jesus.

In addition, each grade level also has a focus on one of the major world religions – Buddhism in Reception One, Hinduism in Reception Two, Islam in Grade One and Judaism in Grade Two. We honor different world religions through festival celebrations, discussions, examining artifacts, reading books and gathering information at an appropriate level. Through cluster community meetings, children talk and learn about world religions. n Social Studies and Science Science and Social Studies are taught using an inquiry-based approach. Scientific processes including observation, collecting, recording and interpreting data, predicting, classifying, and drawing conclusions are practiced in hands-on, meaningful activities. Students learn concepts, as well as information. In addition, skills of reasoning, problem solving, working collaboratively, goal setting, and decision making are practiced throughout the curriculum.

Specialist Classes n Chinese Studies Program Philosophy: “Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience.” We as members of an international school and community endorse this statement by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The learning of languages encourages students to respect and to understand other cultures as well as heightens the awareness of one’s own culture. It also enhances divergent thinking and self motivated learning. Language learning equips students to participate more actively in the global community and to be more adaptable in the ever-changing world. Chinese is particularly important since Hong Kong is part of China.

Literacy is built upon a foundation of spoken language competence; therefore we believe that oral communicative language should rest at the heart of language instruction. Reading will be gradually introduced followed by writing.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

7

We also believe that the central goal of language learning should be the communication and exchange of ideas, perceptions and needs that will enable learners to meet current and future social and informational needs in the Chinesespeaking world.

The HKIS Chinese Studies program fully embraces the differentiated needs of our identified learners. Understanding that the acquisition of an additional language is dependent upon multiple factors, the HKIS program places a differentiated focus on the broad areas of reading/writing and listening/speaking dependent upon the learner. Regardless of emphasis, the aim for the HKIS Chinese Studies program is to develop communicatively competent and culturally enriched students in Mandarin.

General Information: Lower Primary students all participate in Chinese language instruction as a part of their normal and daily program of studies. Each class will also reach into the richness of Chinese culture as a means to contextualize and strengthen the link between learning the language as well as deepening the students’ appreciation for the most widely spoken language in the world.

Class activities will be varied and include games, song, rhyme, dance, cooking, arts/crafts, oral dialogues and excursions all designed to immerse the students into the use of Putonghua. Additionally, homework will be given to G1 and G2 students to strengthen and practice learned skills of oral proficiency as well as the skills of reading, writing and listening. We strongly encourage parents to actively participate and support their students’ learning of this language by spending time with them and taking interest in the activities and projects.

The instruction for Chinese is divided into two distinct streams. The two streams are Mandarin as Second Language (MSL) and Mandarin for Near-Native speakers (MNN).

Mandarin as Second Language (MSL) The MSL stream is designed for students with no previous personal or family exposure and/or experience in the targeted language or any other similar Asian language. Learning Mandarin represents a true second language platform with the end goal of communicative functionality in Putonghua to exchange common, everyday thoughts, ideas and information.

Oral proficiency work will be the emphasis in this learning stream as well as the early use the simplified characters system. The exit benchmark for this learning stream is based on benchmarks mapped out in the Chinese Studies R-12 curriculum.

Mandarin for Near-Native Speakers (MNN) This learning stream is for students with previous personal or family exposure and/or experience in the targeted language. These students have strong and regular access to familial support in areas of listening input, reading, writing, and speaking (e.g.: parents have working knowledge and skill in Putonghua or similar Asian language).

This stream demands a higher level of competency in the four skills of Putonghua – listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The end goal for this learning stream is to establish a Putonghua proficiency level sufficient to use Putonghua as a medium to learn other content areas. This proficiency level requires a high degree of equal competency in the four skill areas of Putonghua; reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Learning of Chinese Language and Culture Both streams require student motivation, dedication and personal commitment. It’s not a difficult spoken language, but reading and writing, which are not phonetic, require effort and time to develop. Daily practice in small doses is the key to success. n Technology Students use a range of appropriate technology and software to support and extend their learning within the classroom program. The information technology facilitator

8

Hong Hong International School

and the librarian work closely with teachers and children to develop every student’s information literacy skills. We integrate technology into the curriculum, using it as a tool for learning. All kinds of technology are readily available, including computers in every cluster, as well as Macbooks, iPads, iPod Touches, digital cameras, MP3 recorders, floor BeeBots and more. n Library Children visit the library regularly to borrow books and learn library skills. In addition, the librarian works closely with teachers to support classroom themes and research projects and to integrate information literacy standards into the existing academic curriculum. n Music The music curriculum at Lower Primary uses a combination of the Scott Foresman Silver Burdett “Making Music” series and the Orff Schulwerk approach to teaching music. Silver Burdett “Making Music” provides sequential instruction and reflects the philosophy of the U.S. National Standards for Arts Education. Orff Schulwerk is based on things children like to do: singing, chanting rhythm/rhymes, clapping, dancing, and keeping a beat using a wide variety of pitched and unpitched instruments. The special Orff melody (pitched) instruments include wooden xylophones and metal glockenspiels that offer good sound immediately. Played together as in a small orchestra, their use helps children become sensitive listeners and considerate participants. The children at Lower Primary use Orff instruments in the process of learning and in the product of performances.

The Lower Primary music curriculum provides many opportunities to explore music through singing, moving, listening, and playing instruments. We also incorporate music of various styles, cultures and time periods. Our music program promotes and celebrates the joy of music while using developmentally appropriate materials. n Physical Education The Physical Education program emphasizes personal fitness and basic sports skills through the following six curricular units: Body Management - Children use specially designed, age appropriate climbing equipment. They are introduced to several concepts including body awareness, inversion, exploration of risk taking and the recognition of their own physical ability.

The skills they develop include body strength, flexibility, tumbling, coordination, and balance.

Manipulatives - Children are introduced to the concepts of spatial awareness, creativity, movement, and rhythmic activity. The skills they develop include hand/eye coordination, accuracy, dexterity, timing, and rhythm.

Ball Skills - While participating in ball skills, children learn how to play with partners and in groups, and develop an understanding of spatial awareness. The skills they develop include accuracy, hand/eye coordination, rolling/throwing/catching, and timing.

Movement - During our movement unit, the children develop the concepts of creativity, social interaction, spatial awareness, methods of expression and exploring levels and planes.

Problem Solving - Various scenarios are set in which the children use team work and logical, creative thinking to solve problems. In addition to developing cooperation and fairness, children use coordination, balance, dexterity, and jumping/landing skills to solve problems.

Swimming - Swimming is an important life skill. Skills involving water adjustment, water entry and exit, buoyancy control, breathing and stroke correction are taught depending on the level of the group. All children are introduced to personal safety and the use of life jackets.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

9

“No Swim” Policy Swimming is an integral part of the Lower Primary Physical Education curriculum; therefore, all students are expected to swim. In the event your child is unable to swim, due to a medical condition, one of the following must be submitted/performed; 1) a medical note from a qualified physician (electronic scan is acceptable), 2) a parentally endorsed written excuse (e-mail is acceptable), or 3) a telephone call by a parent or guardian. The aforementioned note/telephone call/e-mail must be received by both your child’s PE teacher and classroom teacher prior to your child's next PE class. If a note/telephone call/e-mail has not been received prior to PE class, it will be assumed your child is fit to swim and is expected to do so.

Swimming Class Information • R1 and R2 students change clothing in the classroom/flex-room prior to and after swimming.

• Grade 1 and Grade 2 students change in the locker rooms at the pool.

• There is a placement test on the first day of swimming. Placements are subject to change.

• If a student forgets his/her swim kit there are extra suits available to borrow.

• Swimming is on rain or shine; but not when there is lightning or rain so heavy that the bottom of the pool is not visible. We also follow weather warnings.

• Students should wear crocs or flip-flops to and from the pool; they are a lot easier to put on wet feet than shoes and socks and they greatly reduce the chances of foot ailments such as warts or athlete’s foot.

• The pool is heated and kept at approximately 81 degrees Fahrenheit, 27 degrees Celsius.

• The pool is inspected regularly by the Hong Kong Government. HKIS staff make regular inspections aligning with school and government health and safety policies.

• There are five to seven trained swim instructors/lifeguards present at each swim class (three to eight students per swim instructor, depending on swimmer ability). n Art At Lower Primary the Art program is fully integrated with the classroom curriculum.

This offers students a chance to deepen their learning in science, social studies and language. We believe that the physical making of images and artifacts allows students to make concrete their observations and responses to a complex world and to articulate their learning.

The students work from memory, observation and imagination in the creation of both 2D and 3D media. They use a wide range of materials and process and will experience drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media in the making of both individual and collaborative pieces. These artworks are displayed in our school and provide valuable learning experiences. Through this process students will come to know both the world and themselves at a deeper level. n Guidance (see Student Services section)

10

Hong Hong International School

Student Services Center

SSC Program Objectives • Provide learning opportunities where students can achieve success.

• Link student need with appropriate support.

• Management of Individual Educational Plans and Individual Accommodation Plans.

• Increase student self-awareness of individual learning strengths and challenges as well as skills of self-advocacy.

• Serve as a resource to provide strategies, alternative curriculum, information, and supplementary materials to students, parents, staff, faculty, and administrators.

• Monitor student progress (academically, socially, emotionally) to allow for maximum classroom participation.

• Facilitate transition for students with learning differences from Lower to Upper Primary.

We believe that all students need opportunities, experiences and the necessary support to be successful and to reach their full potential. Individual learning differences are acknowledged and supported. Early intervention and prevention as well as researchbased practices are critical. We provide a continuum of services, which includes pull out services for direct intervention through to push in services for academic support in the class. Such a supportive learning environment allows students with learning differences to develop the skills and characteristics of a successful student and a life-long learner.

The SSC staff provides additional support for students’ individual needs in partnership with classroom teachers and parents. The staff includes guidance counselors, learning specialists and an early childhood language specialist, who are all professionally qualified to work with students with unique learning needs. The program includes counseling, guidance and learning support. Students who receive pull out support will have a learning plan developed which will state their academic goal. Students receiving in class support do not have a learning plan. Decisions in regards to student services and the interventions provided to individual students are made with parents. Student Review Team meetings, as well as parent-teacher meetings are held to develop the best educational plan needed to support a child's individual learning plan.

Guidance and Counseling Program Our Counselors teach Guidance classes to each grade on a regular basis and in this way, they get to know each child personally. The goal of these classes is to enhance each child’s personal, social and educational development and to build skills for effective living. Our school wide Student Learning Result in the area of Character Development is that our students will demonstrate responsible behaviors and caring attitudes at school and in the community, as well as the integrity and courage to stand up for what is right. The following are the main lesson topics: • Acceptance of self and others

• Positive risk taking

• Cooperation

• Good judgment

• Responsibility

• Facing frustration positively

Other counseling interventions include social skills groups, individual counseling, and small groups for children in transition. Counselors meet with “New Students Groups” to focus on the adjustments new students might be experiencing, how to make friends, and to whom they can go if they should need help. Counselors also meet with “Goodbye Groups”, which are designed for children who are leaving HKIS. Discussions may include what the children will miss from the present setting, what they are looking forward to in the new location, and how they will go about keeping in touch with old friends, as well as how they will make new friends. Counselors facilitate Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (S.T.E.P.) classes, and are available for consultation with parents.

Parents are encouraged to contact teachers, administrators, and the counseling staff as family needs arise, so that we can work together with you to meet the needs of your child. The counselors also collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team and teachers as needed, to ensure that the most appropriate services are provided for the child.

Learning Specialist Support Learning Specialists are teachers who work alongside classroom teachers to identify and assist children who require additional support in their learning. Services are provided to meet specific needs for students who learn differently, or for those children identified as requiring additional or alternative instruction in reading, writing, math and fine motor development. Specialized programs may be provided for children who require extra assistance to achieve academically. These programs are generally short term and regularly reviewed and evaluated. Our Learning Specialists and Counselors also work closely with outside professionals, such as Speech and Language Therapists & Occupational Therapists.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

11

Health Office

The Repulse Bay campus is served by two Health Offices, one at Lower Primary and one at Upper Primary. Our nurses work together to provide health services to our students. In the Lower Primary, the Health Office is located on the ground floor near the gym. Our nurse is on duty from 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Health Office telephone number is 2812-5414. The main purposes of the Health Office is the following: • Offer First Aid and assistance to children who become ill at school.

• Authorize and arrange for children to be sent home in cases of illness or injury.

• Dispense medications needed during the school day.

• Maintain health records and assist in the overall health program.

• Supervise re-admission of children to school after major illnesses, communicable disease or injury.

• Offer screening for vision and hearing.

A Student Data Form must be completed for each child in Lower Primary at the beginning of the school year. The information on this form is very important. It has emergency contact numbers and authorizations for hospital care. Please remember to update information on this form during the school year. This form will consist of detailed information that the teachers and health office may refer to during the school year.

Our school nurses may not dispense any medication without parental consent. If your doctor prescribes a medication that must be taken at school, you must complete and submit a Medical Consent Form. A copy of this form is shown at the back of this handbook. Medication should be brought to school by the parent in the original, clearly labeled, container.

If your child becomes ill at school, you will be contacted to make arrangements for him or her to be taken home as soon as possible. A doctor’s note is required following an absence of six or more consecutive school days. If your child has a contagious disease/ illness, please contact the school nurses who will advise you on the procedures for returning to school. The following are conditions under which a child would be sent home: • Fever: If your child has a fever, a temperature of 99.5˚F (37.5˚C) or above, please do not send him/her to school. Your child must be fever-free for 48 hours before returning to school.

• Conjunctivitis: This is also commonly known as “pink eye” and is very contagious. Please do not send your child to school until a doctor has seen him/ her and the prescribed eye drops have been used for 24 hours.

• Head lice: Head lice are a problem in any community. Lice are highly communicable and difficult to prevent, but if every parent takes the responsibility to screen the entire family periodically, these parasites can be prevented, detected early and controlled. If you have questions or concerns regarding lice, please call the Health Office at 2812-5414.

• Vomiting: Please keep your child at home for 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting.

There are occasions when the Air Pollution Index (API) is high enough to be a health risk to the children with asthma, other chest conditions and allergies. The API is checked at 7:30 a.m. each morning by the nurses. When the API is above 100 on Hong Kong Island, an announcement is broadcast to inform all teachers and teacher assistants. The Health Office informs all teachers of children who are vulnerable and the teachers adhere to procedures set forth when the API is over 100.

Lower Primary is a NUT FREE School (please read our policy on page 19).

There are an increasing number of students with severe allergies, including some for whom the condition can be life threatening. The most common item causing this severe reaction is peanuts. Please take care when sending food into school and check with the teacher before distributing food to your child’s class.

Because of the significant number of students with allergies, we do not allow animals with fur (i.e. dogs, cats, rabbits) in Lower Primary.

12

Hong Hong International School

After School Programs Contact Details HKIS Activities Office located on the 1st floor of the LPS HKIS Activities Coordinator: Teresa Wright activities@hkis.edu.hk HKIS Junior Athletics Office located in the High School next to the Dragon Shop HKIS Junior Athletics Coordinator: John Powell juniorathletics@hkis.edu.hk

Co-curricular Activities for Lower Primary Students Lower Primary students will be offered a variety of developmentally appropriate activities in a non-competitive and non-academic environment. The co-curricular program is divided into an activities stream and a sports/athletics stream.

HKIS Activities Office Coordinates activities as part of the HKIS co-curricular program, with opportunities for students to pursue personal interests, hobbies and enrichment classes after school. Registration is conducted directly with the companies and program providers.

Their details can be found on the co-curricular website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/Co_curric_Programs.html The After School Activities (ASAs) are offered over two terms with classes held at Repulse Bay and Tai Tam. The Activities Office includes: 1. Paid After School Activities

R2 & above (R2 students are not eligible for 3pm activities)

2. Summer Discovery Program

R2 & above

3. USA Girl and Boy Scouts

R2 & above

HKIS Junior Athletics Office Coordinates recreational, development and competitive programs in the following sports: badminton, baseball, basketball, rugby, soccer, softball (girls), swimming, table tennis and tennis. Registration is conducted directly with the companies and program providers. Their details can be found on the co-curricular website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/Co_curric_Programs.html Participation Guidelines The following is the recommended number of activities for Lower Primary students: R1: Maximum of 1 co-curricular activity each session R2: Maximum of 1 co-curricular activity each session G1: Maximum of 1 co-curricular activity first semester; 2 activities second semester G2: Maximum of 2 co-curricular activities each session Students should not double book Scouts or ASA programs.

In accordance with school policy, all children are required to leave the school premises by 3:00 p.m. unless they have a scheduled after school activity or appointment that begins at 3:00 p.m. Children may not play on either the LPS or UPS campus while waiting for a 4:00 p.m. activity. The Activities Office does not provide on campus after-school supervision.

The 3:00 p.m. classes are for Grade 1 and above students only; R1 and R2 students are able to participate in the 4:00 p.m. classes and weekend opportunities.

If a 3:00 p.m. class is cancelled due to weather conditions, notice will be provided on or before 1:00 p.m. that day. Parents will receive notification from the program leader directly and the students will be informed through their classroom teacher. If a parent has been contacted, students will depart at 3:00 p.m. via their normal transport home.

In the event a 4:00 p.m. class is cancelled, the program leader will inform parents directly.

The Activities Office will not contact the students of these classes during school hours; as students are not permitted to remain on campus for these 4:00 p.m. classes.

If your child is unable to attend their scheduled 3:00 p.m. class, please email both the classroom teacher and the Activities Office of the absence.

If you would like to request a permanent or one-off change of transport at 4:00 p.m., please email the Activities Office and the program leader prior to 12:00 noon.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

13

Riding the School Bus Safely

Kwoon Chung Motors provides bus service for our students. Questions regarding fares and routes should be directed to Kwoon Chung Motors at 2578-1178 or faxed to 2806-8132. We also have a Bus Co-ordinator, Mr. Kenny Chu, at 2812-5419 or mobile 6086-1143. Questions concerning safety, supervision or guidelines should be directed to him. HKIS mails guidelines for bus conduct to parents of each child riding the school bus. Children in Grades One and Two who stay for an after school activity ride the bus home at 4:00 p.m. Friends who are not paying bus riders may not use the bus.

Training for Bus Mothers The bus mother’s role is to assist in providing safe transportation of students to and from HKIS. They assist children boarding and departing the bus and in maintaining appropriate student behavior in accordance with bus rules. They provide a written record of violation of student bus rules to the Bus Co-ordinator who forwards the more serious complaints to the school administration team. To assist the bus mothers in performing their role they participate in two training sessions each year, one in the Spring and another in the Fall. The training consists of reviewing the bus company’s policy and procedures as well as suggested strategies on maintaining appropriate student behavior.

The following behavior is expected on the bus: • Children remain seated, wearing a seat belt, whenever the bus is in motion.

• No objects of any kind will be thrown on the bus or out of the windows.

• Children will be respectful to bus drivers, bus supervisors and other children.

• Children are not allowed to drink or eat on the bus at anytime.

• Obscene language and fighting are not permitted.

Safety Rules for All Bus Riders • Children board their buses immediately after school and remain on them.

• Children are to remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop before alighting.

• When getting off the bus, children are to wait for the bus to leave before crossing the street to allow a full view of oncoming traffic.

• Parents should meet children in Lower Primary grades or make suitable arrangements.

• Pets are not allowed on the school bus.

• Adults are allowed to ride the bus only as long as they do not prevent a child from having a seat. Children are not allowed to sit on laps or on the floor.

Enforcement of Bus Rules Children are expected to follow the bus rules. We have procedures for addressing issues that arise when children do not follow the rules. After two warnings, the bus mother makes a judgement to refer to the bus director who talks with the child and parents. A second offense results in a suspension of bus privileges for up to FIVE school days. Repeated offenses result in suspension of bus privileges with refund at the discretion of administration. For major offenses (fighting, vandalism, obscene language or gestures, giving false names, etc) children are suspended from the bus without warning (THREE days minimum) and parents contacted. Children may be assigned seats at the discretion of the bus mother, bus co-ordinator or administration.

Changing Buses Lower Primary children are not allowed to ride any bus other than their assigned buses. This is to ensure safety and well-being of children and to prevent overloading of buses. We realize that it may cause some inconvenience, but we want to avoid any confusion and anxiety for our young children at end of the day.

14

Hong Hong International School

School Policies and Procedures Arranged Alphabetically

1. Admissions and Grade Placement Grade level placement is based on the cut-off date of August 31. Since we are an international school and enroll children from various educational systems, we have found it most successful to place children with peers of a similar age. Each class has a wide range of academic abilities and skill levels, and our teachers are experienced in supporting and challenging all children throughout the school year.

2. Advertisements Occasionally, our office receives requests from external organizations or companies to advertise various items to our parents. We do not usually accept such requests, but we are willing to post an advertisement in our Reception Area where there are bulletin boards for that purpose. Please contact the LP Office to seek Administrative approval.

3. Arrival and Dismissal Procedures The school day begins at 7:55 a.m. Students who arrive before this time go to the 2/F (Reception One and Reception Two) and 7/F (Grade One and Grade Two) supervised playgrounds, where they wait until 7:45 a.m., at which time all our students move to their classrooms. Each day, several staff members rotate to supervise children outside the building, on the playground, in the hallways, and on the stairs. Reception One students are escorted to their classrooms. Students should not arrive at school prior to 7:25 a.m. as there is no supervision before that time. When it is raining, all children go directly to the Lower Primary gym where they are supervised. Children arriving at 7:45 a.m. or later may go directly to their classrooms.

All students need to register for a bus, car rider, or walking tag at the start of the year. These tags are fixed to students’ backpacks and indicate to teachers where students will be dropped off and picked up on a daily basis. For locations of arrival and dismissal please see the chart on the next page.

Children who walk to school or arrive by private car must be dropped off and picked up ONLY in front of the Church of All Nations (CAN) at the top of the hill next to the Upper Primary School. Be aware that dropping off or picking up children in other areas is strictly prohibited as it adds to traffic congestion and puts your child at a safety risk. (Note: the dead-end road that circles under the Lower Primary pool is reserved for HKIS faculty and bus use only. Please do not park here and keep the area available for its designated use.)

Please note: Students are not permitted to leave the CAN pick-up area during dismissal unless they have a walking pass. This means parents, helpers, and drivers will not be able to collect car riders from the CAN to meet cars at different locations in an effort to avoid the pick-up line.

All children are to leave the school premises by 3:00 p.m. unless they have a scheduled after school activity. Children may not play on the second or seventh floor playgrounds unless they are in a supervised activity. Children participating in after school activities go to their bus at 3:50 p.m., or go to the CAN to be picked up by parents, helpers or drivers. The activity teachers supervise dismissal and bus loading procedures.

If parents need to change their dismissal/pick up arrangement for their child, they need to send a signed note or an email to the homeroom teacher no later than 7:50 a.m. that morning. Phone calls to make last-minute changes will not be accepted after 12:00 p.m.

At the end of the regular school day, teachers escort children out of the building and help them locate their bus. Children must then remain on their buses and not wait for siblings outside bus entrances. Our dismissal procedures vary for each grade, please see the following chart.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

15

Grade or Activity

Dismissal Time

Where Car Riders or Walkers are Picked up

Reception One half day morning

10:45 a.m.

Under swimming pool

Reception One half day afternoon

2:45 p.m.

At Church of All Nations

Reception One long day

1:45 p.m.

At Church of All Nations

Reception Two

1:45 p.m.

At Church of All Nations

Grades One and Two

2:45 p.m.

At Church of All Nations

After school activities

3:45 p.m.

At Church of All Nations

4. Assessing Student Learning (Classroom Based Assessments, Developmental Continuum, Standardized Tests) The assessment system in Lower Primary includes multiple assessment tools such as developmental continuums in reading and writing, reading running records, collecting data on the various types of reading strategies children use as they read, math assessment profiles and student portfolios. The Grade Two students also take a standardized test in the second semester.

We believe assessments provide teachers with timely information for increasing individual student performance on a day to day basis. We believe that the most informative and accurate measure of student achievement is derived from classroom performance assessments based on daily observations of what students can do with what they have learned. Ultimately, we want students to understand how they learn, how they can evaluate their own performance, and how they can undertake the learning necessary to improve their work. We want to help students learn how to interpret and celebrate their own growth. We believe all assessment should help our instructional planning, our communication with parents and the evaluation of the effectiveness of our program, materials and approaches.

5. Attendance and Absences HKIS believes that daily school attendance is critical if students are to receive the maximum benefits from the learning and growth opportunities offered at the school.

Absences, for any reason, are disruptive to the learning process and to the student's achievement. Being on time for school and for class are also important for the individual student and the class as a whole.

The school is committed to working with parents to ensure consistent attendance for all students. Parents should not permit students to miss school for reasons other than illness, family emergencies, or significant personal reasons, such as religious observances or external exams. Parents are also asked to respect the school’s calendar especially at parent conference times and not to take their child out of school for travel, or vacations during regularly scheduled school days. If a student is absent for reasons other than illness, family emergencies or significant personal reasons, parents should note that the school does not require teachers to provide make-up work.

Any absence, tardy or early dismissal must be accounted for. Parents should notify the school early in the school day if their child will be absent due to illness, or as early as possible in advance for other absences.

All students are expected to be on school grounds from the official start to the end of the school day. Permission for students to leave their school campus during school hours can only be granted by the Principal of the school or his/her designee.

When your child is absent from school, please call 2812-5410 or fax (2812-9590) the school office on the day of the absence. When you call, please follow up with a written notice to the teacher. This written notice is important for attendance

16

Hong Hong International School

purposes. A doctor’s note is required following an absence of six or more consecutive days of major illness, communicable disease, or injury. The doctor’s note should state that the child may return to class and if there are any physical restrictions.

6. Behavior and Discipline The ethos of Lower Primary is to foster effective learning and to shape positive patterns of behavior for all of our students. Good lines of communication must be maintained between class teacher and parent, and between the Lower Primary administration team and parents. We do this by providing an appropriate and differentiated curriculum for all students and by motivating our students by involving them, through discussion in Guidance lessons, and throughout the year within the classroom by talking about the importance of our character development goal and the value of being a good student. We want each of our students to develop a genuine feeling of belonging to the school, and the associated feelings of self-esteem.

At the start of each school year, each class works out classroom rules. These will be specific to each age group/class. Students’ positive behavior is reinforced by teachers in a variety of ways to help students internalize the value in behaving appropriately. As students mature and develop, we hope to foster intrinsic motivation rather than motivation based on praise and reward.

There are, of course, occasions when sanctions are applied if a child’s behavior warrants it. These sanctions include: loss of playtime, or part of playtime, ‘timeout’ (removal from classroom activity for 5 - 10 minutes to calm down and remove distraction from others), or for more serious misbehaviors, removal from classroom to the Principal’s office.

7. Birthdays Young children enjoy having their birthday honored in a special way at school. Parents are welcome to send a simple treat to school to make it a special day for your child.

Please check with your child’s teacher for specifics. Each birthday child is invited to make a lasting contribution to our Library Media Center by purchasing a book that will have a specially designed name plate indicating the name of the birthday celebrant.

Check with our Librarian for more details.

8. Chapels and Assemblies Each cluster holds chapels focused on the Christian message as well as assemblies focused on various other topics such as a thematic area, special visitors or cultural festivals. Divisional chapels and assemblies take place once a month.

9. Communication between home and school A child’s school life is greatly enriched by a family that is well-informed and active in school activities. We welcome your involvement and encourage close ties between parents and teachers. Below are some examples of how we communicate with parents: n The Monday Newsletter This is sent by email each Monday and contains information regarding weekly activities and events at school. It may also include news from community organizations such as the Parent Faculty Organization (PFO), scouting groups, and the Church of All Nations. This newsletter is an important means of communication between school and home, so please be sure to read it. n Cluster Newsletters Each cluster (grouping of two to four classes in each modified open classroom area) sends newsletters home periodically. These are generally sent home on a monthly basis and are unique to each cluster, with special heading, logo, and color. They provide information about curriculum activities in the classroom and may include student writing samples and artwork. Individual classroom teachers

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

17

also communicate regularly with parents, in a variety of formats – some write class newsletters, some do personal emails, others have notebooks. Our goal is to keep you informed of your child’s work. n Orange Notices From time to time we send home information notices that require parent signatures.

These notices are always printed on orange paper as an extra indication to you that it needs your immediate attention and that you must sign and return it to school. If your child is in Reception One or Two, please put these notices in your child’s clear plastic folder when returning it to the teacher. n Fall Parent Coffees These events are held at the beginning of the year and provide opportunities for parents to hear more about the educational program of the school and also to ask questions. Parents also enjoy the opportunity to meet other parents in an informal setting. n Back-to-School Nights (Open House) Two nights are set aside in the Fall for Lower Primary Back-to-School Nights, one night for Reception One and Two and one night for Grades One and Two. By offering two opportunities for parents to visit, we provide a program that is more specific to your child’s grade level and your interests. It also reduces the number of people at the school for each evening, thus giving us more time to meet you individually and respond to your questions. Generally we meet in the gym for snacks and drinks, followed by a short presentation from the Principal or Associate Principals, ending with a presentation by your child’s teacher in the classroom.

10. Early Leaving Extended absences and early leaving for any reason other than illness are strongly discouraged. Our instructional program is planned for the full year. New concepts are taught, practiced, and reinforced on a daily basis. In addition, classroom reading, writing, and discussion form the basis for our theme learning. Children who are absent miss these valuable opportunities to verbalize and work with new instructional concepts. They also miss important opportunities to work as cooperative partners in groups. Children who miss many school days sometimes feel left out when they discover that the class has moved on to new topics or themes.

When children leave before the end of the school year, they miss special activities, which are designed to bring closure to the school year.

11. End of Year Check out Procedures At the end of the school year students are expected to return all library books, text books, DVDs or other educational materials that have been loaned to them for the year. Students who have lost materials or books will be expected to pay replacement costs before report cards are issued. We ask that parents help develop their children’s sense of responsibility for school materials.

12. Field Trips Field trips are an important part of our school curriculum. They provide extended, hands-on learning experiences for all the children. You will be informed of all field trips before they occur. We use our own regular school bus for transportation. Parents are welcome on field trips. Teachers will communicate with parents regarding attendance at field trips and volunteer parent chaperones. Please note, domestic helpers and/ or nannies are generally not allowed to accompany children on field trips, mainly because we want to keep parents as our main partners in education.

18

Hong Hong International School

13. Homework Open-ended playtime for children after school hours is a necessity, especially in a high-stress city like Hong Kong. Therefore, homework will be required only as needed.

Parents may expect an explanation of specific homework procedures from their child’s teacher during the Fall open house meeting. This will clarify the benefits that certain out-of class assignments will provide and parent support needed. Parents can expect up to 20 minutes of homework from their homeroom teacher per weeknight in grades 1 and 2. We encourage reading to your child(ren) as part of a nightly routine as it builds oral language skills, listening skills, vocabulary and overall literacy skills.

Students will also regularly receive homework in Chinese Studies, since daily practice is helpful when learning a new language. The main purpose of homework assignment sheets is to let parents know what their children are learning in Chinese Studies class.

Parents who do not speak Mandarin are not expected to help their children with their pronunciation. Parents are encouraged to write comments and suggestions on the space provided on the homework sheets. Parents should not rush their child to complete homework before the due date. Rather, they should consistently work and review the materials learned in school over the assigned time frame. n Chinese Homework: Grade 1 - Students spend approximately 10 minutes on Chinese homework per class day, except Fridays and the day before holidays.

Grade 2 - Students spend approximately 15 minutes on Chinese homework per class day, except Fridays and the day before holidays.

14. Labels in clothing and other belongings Please label everything that is sent to school with your child, especially backpacks, lunch boxes, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets and umbrellas. This will help in returning lost items to their owners. A loop on the inside neckline of outerwear clothing is helpful for hanging on a closet hook.

15. Lost and Found Unlabeled items unclaimed in clusters or found in other parts of the building on the buses or playgrounds will be placed in the Lost and Found boxes located outside the gym on the ground floor. Items that remain unclaimed will be donated to Hong Kong welfare agencies after an appropriate notice has been placed in the Monday Newsletter.

16. Lunch/Drinks All children in R1 long day, R2, G1 and G2 must bring their own lunches everyday.

17. Nut Free Policy – Lower Primary is a Nut Free Zone As part of the safety measures at HKIS, Lower Primary adheres to a TOTAL NUT FREE policy throughout the entire building. This includes bringing food to schoolrelated activities. Parents and children need to be mindful of any products containing nuts when preparing lunches or snacks. Parents of children who historically have suffered any anaphylactic reaction to any foods or insect bites, need to provide the school with an up-to-date Allergy Form located in the LP Health Office.

It is expected that all members of the LP community will adhere to the following guidelines:

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

19

Don’t send to school: • any nut products • any foods cooked in peanut oil • any spread containing nuts (all nuts, e.g. peanut butter, Nutella) • any muesli bar, biscuit or other product THAT LISTS NUTS AS AN INGREDIENT • packages of mixed fruit (e.g. trail mix) that contain nuts • recycled containers that may have contained nuts, e.g. cereal, peanut butter jars, biscuits or cookies Please: • don’t use nut ingredients if preparing food for a special school event (e.g. birthday cake, cultural food, sports day picnic) • note if your child eats a nut product for breakfast (e.g. peanut butter on toast), washing hands before arriving at school will reduce the chance of exposing an allergic child to nut allergen at the LP (e.g. on the bathroom taps, computer mouse, climbing equipment, etc.)

All children are discouraged from swapping food.

This policy is for LOWER PRIMARY students due to the ages and level of responsibility in the early years of education in order to keep everyone safe in the building.

18. Parent Advisory Group The Parent Advisory Group (PAG) is a diverse group of parents and faculty representatives dedicated to fostering a positive and collaborative relationship between the parents, administration and faculty of the Lower Primary in an endeavor to improve the school, its curriculum and programs. PAG provides structured avenues for parental input into the operation of the LP division, and involves selected parents in the work of enhancing communication and partnership between parents and staff.

Membership is by invitation of the LP Principal. Interested parents may apply by completing an application form. New members will be interviewed by the Principal and PAG members. In order to be eligible for PAG, parents must have at least one child attending Lower Primary. Membership requirement is a minimum of two years.

19. Parent Faculty Organization Parents and faculty members at HKIS are members of the Parent Faculty Organization (PFO). The goals of the PFO are to: • Support the school in providing quality education • Foster partnerships between the home and the school • Build a sense of community • Provide a form for input into matters relating to school policy • Raise funds for school related purposes In support of the above goals, the PFO organizes newcomer coffees, parenting groups, book fairs, the Pumpkin Festival in October, Chinese New Year celebration and a World’s Fair in the spring. It also has numerous committees that support the HKIS community. Parents are invited to volunteer for PFO activities and should do so by filling in the Volunteer Form which comes with the Registration Packet or call the Volunteer Coordinator.

20

Hong Hong International School

20. Parents’ Presence in Hong Kong n Residency An enrollment requirement of HKIS is for all students to have at least one parent in full-time residence in Hong Kong. n Temporary Absence from Hong Kong If during the school year both parents plan to leave Hong Kong for one or more days while a child remains in residence, one or more temporary guardians must be appointed to make any necessary decisions regarding the child’s welfare.

A “Notification of Both Parents’ Absence from Hong Kong” form must be completed each time both parents plan to be absent from Hong Kong, and submitted to the student’s divisional administration office as far in advance as possible.

The “Appointment of Temporary Guardians” form must also be completed and returned to the student’s divisional administration office as soon as possible prior to the FIRST planned departure of both parents from Hong Kong. The completion of one of these forms each school year is sufficient, as long as the appointed temporary guardian information has not changed.

Parents who do not arrange for and inform the school of the child’s supervision and guardianship may jeopardize the child’s continued enrollment at HKIS.

21. Parking There is no legal parking available at the Repulse Bay campus. The police regularly ticket those parked on the street. We encourage parents to come by taxi or public bus.

22. Picking up students during the day If it becomes necessary to pick your child up during the school day, please sign your child out at the office and receive a pass before taking your child. Only those adults who are listed on the Student Data Form as parents or emergency contacts will be allowed to pick up a child, unless accompanied by written authorization.

23. Problems and Concerns Our school has established a protocol for whom to contact should a concern arise.

This provides an opportunity for the people closest to the issue to resolve it together before involving a supervisor. At HKIS, our teachers are committed to working with parents to ensure children’s success.

When you have a concern about your child, please contact your child’s teacher first. Our teachers care about each child’s whole development and want to work in partnership with you to ensure that your child is successful in school. If you are not satisfied with the response, please contact the supervisor for that grade. Maya Nelson is the supervisor for Reception One, Ben Hart is the supervisor for Reception Two and Grade Two, and Nate Dennison is the supervisor for Grade One. If your concern is about a divisional matter, please contact the Principal, Maya Nelson.

If your concern is about a schoolwide matter, please contact the Head of School, Kevin Dunning.

Parent conferences take place regularly to discuss your child’s progress in school, during the first, second and third quarters, for all grade levels.

Progress reports for Lower Primary children are sent home regularly. For Reception One, Progress Reports are sent home at the end of the year, and for Reception Two, Grades One and Two, they are sent home in January and June.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

21

24. Promoting a Culture of Respect HKIS is committed to building and sustaining a culture of respect, care and safety that is free from any form of harassment, bullying and intimidation. All members of our community – students, parents, faculty, staff and visitors – have a right to feel safe and protected and share the responsibility to build and maintain an environment in which everyone feels respected. Offensive, harassing, bullying or intimidating behaviors will not be tolerated or ignored and will be dealt with appropriately and expeditiously.

Across the school, both prevention and intervention strategies are in place for our student and adult community, and will be published and reviewed annually, to encourage empathy and respect and to respond appropriately to any acts of bullying and harassment.

Any repeated behavior that offends, upsets, embarrasses, frightens, excludes or hurts another person is bullying and/or harassment. HKIS recognizes that these behaviors can take many forms including: Verbal Bullying and/or Harassment • Language – name-calling, spreading rumors, and/or directing insulting, teasing, threatening comments to another person.

• Virtual – harassment, or spreading rumors by email, instant messaging, blogs or any other media form.

• Religious – putting down or ridiculing another’s religion, stopping another from expressing their beliefs.

• Racial – making hurtful comments or discriminating against someone based on their nationality, race or culture, color of their skin or language spoken.

• Intellectual – making hurtful comments based on someone’s intellectual or academic ability.

• Sexual – making hurtful comments or discriminating against someone based on their gender or sexual orientation.

Non-Verbal Bullying and/or Harassment • Physical – hitting, kicking, pushing, spitting or any other form of physical behavior which is deemed to be aggressive in nature.

• Personal Property (real or virtual) – taking, damaging or trespassing another’s property. This includes entering another student’s email account, personal belongings, or school locker without permission.

• Indirect – intentionally excluding someone from a group, discussion or team.

• Graphic/Vandalism – defacing another’s property, projects or photographs.

• Sexual – making offensive gestures about another’s body, touching or maintaining unwelcome closeness to another person or discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation.

Each division will implement age and stage appropriate prevention strategies aimed at developing an ethos of caring and empathy to reduce the likelihood of bullying and harassment.

The school will respond to incidents of bullying and harassment promptly and with sensitivity toward both the victim and the perpetrator recognizing that often those who bully others have been prior victims of bullying and/or harassment.

School specific interventions and consequences for incidents of bullying and/or harassment will be published in school handbooks and on the school website.

22

Hong Hong International School

25. Registration and Transfers At the very beginning of the school year, parents and children have an opportunity to meet the teachers and receive a brief orientation to the grade level program before school actually begins. Parents may use this time to provide information about the child’s learning styles and preferences and any other information that may help the child’s adjustment. The specific time for your orientation meeting will be sent to you before school starts.

Children re-register for the following year using a form provided by the school during April. Please fill out this form and return it to school. If transferring to another school, written notices should be given to the Admissions Office at least three weeks prior to the time of departure so the transcript can be prepared. At the time of withdrawal, HKIS will provide a student transfer card to be presented to the child’s new school.

HKIS will forward academic, health, and test records upon request. Any questions concerning re-registration or transfer should be addressed to the Admissions Office.

Changes in address or telephone number should also be communicated to the Admissions Office and the school office.

26. Reporting on Student Learning Report cards for R2-G2 students are sent home twice in a school year, in January and June, at the end of each semester. Parent conferences are also scheduled in the first, second and third quarters to discuss your child’s progress in school. The third quarter conferences are student-led, activity-based conferences. Parents must book their conference times electronically on the Internet. Signing up instructions are issued via the Monday Newsletter. R1 students receive report cards only at the end of the year.

27. Safety Procedures HKIS puts safety first at all times. We maintain all equipment to a high standard and regularly check for problems. We also hold regular fire drills and emergency evacuation drills. We are in regular communication with Hong Kong authorities. We take any incident seriously, and we have careful plans for evacuation and for the security of every student. After consulting with police, fire or other security experts in Hong Kong, we determine the best course of action and return to normal school life as soon as possible. In the event of an external emergency that occurs during school hours, HKIS will keep students at school until appropriate instructions are issued. We will also follow any directions broadcast by the Hong Kong Education Bureau.

28. School Supplies/Backpacks or Bookbags The school provides classroom materials and supplies, so children do not need to bring extra materials. Children should bring an appropriate sized school bag or backpack to carry home daily papers, notes, library books, lunches and personal belongings. Parents should teach their children how to open zippers and carry their backpack safely. Parents should also take care not to select oversized bags, or those with complex openings or zippers. Backpacks with large openings and easy zippers are ideal for this age group.

29. Six-Day Schedule Our specialist schedule follows a 6-day cycle. This means that your child receives instruction in Music, Art, PE and Chinese, following a 6-day cycle. A copy of this year’s 6-day cycle can be found on page 28 of this handbook. Details of your child’s class schedule will be given at the Back to School Night.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

23

30. Student Safety Patrol One of the ways to help instill responsibility is through our Safety Patrol. Every year, we select children from Grade Two to assist during morning arrival time. Wearing a special safety patrol vest, these students assist the adults in ensuring that children move in an orderly manner from the second floor and seventh floor playgrounds to the classrooms. These students are expected to model proper playground behavior and help remind other students of the rules. Parents who are interested in having their child become members of our Safety Patrol program can speak to their child’s teacher. Children enjoy being in a leadership role and being a model for younger children to look up to.

31. Telephone calls When the need arises to contact your child during the school day, please come by or call the office for assistance. We ask that you do not call the clusters directly, unless in an emergency. Requests for after school transportation changes need to be written and signed by the parent/guardian. In the interest of child safety, phone requests for transportation changes will be verified before the change can be approved. If parents need to change their dismissal/pick up arrangement for their child, they need to send a signed note or an email to the homeroom teacher no later than 12:00 p.m. Phone calls to make last-minute changes will not be accepted after 12:00 p.m.

32. Tutoring Some parents may choose to employ a tutor for their children. This is highly discouraged at this age. If you believe your child needs tutoring, please discuss this with your classroom teacher or counselor. Parents are responsible for making all arrangements with tutors. Parents need to be aware that teachers are not allowed to tutor any child who is currently in a class they are teaching, as this presents a conflict of interests. Tutoring on school grounds is prohibited.

33. Uniform n LP & UP Dress Code Policy – 2012-2013 The primary schools (R1-­G5) maintain a school dress code. This is a color dress code of navy blue, red and white. The place of purchase is at the discretion of parents, although the Dragon Shop (operated by parent volunteers and managed by the HKIS Booster Club) sells the appropriate uniform. The Dragon Shop is located at the Tai Tam campus and its regular hours of operation are from Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. when the High School is in session. n Uniform Requirements: Shirts Students must wear red or white solid shirts (individual’s choice as to type of fabric) with a collar and front buttoning with short or long sleeves. Buttoning may either be completely down the front or with a two or three button neck opening. An HKIS badge is to be displayed on the left front of the shirt. Badges may be obtained from the Dragon Shop, or Upper Primary or Lower Primary school offices. Alternative HKIS items, including clothing from sports teams, special events or Dragon Shop t-shirts, may not be worn as part of the school uniform. Please ask if you wish for further details.

Options for Girl (Lower Primary) Girls may wear a solid navy blue uniform (individual’s choice as to type of fabric) in the form of a dress or jumper. An HKIS badge will be displayed on the left front chest.

Short/Pants Students must wear either solid navy blue shorts, skorts, skirts, leggings or pants (individual’s choice as to type of fabric). Bike shorts, cut-­offs and shorts/pants with ragged edges, tears or holes are not appropriate.

24

Hong Hong International School

Sweatshirts/Sweaters/Outerwear Students must wear a solid navy blue, red or white solid color sweatshirt or sweater.

No other color of sweatshirts or sweaters is allowed. HKIS outerwear (jackets, sweatshirts, etc.) that adhere to the school colors (i.e. blue, red and white) sold at the Dragon Shop and HKIS­‐issued Chinese New Year clothing is permitted.

Shoes Students may choose to wear shoes, sneakers or sandals. If sandals are worn, they must have a heel and toe strap. No clogs, Crocs (unless for swimming – please see below), flip‐flops or shoes with wheels.

Socks Socks must be solid red, white or navy blue in either short or knee length. White HKIS socks are also permitted.

Hats (optional) While hats are not a required item for the HKIS LP or UP uniform, we strongly encourage students to wear hats during outdoor recess during the summer.

Physical Education and Swimming All students participate in physical education activities and must wear supportive rubber-soled shoes for gym activities. Slip­‐on shoes are not acceptable for safety reasons. For swimming, students must bring a swimsuit, towel and flip-flops, Crocs or beach shoes on scheduled swimming days. An extra towel for long hair, comb and sweatshirt (for returning to class) are advisable. Students change at the swimming pool’s changing rooms.

The dress code is required on the first day of school. Parents have the responsibility of seeing that their children are dressed appropriately.

Students who do not adhere to dress code guidelines will be asked to follow up with teachers or administration.

Please note that as we work to ensure greater consistency and adherence to the dress code policy, there are a number of specific items that will be allowed (for the 2012­‐2013 school year). These items are: • Long­‐sleeved polo shirts with embroidered dragon head and the school name • HKIS­‐issued Chinese New Year clothing that follow the guidelines above, including long and short-­sleeved polo shirts, sweatshirts, etc.

Additional Notes Non-HKIS Logos Logos on uniforms are to be kept to a minimum. As a general rule, a logo that can be covered in its entirety with one hand is permissible.

34. Valuables Children should not bring any valuables to school. Examples of inappropriate items include iPods, cell phones, expensive toys, trading cards or jewelry. Children do not need to bring cash to school unless parents have been requested to pay for something school-related.

35. Visitors and Parent Volunteers in Lower Primary In order to ensure a safe environment within our school, we require all visitors to check in at the guard’s station before entering the building, as well as with the Front Office. You will be given a school visitor’s badge to wear around your neck while you are in the building.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

25

36. Weather Warnings Procedures HKIS Emergency Weather Warnings Procedures Hong Kong weather can be extreme and this sometimes requires that we modify our school schedules. As always, parents are advised to use their best judgment in determining whether to send their children to school whenever the weather is inclement or road conditions make travel to school unwise. The Hong Kong Education Bureau makes a decision at 6:00 a.m. on such mornings. Under normal circumstances HKIS follows the Government’s recommendation and will not call parents directly.

What to do when the signal is issued before school starts: Typhoon 1

All R1-12 classes are in session.

R1 a.m. and R1 Long Day classes are cancelled.

Typhoon 3

R1 p.m. classes are cancelled if the signal is still in effect at 10:45 a.m.

R2-12 classes are in session.

Typhoon 8

All schools are closed - all classes are cancelled.

Amber Rainstorm

All classes R1-12 are in session.

Red Rainstorm

All schools are closed - all classes are cancelled.

Black Rainstorm

All schools are closed - all classes are cancelled.

Please note there are times when localized weather conditions on the south side of the island are very different from territory-wide predictions. In circumstances where HKIS needs to take action that is different from the Government’s recommendation we will call and email parents as early as possible and place an announcement on DragonNet. What we do when the signal is raised during school hours: At times a typhoon increases in intensity or a rainstorm signal is raised while the children are at school. If this happens, we will use the following procedures: Typhoon 1

Typhoon 3

All R1-12 classes will remain in session with regular dismissal times.

All R2-12 classes will remain in session with regular dismissal times.

Note: R1 p.m. classes will be cancelled if the signal is still in effect at 10:45 a.m.

Typhoon 8

All R1-12 classes will be dismissed. (The notice of typhoon 8 signal being raised is given to schools several hours before it is actually hoisted, thus allowing schools enough time to make arrangements to get students home safely.)

Amber Rainstorm

All R1-12 classes will remain in session with regular dismissal times.

Red Rainstorm

All R1-12 classes will remain in session AND* students will remain in school until conditions are safe for them to return home.

Black Rainstorm

All R1-12 classes will remain in session AND* students will remain in school until conditions are safe for them to return home.

* This means students will not be released until the warning has been removed and buses are authorized for safe travel, which could be after 3:00 p.m. Please note

26

Hong Hong International School

that the HK government strongly advises everyone to stay indoors during a Black Rainstorm warning. Driving yourself or sending someone to pick up your child during a Black Rainstorm signal is extremely dangerous and not advisable.

Note: In the case of a Typhoon 8 signal when we must dismiss the children prior to the end of the regular school day, parents will be contacted with the approximate new dismissal time. It is critical that you discuss with your family and your helper the new arrival time and determine who will be waiting at the bus stop for your child. If your child regularly walks home or is picked up by car, please be prepared to come immediately to school and pick up your child at the normal meeting place.

Buses will run and complete their routes if school is in session or when students are on board. Any variation to the regular schedule will be the decision of the bus company in consultation with the school administration.

For information regarding weather conditions, we recommend the following sources: Internet: www.weather.gov.hk Hong Kong Observatory: Tel: 187-8200 (Press 1 for Cantonese, 2 for Mandarin, 3 for English) RTHK - Radio 3 (97.9mHz or 106.8mHz FM)

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

27

Lower Primary Six-Day Schedule 2012-2013

Day 1-6

= A Cycle

Day 1-6

= A Cycle

Mon

A U G U S T

Tue

10

13

14

15

16

17

Day 1 20

21 Day 4

22 Day 5

28

Day 2 Day 1 Day 6 24

Day 1

Day 5

Day 4 15

Day 2 21

Day 3

Day 1 28

Tue

Day 3

Public Holiday

8

Public Holiday

9 Day 3

15

Day 4 16

Day 2 22

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Public Holiday

Day 5

Day 3

5 Day 5

11

Day 4

Day 6 12

Public Holiday

18

Public Holiday

Day 3

Day 6

Mon

Tue

Wed

M A R C H

5 Day 1

11

Day 3 12

7

Day 1 Day 6 26

Day 2

Day 2

Day 6 18

Day 4 13

Day 6 19

Day 1

Day 5

Day 4

Day 3 11

Day 1 17

18 Day 6

24 School Holiday

Day 4

Day 2 19

25 Public Holiday

Day 6

26 Public Holiday

31 School Holiday

Hong Hong International School

Day 1

Day 5

Day 3

Day 4

Mon

Tue

M A Y

School Holiday

27 School Holiday

6

7 Day 1

13

21 School Holiday

28 School Holiday

Day 2

Day 6

Day 2

Thu 2 Day 5

Day 3

Day 2

Day 3 11

Day 1

Day 2 31

Day 6

Day 1

Thu 6

Day 4 12

Day 2

Day 1

Wed 5

Public Holiday

24

30 Day 5

Tue 4

Day 3

Day 6

Day 5 17

23

29 Day 4

Mon

Day 4

Day 2

Day 5

Day 6 10

16

22

28

10

Day 3

Day 1

Fri 3

9

15

21 Day 4

J U N E

Day 3 26

Day 1

Wed

Day 2

Day 6 20

Day 6

Day 4 19

25

8

14

3

Day 5

Day 3

Day 1

Day 5

School Holiday

12

18

24

Fri

30

27

14

Public Holiday

Day 2

Day 6

Public Holiday

5

11

17

23 Day 4

Fri

Day 4

School Holiday

Conferences

Thu 4

10

16

22

Day 1

Day 5

20 Day 2

School Holiday

9

15

Wed 3

Day 4 22 Student-led 29

Day 5

Public Holiday

7

13 Day 3

Day 1

Public Holiday

Development

Thu 6

12

LP Parent Conferences

30 Day 6

Wed 5

Tue 2

Student-led Conferences

28 Day 4

1

Day 4 23 Professional

Day 2 29

Day 5

Tue

Day 2

Day 3

Day 1

27

Day 5 15

Day 3 21

Day 1

Day 3

Day 2 9

Fri

Day 4

Day 2

Day 6 26

8

Fri

16

22

28

4

10

Day 2

Day 6

LP Parent Conferences

Day 1

8

14

20

2

15

21

27

3

Day 5 14

20

26

A P R I L

Day 3

Day 1

Mon

7

13

19 Day 5

Day 3

Thu

8

Day 6 28

6

12

1

School Holiday

Day 1 6

Day 5

School Holiday

22

Day 6 4

Fri

Day 5

1 5

15

School Holiday

21

27

Professional Development

1

29

Day 5

Public Holiday

Day 4

Day 2 14

20

26

8

Thu

31

Day 4

Day 1 13

19

25

7

Wed

19

25 Day 1

Public Holiday

6

Tue

Development

Day 6

Fri Day 4

4

Mon

12

18

24

30

School Holiday

Day 5

1

Fri

5

11

17

23

29

School Holiday

Day 4 31

Day 5

Day 4 28 Professional

Thu 4

10

Day 3

Day 6 25

Day 4

Day 5

Day 2

Wed 3

Day 5 24

30

Day 1 18

Day 6

Day 2

2

Day 6

Day 4

Day 2

School Holiday

11

17

23

29

25

1

Day 5 16

22

School Holiday

10

Day 3

21

27 Day 1

Day 3 14

School Holiday

9

Fri 4

Day 2

Day 6

Day 4

Day 2

8

Thu 3

Day 1

14

20

26 Day 6

Mon

28

Day 5

Day 3

Public Holiday

7

Wed 2

7

13

19

25

Thu 6

Day 4

Day 2

Day 2 31

Day 6

Wed

12

18

Day 1

Day 5

Day 3

Day 3 24

30

5

11

17

Day 6

Tue 4

10

23

29 Day 4

Mon 3

Day 2

F E B R U A R Y

Tue 1

Fri 3

9

Day 3

D E C E M B E R

Thu 2

8

Mon

N O V E M B E R

Wed 1

7

Day 3

O C T O B E R

J A N U A R Y

6

27

S E P T E M B E R

Mon

Fri 7

Day 5

Day 6

13

14

Public Holiday

17

18

19

20

21

24

25

26

27

28

Hong Kong International School

Medical Consent Form If possible parents are advised to give medication at home and on a schedule other than during school hours. If it isnecessary that medication be given during school hours the following regulations must be followed: Medication must be brought to school in original container appropriately labeled by the pharmacy or physician in English, stating name of student, name of medication, time to be taken and amount to be taken. Medication must be given to the school nurse at the beginning of the school day. If medication is not properly labeled it will NOT be given.

Parent/guardian must sign this form, granting the school nurse permission to administer the medication, according to regulations set herein.

The Registered Nurse at Hong Kong International School has my permission to administer the medication, detailed below, to my child: (last name first) Grade:

as recommended by Dr.

.

I give my permission for the R.N. to contact the physician/dentist if necessary.

Signature Date Name of medication: Dose to be given: Time to be given:

Is refrigeration required?

■ Yes

■ No

Should medicine be sent home with the student each day?

■ Yes

■ No

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

29

Hong Kong International School

Notification of Both Parents’ Absence from Hong Kong Please complete this form and submit it to the divisional administration office as soon as possible prior to the planned departure of both parents from Hong Kong. You may submit the form to the division administration office by fax, letter, or email.

Forms can be downloaded from the HKIS DragonNet, scanned and attached to your email. Email addresses are: hsattendance@hkis.edu.hk msattendance@hkis.edu.hk upsattendance@hkis.edu.hk lpsattendance@hkis.edu.hk • You must notify HKIS, and the temporary guardian, each time both parents plan to leave Hong Kong. If you have children attending HKIS in different divisions, please ensure that a copy of the form is submitted to each divisional administration office.

• Please provide the dates of absence from the territory, and all relevant contact information at the destination, for example, contact telephone numbers and email address. If you can provide your travel itinerary, that would be most helpful.

• In the event of an emergency and to ensure the safety and welfare of your child, please ensure that the “Appointment of Temporary Guardians” form is completed, or has been completed at an earlier date, and returned to the respective divisional administration office.

Student’s Name

Date of Birth

Grade

Dates Both Parents Will be Out of Hong Kong Date LEAVING Hong Kong:

Date RETURNING to Hong Kong:

Contact Details of Parents During Their Absence from Hong Kong I will be at this address (or hotel) from

to

I will be at this address (or hotel) from

Telephone # (at address or hotel):

Telephone # (at address or hotel):

Mobile Telephone #:

Mobile Telephone #:

Contact Email:

Contact Email:

to

Temporary Guardian(s) Appointed to Act on Behalf of Parents During Their Absence I/WE have completed the “Appointment of temporary guardians” form at an earlier date in this current school year and returned the form to the respective principal’s office. I/WE have notified the temporary guardians of our forthcoming dates of absence from Hong Kong. (Please √ answer box below where applicable).

■ Yes If yes, please state the names of the appointed temporary guardians:

■ No If no, please complete an “APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY GUARDIANS” form and return it to the principal’s office

prior to your absence from Hong Kong.

Will Your Child/Children be Living with the Appointed Temporary Guardian? ■ Yes

■ No

(please √)

■ Yes ■ No

(please √)

If “no”, what appropriate supervisory arrangements are being made?

Is Your Child/Children Involved in After School Activities at HKIS? Student’s Name

Parent’s Signature:

Activity

Day / Time

Coach’s / Tutor’s Name & Contact No.

Date:

Hong Kong International School

Appointment of Temporary Guardians (When both Parents are Absent from Hong Kong) “An enrollment requirement of HKIS is for all students to have at least one parent in fulltime residence in Hong Kong. If during the school year both parents plan to leave Hong Kong for one or more days while a child remains in residence, one or more temporary guardians must be appointed to make any necessary decisions regarding the child’s welfare”. (Policy #3110) In the event of an emergency and to ensure the safety and welfare of your child/children please complete a form for each child and return the original copy to the student’s divisional administration office as soon as possible prior to the first planned departure of both parents from Hong Kong.

• The form must be signed by both the parent and the temporary guardian to be considered complete.

• The completion of one “Appointment of Temporary Guardians” form each school year, for each child, is sufficient for our records, as long as the temporary guardian information has not changed. If temporary guardianship changes, a new form must be completed and returned to the student’s divisional administration office.

Parent’s Declaration I/We, parents of Student’s Name:

Date of Birth:

Grade:

do hereby appoint, as TEMPORARY GUARDIAN(S) of my child, the person(s) whose particulars are indicated below, namely: Name of Temporary Guardian(s):

Relationship:

Address:

Home Tel:

Work Tel:

Mobile Tel:

Email:

Temporary Guardian’s Declaration I/We, the named appointed TEMPORARY GUARDIANS above agree to act on behalf of the parents with respect to the direct care and supervision of the above named student on matters pertaining to the students education at Hong Kong International School (HKIS).

I/We also agree to make decisions, on behalf of the parents, in the event of a medical emergency pertaining to the above named student.

Joint Declaration and Signatures In the event of emergencies, if neither of us (parents) nor the temporary guardian(s) can be contacted, I/We hereby irrevocably authorize the Hong Kong International School and/or its representative to take my/our child to the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital or other available hospital if and when emergency care is needed. In that event I/we shall indemnify the Hong Kong International School and/or its representatives and employees in respect of all claims, liabilities, costs and expenses that may be incurred in connection with authorizing any treatment, which, in the opinion of the relevant medical practitioner of the hospital, may be necessary or appropriate for the treatment of my/our child. I/we shall pay and reimburse such costs and expenses to the Hong Kong International School on demand. I/we hereby irrevocably authorize the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital to perform any emergency care deemed necessary for the treatment of my/ our child.

Parent’s Name:

Parent’s Signature:

Temperorary Guardian’s Name:

Date:

Temperorary Guardian’s Signature:

Date:

HKIS Community Partnership and Communication Guidelines

HKIS Mission: Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion, our lives to service and global understanding An American-style education grounded in the Christian faith and respecting the spiritual lives of all

Introduction HKIS as a community is committed to building and sustaining a welcoming and secure learning environment in which individuals can fully realize their potential in a climate of mutual respect. HKIS believes that parents and educators share the responsibility for creating a partnership that fosters children’s learning. Together we play a formative role in the development of a child’s sense of justice, equity and the worth of all members of our school community.

It is our hope that these guidelines will provide a useful framework to promote effective and appropriate communication within the HKIS community, and will support the HKIS policy on Promoting a Culture of Respect.

Working in Partnership We recognize that effective partnerships are characterized by clearly defined responsibilities, a shared commitment to collaboration, open lines of communication, mutual respect and a common vision of the goals to be achieved.

The responsibility of the school (Teachers, Administrators and Support Staff) is to: • Provide a safe environment that supports the development of positive learning attitudes, habits and values that are consistent with the Mission of the school.

• Provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive environment.

• Encourage students’ growth as responsible, independent and respectful individuals.

• Model integrity, academic curiosity, responsibility and creativity.

• Communicate and work with parents as partners in ensuring student achievement reflective of the HKIS Mission and Student Learning Results.

• Provide timely and clear information about school programs and events.

The Teacher’s responsibility is to: • Explain the curriculum and approach to learning in the classroom, expectations, methods of assessment and reporting of learning to students and their families.

• Report student progress regularly to parents (the frequency of communication is determined by each division).

• When appropriate, work with parents, counselors or learning specialists to provide a team approach to support for students.

• Communicate how parents can support what is going on in the classroom.

• Share observations, interests and concerns during emails, meetings and parent-teacher and student conferences.

• Invite parent involvement in the learning process. For example: participating in class activities, attendance at school events, invitation for guest speakers or connecting with the wider HK community.

• Respect family needs and values e.g. family time.

• Invite input and feedback from parents.

• Respond in a timely fashion to emails or phone calls from parents.

32

Hong Hong International School

The Parent’s responsibility is to: • Provide a home environment that supports the development of positive learning attitudes, habits and values that are consistent with those of the school.

• Play an active part in their child’s learning e.g. monitoring attendance, homework completion.

• Help their child capitalize upon successes and learn from setbacks and failures as part of his or her growth process.

• Review, with the child, information provided by the school that provides insight into student learning and growth. For example: assignment feedback, report cards, conference information, emails.

• Communicate with the teacher, as developmentally appropriate, if the child is having problems with learning.

• Inform the school of any family or home situation that may affect a child’s learning or behavior.

• Participate in the decisions about their child’s education.

• Be responsive to requests for input, feedback or opinion.

• Stay informed by reading the school newsletter, class updates or accessing the website.

• Attend, as family responsibilities allow, parents events or education evenings.

These include: parent coffees, division parent forums, parent-to-parent meetings, curriculum nights and parent feedback.

• Participate, as family responsibilities allow, in school organizations such as PFO, PAG and Booster Club and events.

• Respect a teacher’s academic efforts by minimizing a child’s absence from school for non-critical reasons.

Expectations for Communication at HKIS It is expected that all members of the HKIS adult community will abide by the following principles for verbal and non-verbal, written and oral communication at HKIS: • All communications demonstrate the assumption of good intent and the goal to be constructive.

• The tone of all communications demonstrates care, respect for others and sensitivity for diversity.

• Email is the preferred form of contact, unless an issue is urgent or would be better addressed through face to face or phone contact.

• Reasonable time is allowed for responses to communications.

• Confidentiality is respected.

Sequence of Communication Channels for Parents • Contact the teacher directly if you have questions or concerns about your child or the instructional program in your child’s class.

• Contact the Principal or Associate Principal if the teacher’s response to your first contact does not sufficiently address your concern or if your concern is at the school level.

• Contact the Head of School or Associate Head of School if the Administrator’s response does not address your concern.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

33

Addressing Disagreements Dealing with disagreements requires respect and discretion by both the school and parents. Both parties should respectfully seek to gather accurate information and resolve problems through appropriate channels of communication. Each adult shares the responsibility to provide a collaborative decision making model in the best interest of the child – be prepared to listen, contribute, negotiate and support decisions and operate from the assumption of good intent.

Confidentiality contributes to maintaining trust between parents, teachers and administrators. All adults should use discretion about when, where and with whom issues are discussed. It is important that all adults not discuss individual children, teachers or families in inappropriate public and social situations.

34

Hong Hong International School

HKIS Shared Philosophy of Education

Only with a shared purpose and shared vocabulary can a large organization progress steadily in the right direction. Hong Kong International School, with a large and diverse population of students, faculty, and community members must strive to remain focused on the path ahead, ensuring all are operating with the same milestones along that path in order to arrive at the same destination.

This Shared Philosophy of Education document assembles these milestones for ease of reference. In the Shared Philosophy of Education are presented those foundational principles upon which our practice and ethos are based. They are definitions of what we believe about our mission, what we desire for our students, how people learn, why and how we teach for understanding, and how best to assess the effect we are having in our work as a school. The documents collected in this single format have been created over the life of the school by all facets of the school community.

Complementing one another in a unified definition of our work together, they comprise a shared vision for education at HKIS.

Mission: Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion, our lives to service and global understanding An American-style education grounded in the Christian faith and respecting the spiritual lives of all

The HKIS Core Values We believe that: • Diversity enriches community and strengthens society • Life‐long learning is vital for individuals to thrive in and contribute to a changing society • Society progresses when individuals strive for excellence and seek challenges • Learning thrives in the presence of shared high expectations and mutually respectful relationships

Student Learning Results (SLR) Academic Excellence Students will achieve their intellectual potential by striving for and attaining the highest standards of academic excellence.

Spirituality Students will understand and respect Christianity and other religions and will identify and develop their own spiritual identity.

Character Development Students will demonstrate respectful and caring attitudes at school and in the community, as well as the courage to stand up for what is right.

Self-Motivated Learning

• Integrity is essential to trust and credibility

Students willingly apply a variety of learning and motivation strategies throughout their learning process.

• Each human life has value and purpose

Contributing to Society

• Dialogue about Christianity and other religions is valuable for personal growth and development of spiritual identity

Students will develop the skills they need to form genuine relationships in our diverse society and to make contributions to our community.

• Together, parents, faculty, staff, and students create the conditions for ­children’s success and a healthy lifestyle

Students will gain an understanding of China and an appreciation of the Chinese Culture

Chinese Culture

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

35

SLR Operational Definitions

Academic Excellence All students will be equipped and empowered to meet the challenges of a dynamic global society in which they collaborate, contribute and flourish as critical thinkers, problem solvers and creative individuals committed to excellence.

All students will demonstrate these abilities through: Gathering Knowledge (Inquire; think critically; gather knowledge) • formulating & refining questions • using a variety of resources • finding, evaluating, selecting information • making personal connections • mastering technology tools Creating Understanding (Apply knowledge; draw conclusions; create new understanding) • applying critical-thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to knowledge to construct new understandings • collaborating to solve problems • using technology tools to analyze and organize Communicating and Applying Learning (Communicate, use, and apply learning; practice ethical behaviors) • sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning • creating products to communicate new understandings effectively • applying learning to new and/or real-life situations • practicing responsible & ethical behavior

Spirituality Students will exhibit understanding of Christianity by: • Describing and explaining the key principles of Christianity; • Connecting Christian terminology and symbols to key principles; • Making sense of the multiple ways the Bible is interpreted within the Christian community; • Comparing key concepts, teachings, practices and texts of Christianity; • Recognizing a connection between Christian principles and ethical conduct.

Students will exhibit understanding of other religions by: • Describing and explaining the key principles of other religions; • Connecting terminology and symbols from other religions to key principles from other religions; • Making sense of the multiple ways other sacred writings are interpreted; • Recognizing a connection between Christian principles and ethical conduct.

• Comparing key concepts, teachings, practices, and texts of other religions; • Recognizing connections between the principles of other religions and ethical conduct.

Students will demonstrate respect for Christianity and other religions by: • Respecting the religious rituals/spirituality of others; • Respecting the diverse religious and spiritual lives and traditions of others.

36

Hong Hong International School

Students will demonstrate their personal spiritual identities by: • Engaging in dialogue about Christianity and other religious worldviews in daily life; • Identifying connections with their personal beliefs and others; • Reflecting upon their own spiritual identities; • Living out their worldviews in a variety of ways.

Character Development Students will demonstrate caring and respect by: • Identifying others’ needs and looking for ways to help; • Fostering care and respect in the community; • Valuing the differences among people; • Exhibiting self-control; • Listening and interacting in an appropriate manner; • Being considerate of materials, facilities and resources.

Students will exhibit integrity by: • Demonstrating honesty and trustworthiness in relationships and academics; • Accepting responsibility for their own actions.

Students will display the courage to stand up for what is right by: • Identifying with a value system based on ethical principles; • Speaking or acting in accordance with their values; • Supporting others who speak or act with courage.

Self-Motivated Learning Students demonstrate persistence and engagement by: • Recognizing their intellectual style, strengths and weaknesses; • Consistently applying different strategies to enhance interest until a goal is achieved; • Sustaining or increasing effort in the face of difficulty; • Actively seeking help when necessary.

Students exhibit risk-taking by: • Applying new strategies to different assignments and projects; • Seeking and engaging in challenging tasks that enhance learning; • Exploring new interests.

Students demonstrate application of a variety of learning and motivation strategies by: • Engaging in effective thinking about their own thinking (metacognition); • Knowing a variety of key learning and motivation strategies; • Appropriately applying a variety of learning and motivation strategies; • Respecting the diverse learning needs and styles of other students.

Students demonstrate control and regulation of their learning process by: • Accurately self-assessing on an on-going basis; • Continuously reflecting, setting, monitoring and revising goals; • Accepting feedback and criticism without defensiveness; • Adapting and adjusting learning and motivation strategies used to meet their needs.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

37

Students enjoy the process of learning and what they are learning by: • Pursuing personal interests; • Taking learning risks when their interest is piqued; • Showing persistence in an area of passion.

Contributing to Society Students will demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills by: • Working well with others; • Respecting other points of view; • Accepting diversity; • Actively participating; • Listening and making connections with others; • Building cross cultural relationships; • Working with others to achieve goals; • Helping to resolve conflicts.

Students will make contributions by: • Identifying a need; • Voluntarily participating in service; • Contributing time, talent or money, often involving a personal sacrifice; • Appreciating the value of service; • Contributing to family, community and/or the world; • Following through on service commitments; • Reflecting on service experiences; • Studying in the classroom issues raised by their service experiences.

Students will exhibit global citizenship by: • Remaining conversant on current events; • Being aware of the impact of major global, social and environmental events; • Confronting discrimination and stereotypes; • Appreciating global diversity; • Developing a multi-cultural perspective; • Empathizing with those representing a minority position.

Chinese Culture Students will demonstrate understanding of China in each of the following areas: • Social sciences (such as history, geography, politics and current events); • Philosophy and religion; • Language, literature and the arts; • Chinese society (such as traditions and lifestyles).

Students will appreciate/experience Chinese Culture by: • Making connections between personal experiences and aspects of Chinese culture; • Being actively involved in a variety of Chinese cultural experiences; • Behaving in culturally appropriate ways; • Integrating with the people of Greater China and their communities.

38

Hong Hong International School

Learning Principles and Practices

At HKIS we believe that learning is most effective when: 1. Learning is nurtured in a safe and supportive environment.

Therefore, we will: • build positive relationships; • seek ways to foster students’ enjoyment of learning; • building strong learning communities that promote a culture of respect; • promote students’ self-confidence, ability to see other perspectives, and willingness to take risks with their learning; • recognize mistakes as learning opportunities; and • provide space and resources conducive to learning.

2. Learning is purposeful for life beyond school.

Therefore, we will: • connect with, challenge, and extend students’ present knowledge, skills, and understanding; • help students build skills in inquiry: asking probing questions and maintaining curiosity; • seek to connect students’ learning and the world at large; and • focus on teaching for enduring understanding guided by essential questions.

3. Learning results in the transfer of knowledge and skills to a variety of contexts.

Therefore, we will: • provide opportunities for students to raise questions, solve problems, and reason; • use instruction and assessment strategies that support the transfer of learning; and • provide opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding by applying prior knowledge and skills to new challenges and experiences.

4. Learning is personalized.

Therefore, we will: • use a range of strategies to identify and respond to students’ different learning and social needs, and cultural perspectives; • provide a variety of learning opportunities which enable students to build on personal strengths and interests; and • empower students to advocate for their own learning as appropriate.

5. Learning is generated through interactions and integrated by the individual learner.

Therefore, we will: • plan experiences that build and develop skills for learning through both collaboration and individual reflection; and • structure opportunities for students to learn with others inside and outside of the classroom.

6. Learning is enhanced by student engagement in metacognitioni.

Therefore, we will: • explicitly teach and model how to self-reflect, self-assess, and use feedback; and • empower students to communicate about their own process of learning.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

39

7. Learning is informed by effective assessments that address clear expectations.

Therefore, we will: • share and construct learning goals with students; • use formative and summative assessment as an ongoing part of the teaching and learning process; • assess understanding in various ways, including authentic, performance-based tasks; and • use assessment data for teachers and students to guide future instruction and learning.

Teaching for Understanding

HKIS uses a comprehensive standards-basedii curriculum in which we teach for understanding. We align curriculum, instruction, and assessment to allow students to demonstrate understanding. Students understand when they: • Acquire important new knowledge and skills • Make meaning of big ideas related to the knowledge and skills • Transfer this learning to new and authentic situations (Wiggins & McTighe, in press) The Understanding by Design (UbD) model, which seeks to structure teaching for understanding, guides us in the formulation of our written curriculum. Core principles of teaching for understanding include the following: • Units of study and the classroom environment are structured around major concepts and principles known as enduring understandings. These understandings, derived from the standards and benchmarks, extend beyond a single subject area and have lasting value outside the classroom. These big ideas are abstract, not obvious, and require inquiry rather than limited coverage.

• Essential questions are used to raise student interest in the content of the unit and lead to development of the enduring understandings. Such questions are central to the curriculum and do not yield a single answer.

• Essential questions are explicitly stated for students at the outset of the unit and remain the focus throughout the unit’s duration.

• Specific knowledge and skills are taught so students learn requisite subject knowledge. These are aligned with the enduring understandings and essential questions.

• Multiple forms of assessment are used to allow students to demonstrate their understanding in various ways.

• Formative assessmentsiii are used to guide instruction and student goal-setting.

• Summative assessmentiv tasks and accompanying evaluation criteria are made explicit to students as developmentally appropriate.

• Classroom instructional activities are all designed to engage students in building knowledge and skills and acquire understanding. Activities are differentiated to meet the needs of diverse learners.

40

Hong Hong International School

Philosophy of Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to promote learning. Assessment is a process of gathering a variety of evidence to identify student’s level of attainment of learning goals. The evidence helps students understand their strengths and how they can improve their learning and helps teachers understand how they can improve instruction. In addition, assessment forms the basis of reporting to students and parents the current level of students’ attainment of learning goals, A robust system of assessment is relevant and accurate, ongoing, informative and timely, and understandable to all.

Relevant and Accurate Assessment is tied directly to the learning goals of a given course or program. The goals are made explicit in the course’s standards and benchmarks as well as the school-wide SLRs. Expectations around these goals are clear for all students as developmentally appropriate. Students need to know the level of attainment they are expected to reach as they work toward these clear learning goals. Likewise, measurement of attainment in these goals needs to be accurate, using a variety of methods appropriate to measure the targets set and appropriate to the age of the students.

Ongoing Assessment is an ongoing process built into the cycles of teaching and learning.

Though there are times (such as final exams in upper grades) when assessment is a culmination of learning, in general assessment is incorporated into teaching and learning and the results of assessments are used by teachers and students to guide future learning.

Informative and Timely Results and feedback are most useful when they are provided as close to the assessment as practical, so students and teachers can employ strategies for growth.

Given the opportunity to reflect on results, students are able to set goals for future learning and performance of learning tasks that enhance progress.

Understandable As developmentally appropriate, students are fully involved in the assessment process and are able to understand and explain the ways in which assessment evaluates and enhances their learning.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

41

Glossary i Metacognition – The process of thinking about thinking. When students think about their own learning, it looks something like this: “I am having trouble with concepts like this, so I will try this strategy” or “I usually take a long time with this sort of task, so I will plan a little more time.’ For very young learners, this may look in early stages like self-talk about what they are doing during play or project time. ii Standards-based – Educational standards define the landscape of what students will learn in various subjects throughout school. In this sense, the curriculum is based on content standards that lay out important knowledge, skills, and understanding. The level to which these are to be achieved are laid out in benchmarks set for each grade level. iii Formative assessment – Assessment tasks that are designed to give students feedback over time that will enable them to set goals and move forward with their learning as opposed to making a final judgement about a student’s ability. iv Summative assessment – Assessment tasks that are designed to capture a student’s performance at one point in time after instruction and to make a judgment about the student’s ability according to a grade-level benchmark. These assessments are used to inform report card grades.

42

Hong Hong International School

2012 Lower Primary School 2013 Literacy Handbook for Parents

Reading & Writing

Key skills for success in school A joint statement by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the International Reading Association begins with this powerful declaration: “Learning to read and write is critical to a child’s success in school and later in life. One of the best predictors of whether a child will function competently in school and go on to contribute actively in our increasingly literate society is the level to which the child progresses in reading and writing. Although reading and writing abilities continue to develop throughout the life span, the early childhood years – from birth through age eight – are the most important period for literacy development.” (p.3) In the Lower Primary, we believe that it is essential to teach children to read and write competently, enabling them to achieve today’s high standards of literacy. Our goal is to enable children to see themselves as able readers and writers and competent users of language for communication.

Through reading this handbook you will: • be introduced to the Lower Primary literacy curriculum, including the Reading and Writing standards.

• understand the first six stages of literacy development through clear descriptions of the reading and writing continuum.

• learn what research tells us about early literacy development.

• learn ways you can support literacy development at home.

44

Hong Hong International School

Literacy Curriculum in the Lower Primary

Our literacy curriculum is based on best practices from the U.S. including research from Teacher’s College at Columbia University, National Standards of Teacher’s of English (NCTE), International Reading Association (IRA) and the work of Bonnie Campbell Hill, Ph.D., Matthew Glover, and Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. It aligns with each of the stages of literacy development in our young learners. We have standards and benchmarks, which serve as a framework for our curriculum and instruction. They are internationally competitive and developmentally appropriate for our population. ‘Units of Study’ are utilized at each grade level and a Curriculum Calendar organizes the curriculum across the year. The Lower Primary literacy standards and benchmarks provide a common language among all of our teachers, parents and students with which we can examine and report on student progress and make plans to support and guide each student.

R1-12 Literacy Standards Reading Habits Students will acquire the habit of reading for understanding by: • Reading an appropriate quantity • Reading a variety of texts • Responding to text • Reflecting on themselves as readers

Reading Process and Meaning Students will develop and acquire strategies for the reading process and read a variety of genres by: • Acquiring rich vocabulary • Reading accurately • Developing fluency • Self monitoring and self correcting • Demonstrating comprehension • Using word analysis (phonemic awareness) • Demonstrating knowledge of concepts about print

Writing Process, Purpose and Genre Students will develop skills and strategies to organize and communicate their ideas through a variety of genres and for a variety of purposes by: • Developing, organizing, and communicating ideas • Using appropriate word choice, sentence • Developing fluency and voice • Developing control of conventions • Self assessing their own and others work • Writing expository pieces • Writing expressive pieces

Listening and Speaking Students will use listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.

Students will listen and speak for effective communication and learning.

Visual Literacy Students interpret and respond to visual media

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

45

Research-Based Literacy Instruction

In order to attain our high literacy standards, the Lower Primary has established a Balanced Approach to Literacy Instruction. The key instructional strategies which make up this approach are effective in addressing the literacy needs of young learners. All our teachers utilize these strategies in appropriate ways to ensure that our students make progress toward the benchmarks for their grade level. When visiting your child’s classroom you will see students engaged in these reading and writing activities. Teachers balance time between whole class instruction, small group instruction, and individual conferences, in order to differentiate and meet the needs of all students.

Balanced Literacy Reading

Writing

Reading Workshop

Writing Workshop

Students receive direct, explicit instruction in reading strategies and are allowed to choose books independently with guidance from teachers, based on ongoing assessments. An emphasis is placed on comprehension and independence, with structures in place that allow students time to talk and share thinking with others. A “reading community” is created, where students learn to take risks and read a lot! Celebrations typically mark the end of a reading unit/cycle.

Students generate ideas and author their own pieces across the school year. The teacher gives explicit instruction about the many different writing genres and strategies, and regularly models for students his or her own writing. Students then spend solid amounts of time everyday composing and drafting their own pieces, following an authentic writing process that leads them through revision and publication at the end of each writing cycle. Parents are often invited to class events, where students celebrate their published pieces!

Interactive Read Aloud with Accountable Talk The teacher reads aloud to the whole class or small groups from a carefully selected body of children's literature which contains a variety of genres and represents our diverse society. As teachers read, they stop to model their thinking for students. At the end of a read aloud teachers may conduct a whole class discussion. Favorite texts, selected for special features, are reread many times.

Shared Reading Using an enlarged text so that all children can see, the teacher involves children in reading together following a pointer. The process often includes reading big books, poems, songs and student writing, so that students develop concepts of print, phonemic awareness, and deeper comprehension.

Guided Reading The teacher works with small groups who have similar reading processes. The teacher selects and introduces new books and supports children reading the whole text to themselves, making teaching points during and after the reading.

Shared Writing Teacher and children work together to compose messages and stories. The teacher supports the process as a scribe.

Interactive Writing As in shared writing, the teacher and the children compose messages and stories that are written using a “shared pen” technique that involves children in the composition and transcription of the text.

Guided Writing Children engage in writing a variety of texts. The teacher guides the process and provides instruction through mini lessons and conferences.

Word Study Woven through the activities in this framework, teachers have opportunities to help children notice and use letters and words. Students develop their understanding of the English language and how words work. Knowledge is further fostered through the use of word walls and other writing tools.

Adapted from: Fountas, I. and Gay Su Pinnell. 1996. Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, pp. 22-23.

46

Hong Hong International School

Reading and Writing Workshop

The Lower Primary has adopted a workshop approach to teaching reading and writing. Units of study in both reading and writing are taught in approximately 4-6 week periods of time, immersing students within a particular genre and/or strategy for reading and writing. Regardless of what unit is being taught, the structure of the lesson remains the same, providing students with consistency and predictability in instruction. The following units are taught throughout the year:

Reading Units Taught Across the Year Reception 2

Grade 1

Grade 2

Shared Reading, Interactive Read Alouds, Emergent Story Book Reading

Readers Build Good Habits

Readers Build Community

Just Right Books

Navigating Non-Fiction

Readers Hold Onto Meaning

Story Telling/Readers' Theater

Non-Fiction Reading

Holding Onto Meaning

Making Connections

Digging Deep into Fiction

Thinking About Characters

Readers Meet in Clubs

Readers Are Independent

Planning Our Lives as Readers

Let the Reading Adventures Begin Print Strategies Reading Non-Fiction Books Thinking About Books We Love Reading Our Favorites

Writing Units Taught Across the Year Reception 2

Grade 1

Grade 2

Bookmaking: Talking, Drawing, Writing

Pattern Books

Launching the Writing Workshop

What Authors Do, I Can Do Too

Personal Narratives

Authors as Mentors

Personal Narratives

Writing for Readers

Poetry

Poetry

Non-Fiction

All About Books

How To Books

Authors as Mentors

Personal Narratives

Poetry

Fiction

Making Choices as Writers

Writing With A Purpose

All About Books Reflecting on Our Writing

Components of a Reading or Writing Workshop Lesson

Minilessons Minilessons last approximately 10-15 minutes and follow a structured pattern. Students gather all together in a meeting area in order to hear and see the teacher easily as he/ she demonstrates a reading or writing strategy in action. Students are offered a chance to practice and think about that strategy together with the support of a partner and the teacher, before they go off to try it more independently. Minilessons drive each Unit of Study forward, giving a road map for the teacher’s ongoing instruction.

Conferences Everyday, teachers spend time working one-on-one with students. This unique way of teaching enables them to differentiate their instruction and therefore to ensure that each student is progressing at their natural rate. Teachers cycle through the whole class in approximately 1-2 weeks and are therefore able to follow up on past conferences in a timely fashion. Conferences tend to last 5-10 minutes, and are usually student led, so that they remain authentic and purposeful for the student.

Teachers keep notes on what they teach in their conferences, so that there is a record of instruction as well as student strengths and next steps as learners.

Small Group Instruction Teachers will often notice students with common strengths and needs during the conferring time. They then can pull small groups, commonly referred to as Strategy Lessons. These Strategy Lessons allow teachers to give additional instruction to students as needed and also enable teachers to see students quite often across a 1-2 week period.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

47

Keys for Success in Reading & Writing

What the research in early literacy says • The goals and expectations for young children’s achievement in reading and writing should be developmentally appropriate – challenging but achievable – with sufficient adult support. Rather than having a maturationist view of young children’s development, teachers in Lower Primary understand that the presence of high quality experiences throughout the early childhood years positively affects the development of literacy.

• Reading and writing acquisition is best conceptualized as a developmental continuum rather than as an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Children do not progress along this developmental continuum in rigid sequence, but instead each child exhibits a unique pattern and timing in acquiring skills and understanding related to reading and writing.

• Literacy develops within the framework of real-life activities in order to “get things done.” Teachers emphasize the meaningful or purposeful bases of early literacy and build upon what the child already knows.

• The ability to read and write well does not develop naturally, without careful planning and instruction. Children need regular and active interactions with print.

The role of an adult, who is supportive, interested and engaged and who provides scaffolding for the child’s development of greater skill and understanding is critical to this process of learning.

• The regular and systematic use of multiple ways to assess and monitor children’s progress in reading and writing development is essential to ensuring each child’s progress. In the Lower Primary, teachers assess literacy development in numerous ways throughout the year.

48

Hong Hong International School

Reading & Writing Development

An ongoing continuum In the next few pages of this handbook you will find descriptions of the first six stages of reading and writing development. This continuum, developed by Dr. Campbell Hill, provides descriptors of what children can do as they progress through each stage of development. The reading and writing continuums offer a framework for the understanding of literarcy development.

It is important to remember that reading and writing development takes time. Young learners need multiple reading and writing experiences to grow as literacy learners.

Adults play a crucial role in facilitating children’s development and movement along the reading and writing continuums. Children will be at different stages at different times depending on a myriad of factors. As parents we encourage you to really celebrate what your child can do as a developing reader and writer!

As you read through the descriptions of each continuum stage, look at the children’s writing and the types of books children typically read at each stage. Think about where your child is in his or her literacy development. Notice that each page includes a Parent Tips section where you will find great ideas for supporting your child’s literacy development at home. Once you know which stage your child is in we encourage you to try out these fun tips to help your child grow as a reader and writer.

Your child’s teacher will use this continuum throughout the school year to guide your child’s literacy development and to talk about their progress with you. Teaching children skills that are beyond their developmental stage will not help them to develop at a quicker rate. It is important to support students within their current stage of development while providing rich, stimulating experiences.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

49

Preconventional Readers

Parent Tips: & Read books with appealing pictures that match your child's age and interests. Children at this age like books with rhythm, repetition and rhyme.

& Encourage risk-taking as children

learn to read and memorize their first books. Have your child chime in on repeated lines or a chorus.

Ages 3-5 Preconventional learners display curiosity about books and reading. They enjoy listening to books and may have favorites. Children focus mostly on illustrations at this stage as they talk about the story. They love songs and books with rhythm, repetition, and rhyme. Students participate in reading by chiming in when adults read aloud, and children at this age often enjoy hearing the same stories read aloud over and over.

Preconventional readers are interested in environmental print, such as restaurant and traffic signs, labels, and logos. Children hold books correctly, turning the pages as they look at the illustrations. They know some letter names and can read and write their first name.

& Begins to choose reading materials (e.g. books, magazines, and charts) and has favorites.

& Shows interest in reading signs, labels and logos (environmental print). & Recognizes own name in print.

R Holds book and turns pages correctly.

R Shows beginning/end of book or story.

R Knows some letter names.

C Listens and responds to literature.

C Comments on illustrations in books.

C Participates in group reading (books, rhymes, poems and songs). & Types of Texts and Oral Reading R Reading Strategies

C Participates in group reading (books, rhymes, poems and songs)

Preconventional readers will begin reading simple books like this one.

50

Hong Hong International School

Preconventional Writers Parent Tips: ! Provide writing materials (such as

paper, pens, chalkboard, markers) and a corner or area for writing. You might want to have a writing box with paper, markers, and crayons in one convenient place.

Model everyday writing (such as lists, ! letters and notes). Ask your child to add a word or picture.

Ages 3-5 At the Preconventional stage, children rely on their pictures to show meaning. They often pretend to write by using scribble writing. Children sometimes make random letters and numbers to represent words. Some children add "words" to their pictures to share meaning. They often tell stories about their pictures.

2 Relies primarily on pictures to convey meaning.

2 Begins to label and add "words" to pictures.

2 Writes first name.

Demonstrates awareness that print conveys meaning.

1

? Makes marks other than drawing on paper (scribbles). ? Writes random recognizable letters to represent words.

J Tells about own pictures and writing.

2 Types of Texts Content and Traits 1

? Mechanics and Conventions J Attitude and Self-Evaluation

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

51

Emerging Readers

Parent Tips: & Check out audio books from the

library. Listen to them at bedtime or in the car.

& Write notes to your child (in his or her lunchbox, on the bed, on the mirror or under the pillow) using simple words.

& Continue to reread old favorites

together, and encourage your child to talk about his or her thinking.

Ages 4-6 At the Emerging stage, children are curious about print and see themselves as potential readers. They may pretend to read familiar poems and books. Children rely on the illustrations to tell a story but are beginning to focus on the print. They participate in readings of familiar books and often begin to memorize favorites.

Children begin to make connections between books read aloud, and their own lives and experiences. They enjoy rhyming and playing with words. Emerging readers know most letter names and some letter sounds. They recognize some names, signs and familiar words. These children are often highly motivated to learn to read and may move through this stage quickly.

& Memorizes pattern books, poems and familiar books. & Begins to read signs, labels, and logos (environmental print).

J Demonstrates eagerness to read.

R Pretends to read.

R Uses illustrations to tell stories.

R Reads top to bottom, left to right and front to back with guidance.

R Knows most letter names and some letter sounds.

R Recognizes some names and words in context.

R Makes meaningful predictions with guidance.

C Rhymes and plays with words.

C Participates in reading of familiar books and poems.

C Connects books read aloud to own experiences with guidance. & Types of Texts and Oral Reading J Attitude

R Reading Strategies / Concepts of Print

C Comprehension and Response

Preconventional readers will begin reading simple books like this one.

52

Hong Hong International School

Emerging Writers

Parent Tips: ! Keep a family calendar where you and your child can write down upcoming events and things to remember.

! Create a message center with a

bulletin board or slots for mail.

Encourage your child to write notes to members of the family.

Ages 4-6 These children begin to see themselves as writers. Some students begin to label their pictures with a few letters. They may write their name and some familiar words in a way that others can read. Students may write just the beginning or the beginning and ending sounds they hear. At the Emerging stage, children often write everything in upper case letters. They may pretend to read their own writing, often elaborating to embellish their stories.

2 Uses pictures and print to convey meaning.

2 Writes words to describe or support pictures.

2 Copies signs, labels, names and words (environmental print).

Demonstrates understanding of letter/sound relationship.

1

? Prints with upper case letters. ? Matches letters to sounds. ? Uses beginning consonants to make words. ? Uses beginning and ending consonants to make words.

J Pretends to read own writing.

J Sees self as writer.

J Takes risks with writing.

2 Types of Texts Content and Traits 1

? Mechanics and Conventions J Attitude and Self-Evaluation

This student uses beginning and ending sounds to write: I like playing. I like my friends. I have friends.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

53

Developing Readers

Parent Tips: & Read different things aloud in

addition to stories (such as recipes, letters and directions).

& As you read together, ask your child

to predict what might happen next or talk about how the book relates to your child's life.

Ages 5-7 These children see themselves as readers. They can read books with simple patterns, like Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell, 1982) or Quick as a Cricket (Audrey Wood, 1990) or simple texts, like Go Dog Go (P. D. Eastman, 1961). Later in this stage they can read books with patterns that vary more, like Just for You (Mercer Mayer, 1975) or Cookie's Week (Cindy Ward, 1988). They begin to look at books independently for short periods of time (5–10 minutes) and like to share books with others. Developing readers know most letter sounds and can read simple words (such as "dog" and "me") and a few sight words (such as "have" and "love"). Recognizing patterns and word families helps readers generalize what they know about one word to similar new words. They use both print and illustrations to make meaning as they read. Children often read aloud word by word, particularly with a new text. They gain fluency with familiar books and repeated readings. These young readers can retell the main idea of a story and participate in whole group discussions of literature. This is another stage that children may pass through quickly.

& Reads books with simple patterns. & Begins to read own writing.

J Begins to read independently for short periods (5-10 minutes).

J Discusses favorite reading material with others.

R Relies on illustrations and print.

R Uses finger-print-voice matching.

R Knows most letter sounds and letter clusters.

R Recognizes simple words.

R Uses growing awareness of sound segments (e.g. phonemes, syllables, rhymes) to read words.

R Begins to make meaningful predictions.

R Identifies titles and authors in literature (text features).

C Retells main event or idea in literature.

C Participates in guided literature discussions.

Sees self as reader. $ Explains why literature is liked/disliked during class discussions with $ guidance.

& Types of Texts and Oral Reading J Attitude R Reading Strategies

C Comprehension and Response Self-evaluation $

Developing readers will read stories like this one.

54

Hong Hong International School

Developing Writers

Parent Tips: ! Involve your child in writing party

invitations, name tags, thank you notes, valentines, holiday cards, etc.

Be sure to plan ahead so your child will have lots of time.

! Have your children send friends

postcards when you're on a trip.

Be sure to take stamps and their addresses with you.

Ages 5-7 Students at the Developing stage write names and familiar words. They begin to write one or two short sentences, such as "MI DG PLS" ("My dog plays"). Developing writers use beginning, middle and ending sounds to make words. For example, learn might be written "LRn." This developmental reliance on the sounds of letters is called "invented spelling," "phonetic spelling" or "temporary spelling." At this stage, students spell some high frequency words correctly. Students often interchange upper and lower case letters and experiment with capital letters and simple punctuation. Their writing goes from left to right and begins to include spacing. Students are able to read their own compositions aloud immediately after writing, but later may not remember what they wrote.

2 Writes 2-4 sentences about a topic.

2 Writes names and familiar words.

Generates own ideas for writing.

1

? Writes from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back. ? Intermixes upper and lower case letters. ? Experiments with capitals. ? Experiments with punctuation. ? Begins to use spacing between words. ? Uses growing awareness of sound segments (e.g., phonemes, syllables, rhymes) to write words.

? Spells words on the basis of sounds without regard for conventional spelling patterns.

? Uses beginning, middle and ending sounds to make words.

J Begins to read own writing.

2 Types of Texts Content and Traits 1

? Mechanics and Conventions J Attitude and Self-Evaluation This emergent writer uses conventional and phonetic spelling to write: My snake likes to listen to an Egyptian flute in its basket.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

55

Beginning Readers

Ages 6-8 Beginning readers rely more on print than on illustrations to create meaning. When they read aloud, they understand basic punctuation, such as periods, question marks and exclamation marks. At first, they read simple early readers, like Sammy the Seal (Syd Hoff, 1959) and picture books with repetition, like The Napping House (Audrey Wood, 1984). Students take a big step forward when they learn to read longer books, like The Cat in the Hat (1957) or Green Eggs and Ham (1960) by Dr. Seuss.

Later in this stage, they can read more difficult early readers, such as Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel, 1971) and more challenging picture books, such as A Bargain for Frances (Russell Hoban, 1970). They often enjoy simple series books, such as the Little Bear books by Else Minarik or the humorous Commander Toad series by Jane Yolen. Many of these books are labeled" I Can Read" books on the covers.

Beginning readers take a developmental leap as they begin to integrate reading strategies (meaning, sentence structure and phonics cues). They are able to read silently for 10-15 minutes. These children know many words by sight and occasionally correct themselves when their reading doesn't make sense. They are able to discuss the characters and events in a story with the teacher's help. When they read simple nonfiction texts, such as Mighty Spiders (Fay Robinson, 1996) or Dancing with the Manatees (Faith McNulty, 1994), they are able to talk about what they learn. It may take significantly longer for children to move through this stage since there is a wide range of text complexity at this level.

Parent Tips: & Begin to read series books. If you

read a few, children will often read the rest of the series on their own.

& Point out ways to figure out words in addition to "sounding it out" (such as looking at the picture, breaking the word into smaller words, reading on, or thinking what would make sense).

& Reads simple early-reader books. & Reads harder early-reader books. & Reads and follows simple written directions with guidance. & Identifies basic genres (e.g. fiction, nonfiction and poetry). & Uses basic punctuation when reading orally.

J Reads independently (10-15 minutes).

J Chooses reading materials independently.

J Learns and shares information from reading.

R Uses meaning cues (context) R Uses sentence cues (grammar).

R Uses letter/sound cues and patterns (phonics).

R Recognizes word endings, common contractions and many high frequency words.

R Begins to self-correct.

C Retells beginning, middle and end with guidance.

C Discusses characters and story events with guidance.

Identifies own reading behaviors with guidance. $

& Types of Texts and Oral Reading J Attitude R Reading Strategies

C Comprehension and Response Self-evaluation $

Beginning readers who are in the later part of this stage will read books like this one.

56

Hong Hong International School

Beginning Writers

Parent Tips: ! Encourage your child to email friends and relatives.

! Have your child read you what he/

she has written. Respond first to the content and ideas. At this stage, a child's confidence and attitude about writing are very important.

! Continue to model everyday writing, as well as including your child in the composition of other types of texts.

Ages 6-8 At the Beginning stage, children write recognizable short sentences with some descriptive words. They can write several sentences about their lives and experiences or simple facts about a topic. Students sometimes use capitals and periods correctly.

Many letters are formed legibly and adults can usually read what the child has written.

Students spell some words phonetically and others are spelled correctly. They usually spell simple words and some high frequency words correctly as they become more aware of spelling patterns. Beginning writers often start a story with "Once upon a time" and finish with "The End." Children may revise by adding details with the teacher's help. They enjoy sharing their writing with others. Students may stay at this stage longer than the previous ones as they build fluency.

2 Writes 1-2 full pages about a topic.

2 Writes about observations and experiences.

2 Writes short nonfiction pieces (simple facts about a topic) with guidance.

Chooses own writing topics.

1 " Reads own writing and notices mistakes with guidance. " Revises by adding details with guidance.

? Uses spacing between words consistently. ? Forms most letters legibly. ? Writes pieces that self and others can read. ? Uses phonetic spelling to write independently. ? Spells simple words and some high frequency words correctly. ? Begins to use periods and capital letters correctly.

J Shares own writing with others.

2 Types of Texts Content and Traits 1 " Process

? Mechanics and Conventions J Attitude and Self-Evaluation This beginning writer uses conventional and phonetic spelling to write: On my holiday I went to the pool. I also went to the beach.

I collected real clams. The pool was made out of sand and I swam in it! I got to hold a live crocodile at the crocodile farm.

I had fun!

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

57

Expanding Readers

Ages 7-9 At the Expanding stage, students solidify skills as they read beginning chapter books.

Many children read series books and re-read old favorites while stretching into new types of reading. In the early part of this stage, they may read short series books, like Pee Wee Scouts (Judy Denton) or Pinky and Rex (James Howe). As they build fluency, students often devour series books, like Cam Jansen (David Adler), Bailey School Kids (Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones) or Amber Brown (Paula Danziger).

They may also read nonfiction texts on a topic, such as Pompeii...

Buried Alive! (Edith Kunhardt, 1987). Students are learning how to choose books at their reading level and can read silently for 15-30 minutes. They read aloud fluently and begin to self-correct when they make mistakes or their reading doesn't make sense. They can usually figure out difficult words but are still building their reading vocabulary. At this stage, children use a variety of reading strategies independently.

These students make connections between reading and writing and their own experiences. Expanding readers are able to compare characters and events from different stories. They can talk about their own reading strategies and set goals with adult help.

Parent Tips: & Read and compare several

versions of a story (such as a fairy tale or folktale).

& Encourage your child to practice

reading aloud to siblings, relatives or senior citizens.

& Reads easy chapter books. & Chooses, reads and finishes a variety of materials at appropriate level with guidance.

& Begins to read aloud with fluency.

J Reads silently for increasingly longer periods (15-30 minutes).

R Uses reading strategies appropriately, depending on the text and purpose.

R Uses word structure cues (e.g. root words, prefixes, suffixes, word chunks) when encountering unknown words.

R Increases vocabulary by using meaning cues (context).

R Self-corrects for meaning.

R Follows written directions.

R Identifies chapter titles and table of contents (text organizers).

C Summarizes and retells story events in sequential order.

C Responds to and makes personal connections with facts, characters and situations in literature.

C Compares and contrasts characters and story events.

C "Reads between the lines" with guidance.

Identifies own reading strategies and sets goals with guidance. $

& Types of Texts and Oral Reading J Attitude R Reading Strategies

C Comprehension and Response Self-evaluation $

Expanding readers often enjoy series books like this one.

58

Hong Hong International School

Expanding Writers

Parent Tips: ! Provide empty notebooks or blank

books to use as journals or diaries.

! Make books together about trips, events, holidays and your family.

Ages 7-9 Students at this stage can write poems and stories about their experiences and interests, as well as short nonfiction pieces. They use complete sentences and their writing contains a logical flow of ideas. Their stories sometimes contain a beginning, middle and end. Expanding writers can add description, detail and interesting language with the teacher's guidance. They enjoy reading their writing aloud and are able to offer specific feedback to other students. Their editing skills begin to grow, although students may still need help as they edit for simple punctuation, spelling and grammar. Their writing is legible and they no longer labor over the physical act of writing. Students spell many common words correctly as they begin to grasp spelling patterns and rules.

2 Writes short fiction and poetry with guidance.

2 Writes a variety of short nonfiction pieces (e.g. facts about a topic, letters, lists) with guidance.

Writes with a central idea.

1 Writes using complete sentences.

1 Organizes ideas in a logical sequence in fiction and nonfiction writing 1 with guidance.

Begins to recognize and use interesting language.

1

" Uses several prewriting strategies (e.g. web, brainstorm) with guidance. " Listens to others' writing and offers feedback. " Begins to consider suggestions from others about own writing. " Adds description and detail with guidance. " Edits for capitals and punctuation with guidance. " Publishes own writing with guidance.

? Writes legibly. ? Spells most high frequency words correctly and moves toward conventional spelling.

J Identifies own writing strategies and sets goals with guidance.

2 Types of Texts Content and Traits 1

" Process

? Mechanics and Conventions J Attitude and Self-Evaluation

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

59

60

Hong Hong International School

2012 Lower Primary School 2013 Math Handbook for Parents

Math Curriculum in the Lower Primary NAEYC Guidelines for Appropriate Practices in Primary Grades • Involve active participation with each other, adults and materials • Include varied classroom groupings • Promote materials and activities that are concrete, real and relevant • Encourage exploration, discovery and problem solving • Include projects and experiences that extend children's ideas • Respond to their questions and engage them in conversations • Integrate many subject areas • Promote social skills, inquiry, independence and choice • Develop self esteem and positive feelings toward learning and self control • Encourage family members to help in the classroom respond to and respect individual differences in ability and interests • Monitor through regular observation and narration • Record with progress reported to parents

In Lower Primary we provide an enriched, comprehensive and balanced mathematics curriculum. Our program aligns with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principal and Standards for Teaching Mathematics.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is one of the largest and most influential organizations for early childhood educators, dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade with over 100,000 members and 450 affiliates throughout the United States.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is the world's largest mathematics education organization, with nearly 90,000 members and 250 affiliates throughout the United States and Canada. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, published in 2000, provides guidelines for excellence in mathematics education.

Your child's math program is part of an elementary school mathematics curriculum developed by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project called Everyday Mathematics. This program offers students a broad background in mathematics using approaches that are based on research results, field test experiences, and the mathematics your child will need in the twenty-first century.

Students engage in mathematical problems that support problem solving and critical thinking. Students learn to think and communicate mathematically. The basic skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are an important part of this program. One feature of the Everyday Math program is that it does emphasize the necessity for memorizing the basic math facts as well as using these facts in math computation. Instruction on basic facts is taught through direct instruction and daily activities using a wide variety of hands-on manipulatives, games, flashcards, and computer programs.

The Everyday Mathematics program challenges students to be active learners.

Students nvestigate, explore, think and communicate while using many different materials, learning styles and strategies in both concept development and problem solving. We seek to help the children appreciate the many ways in which math affects their lives, to demonstrate the variety within the discipline, and to find the areas in which each student can excel. The Everyday Mathematics program aspires to produce students who are joyful about the subject, and who say and feel, "I can do Math!"

Source: Adapted from NAEYC, 1987 & 1990

NCTM Recommendations for Instructional Practices in Preschool to Grade Four Increased Attention to...

Decreased Attention to...

• Use of manipulative materials

• Rote Practice

• Cooperative work

• Rote Memorization of Rules

• Discussion of Mathematics

• One answer and one method

• Questioning

• Use of worksheets

• Justification of thinking

• Written practice

• Writing about mathematics

• Teaching by telling

• Problem solving approach to instruction • Content integration • Use of calculators and computers Source NCTM, 1989

62

Hong Hong International School

Research-Based Math Instruction

"Children will become confident 'doers' of mathematics only if mathematics makes sense to them and if they believe in their ability to make sense of it."

– Trafton and Claus, 1994

Each of the four divisions at HKIS have historically used and continue to use the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics Standards as a framework.

NCTM present a common set of standards that show the growth of mathematical knowledge across the grades, rather than a different set and number of standards for each grade band. The standards are shown in four-grade bands; Reception One through Grade Two, Grade Three through Grade Five, Grade Six through Grade Eight and Grade Nine through Twelve (see the diagram below showing NCTM grade bands).

The ten standards in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics describe the mathematical knowledge, understanding, and skills students should acquire from Reception One through Grade Twelve. Five standards describe the mathematical content that students should learn to be successful, and five highlight the mathematical processes that students draw on to use their content knowledge.

These ten standards define the basic mathematics that all students should have the opportunity to learn.

The content standards are:

• Number and Operations,

The process (or performance) standards are:

• Algebra,

• Problem Solving,

• Geometry,

• Reasoning and Proof,

• Measurement, and

• Communication,

• Data Analysis and Probability.

• Connections, and • Representation.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

63

Content Standards

Number Sense Number sense is an intuition about numbers and their relationships. This includes having a feeling for comparisons among numbers, knowledge of the various operations on numbers, the ability to represent numbers in several ways, and the skills to interpret and use numbers from real-world situations.

Children with number sense pay attention to the meaning of numbers and operations to make realistic estimates of the results of computation. They possess an accurate notion of how numbers relate to each other and how those numbers provide information about the real world. A child with number sense understands both the relationship between numbers and the effects of operations on numbers.

At the Grade Two level, children apply the place value concepts, use standard numerals and compare numbers up to 1000. They begin to explore concepts of multiplication and division. They estimate solutions to addition and subtraction problems and explain their thinking.

At the Grade One level, children apply the place value concept of grouping by tens using manipulatives. They associate and compare standard word names and numerals through 100. They begin using the language of "teens" (12 to 21). They build models, draw diagrams and/or act out various interpretations for addition and subtraction situations. Additionally, first grade students begin to use estimation or mental math strategies to estimate and explain results to addition and subtraction situations.

At the Reception Two level, children use manipulatives to complete one to one correspondence and conservation of number tasks. Students have opportunities to experience identifying and writing numbers up to 110. They compare and estimate quantities using language experiences, manipulatives, and a variety of strategies.

They use manipulatives to explore addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

At the Reception One level, children explore numbers from one to ten through the use of manipulatives. They use estimated-related words to describe quantity (more/less, some/none, most/least). Children verbalize what will happen if the teacher takes away or adds to physical objects.

64

Hong Hong International School

Algebra Algebra is a way of thinking. It is a language used to express mathematical relationships. Children need to understand how quantities are related to one another and how algebra can be used to express and analyze those relationships. They need to focus on understanding the relationship between the equation and the graph and on what the graph represents in a real-life situation. Algebraic thinking should begin in Reception One with concepts such as finding patterns and guessing missing numbers and continue through adulthood.

Children observe and describe many kinds of patterns in the world around them.

They draw upon these experiences to explore properties of algebraic relations.

The exploration of functional relationships leads to understandings of cause and effect relationships essential to solving many real-world problems.

Children can model problems and find solutions based on observed patterns and relationships, expressing the process symbolically and verbally.

As children develop confidence in representing and solving problems, they should extend these skills to more abstract and symbolic representations.

At the Grade Two level, children describe and extend patterning schemes. They use physical objects and appropriate symbols to show the meaning of equality and inequality. They use manipulatives to solve the "unknown" in equations.

At the Grade One level, children create, describe, and extend patterns. They manipulate objects to solve problem situations where one addend is unknown.

They show the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction using language experiences and manipulative.

At the Reception Two level, children classify and sort physical objects according to attributes such as color, shape, size or weight. They recognize, describe, and duplicate patterns based on various attributes.

Additionally, they extend or create patterns.

At the Reception One level, children classify and sort physical objects on the basis of one characteristic.

They use concrete objects to create a simple pattern.

Children use balance scales or manipulatives to show the relationship of both sides of the equation.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

65

Geometry and Spatial Sense Geometry is the study of objects, motions, and relationships in a spatial environment.

The world of geometry is the world of patterns, shapes, and movement. Geometric activities are valuable because they not only develop spatial and geometric ideas, but they also promote exploration and reasoning.

Spatial sense is often referred to as spatial perception or spatial visualization and can be characterized by a number of such spatial abilities as the ability to imagine movement or spatial displacement by mentally rotating, folding, or in some other way manipulating visual representation of objects. The fundamental ideas of sliding and turning are basic to every child's spatial explorations, and putting these notions into a geometric context should be the starting point for a child's mathematical development in the earliest grades.

At the Grade Two level, children describe, classify, and compare figures and shapes using geometric and spatial terms. They recognize and name two to three dimensional shapes presented in various orientations. They perform geometric transformations using manipulatives and drawings.

At the Grade One level, children use informal geometric vocabulary to compare and contrast objects, figures and shapes. They sort objects and identify common geometric attributes used for classification. They demonstrate an understanding of a line of symmetry and use concrete materials to construct the reflection of a given shape.

At the Reception Two level, children use informal geometric vocabulary to describe objects and compares similarities. They associate the name of common geometric shape with real world objects. They use concrete experiences to explore symmetry, slides and turns.

At the Reception One level, children use informal geometric vocabulary to identify and sort real world shapes by attributes. They recognize that a shape is the same shape even after it is rotated. Children use materials (e.g., blocks, clay, etc.) to form geometric figures.

66

Hong Hong International School

Measurement Measurement activities give children many opportunities to explore, organize, and make sense of their world. The use of numbers in simple estimations can help children develop the flexible ideas about numbers. (Elementary School Mathematics, John A. Van de Walle)

At the Grade Two level, children develop an awareness of the need for standard units of measure. They estimate and use standard units and instruments to measure length, weight, capacity and temperature. They identify time concentrating on hours and half hours. They count and compare money.

At the Grade One level, children use direct and indirect comparisons to order objects.

They use standard and non-standard units to measure the length and weight of objects. They begin to explore the comparisons on time intervals and money.

At the Reception Two level, children use oral language and concrete experiences to make direct comparisons of objects relative to length or weight. They begin to explore the concepts of time and temperature.

At the Reception One level, children explore concepts of weight to determine objects that are heavy and light. They use non-standard objects to measure classroom objects and arrange items in graduated order. Children can describe concepts of time and temperature.

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

67

Data Analysis and Probability Children learn to locate, gather, organize, manipulate, summarize, display, and analyze large quantities of information, which they can use for prediction and interpretation and/or further study.

At the Grade Two level children collect and organize discrete data. They construct, describe and discuss number line plots and bar graphs. They predict which event is more likely or less likely to occur.

At the Grade One level, children build and display pictographs and unifix block graphs using data collected from student activities. They discuss graph information to identify the least and most common items. They explain if an event is certain or impossible to occur.

At the Reception Two level children use familiar activities to collect data and build graphs using physical objects. They discuss and interpret collected data.

At the Reception One level, children use a variety of manipulatives and materials to explore, compare, and/or graph data. They determine through class discussion if a given event is more likely, equally likely or less likely to occur.

68

Hong Hong International School

Process Standards

The process standards outline the methods through which children attain the mathematical knowledge, skills, and conceptual understandings set forth in the five content standards.

Problem Solving A thoughtful classroom environment promotes problem solving. All of the five content strands (numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement and data and probability) engage young learners in creative persistent thinking. Matching, classifying, ordering, patterning, and thinking about numbers are a few examples of problem solving.

The problem solving described in the NCTM standards is not just an important part of instruction - it is the organizing principle for a mathematics curriculum.

"Problem solving is not a distinct topic but a process that should permeate the entire program and provide the context in which concepts and skills can be learned." (NCTM, 1989) The philosophy, focus, curriculum and methods for teaching mathematics have changed dramatically since the 1960s and 1970s. The heart of the "new" math curriculum is problem solving, connecting meaning to math symbols, and interrelating the various content strands of mathematics. The next few pages will describe the "old style math" with the "new style of math" taught in Lower Primary. Children will be doing tasks that involve investigations. They will be talking, writing, demonstrating and drawing explanations for their thinking. They will spend time exploring problems in depth.

Old Style Math completed as many problems as quickly as possible (Speed and quickness with basic facts has little to do with "being good" in math.

Persistence and intuition are more important than speed.)

Math in Lower Primary thoughtfully work on small number of problems during a class session, sometimes working on a single problem for one or several sessions

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

69

Reasoning and Proof Reasoning in the Lower Primary grades centers on pattern recognition and classification skills. When young children are asked to explain their reasoning and give proof as to how they got a particular answer and why they think it is correct they may say their dad showed them or their sister told them that it was correct.

Later, children will develop mathematical statements about the relationships between classes of objects. Mathematical proof is a formal way of communication reasoning.

This standard requires that reasoning permeates the curriculum. This means we should have children constantly explaining their thinking and justifying their answers.

Teachers and parents should ask children open ended questions. What is a pattern?

Why does this work? Does this always work? How do you know this is true?

Children will invent their own strategies and approaches rather than just memorizing procedures.

Old Style Math focused on getting the right answer

70

Hong Hong International School

Math in Lower Primary consider their own reasoning and the reasoning of other students

Communication This standard requires students to have frequent opportunities to communicate. In explaining ideas to others, students develop a clearer understanding themselves.

"Students should relate physical materials, pictures, and diagrams to mathematical ideas." (NCTM, 1989)

It means finding ways to express ideas with words, diagrams, pictures, and symbols.

When children talk, either with you or with their friends, it helps them think about what they are doing and makes their own thoughts clearer. As a bonus, talking with children improves their vocabulary and helps develop literacy and early reading skills as well. It is a means for supporting students' learning as they act out a situation, draw, use objects, give verbal accounts and explanations, use diagrams, write, and use mathematical symbols and numeration.

Children will be collaborating to make discoveries, draw conclusions and discuss math.

Children will move around the classroom as they explore mathematics in their environment and talk with their peers.

Old Style Math

Math in Lower Primary

work alone

work in a variety of groupings (whole class, individually, in pairs, in small groups)

recorded only by writing down numbers

communicate about math orally, in writing, and by using pictures, diagrams and models

used only pencil and paper, chalk and chalkboard as tools

use cubes, blocks, measuring tools, calculators and a variety of other materials

Lower Primary Parent Handbook

71

Connections This standard requires connections within mathematics and between mathematics and other parts of the school curriculum (language arts, social studies, science, etc.).

Children will be seeing that math is much more than arithmetic (knowing the facts and numbers and operations); it involves estimation, geometry, probability, statistics, and more.

Representation Representation refers to the process and product of showing a math concept.

Representations help children organize their thinking. Teachers should encourage students to use variety of physical projects to represent their thinking. Representation of ideas not only helps children communicate their thinking, but also helps them reflect on their thinking. Some forms of representation are drawings, diagrams, pictures, numbers, words, equations, and symbols. Graphical displays, symbolic expressions and a variety of new forms associated with electronic technology are also types of representations.

Representations are difficult for children to develop because they require the child to have a higher level of understanding rather than just a solution to the problem presented. Children need to find meaningful ways to record and present their solutions to others and work to adequately use conventional forms of representation.

If you can do math, you can do anything!

72

Hong Hong International School

The Mission and Student Learning Results are the North Star for HKIS, its faculty, students, and staff. We use these as our guide in everything we do, every day.

Mission Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion, and our lives to service and global understanding An American-style education grounded in the Christian faith and respecting the spiritual lives of all

Student Learning Results Academic Excellence Students will achieve their intellectual potential by striving for and attaining the highest standards of academic excellence

Spirituality Students will understand and respect Christianity and other religions and will identify and develop their own spiritual identity

Character Development Students will demonstrate respectful and caring attitudes at school and in the community, as well as the courage to stand up for what is right

Self-Motivated Learning Students willingly apply a variety of learning and motivation strategies throughout their learning process

Contributing to Society Students will develop the skills they need to form genuine relationships in our diverse society and to make contributions to our community

Chinese Culture Students will gain an understanding of China and an appreciation of the Chinese Culture

23 South Bay Close, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

Lower Primary School

T +852 2812 5000 F +852 2812 9590 www.hkis.edu.hk