ISB Primary School
WELCOME
2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018
Dear Parents,
Welcome to ISB Primary
Dear Parents, Welcome to ISB Primary A very warm welcome to our primary school. We look forward to working in partnership with you to ensure your children’s time here is an enjoyable, formative experience. Our school motto - Learn, Respect and Succeed encapsulates our school ethos and is central to everything we do in school. As a member of an international school community your child has a unique opportunity to learn from their peers and develop a global awareness from a young age. Our qualified and experienced staff follow a stimulating and enriching academic curriculum which is carefully differentiated to meet the needs of every child in our care. There is a strong pastoral curriculum providing opportunities for discussion and reflection; the extensive co-curricular programme enables individuals to develop their potential in many areas of interest and provide new experiences which encourage self confidence, academic excellence and a love of learning. There are many ways in which you can participate in your child’s education and find out more about the community here at ISB. This booklet gives an introduction; you can find out more on our website: www.isb.ro We also welcome your questions and feedback in person or via email. We look forward to getting to know you and your child over the coming weeks.
Yours sincerely,
Kerry Harris Head of Primary
ISB Primary
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Welcome to ISB We know that moving to a new country and/or starting a new school is an exciting time. At ISB we do all that we can to help families feel settled and at home as quickly as possible. We are very experienced in welcoming newcomers; not only in September, but throughout the whole school year. We know that you will have lots of questions to ask about how the school works and what day to day ISB life will be like for you and your family. This booklet is designed to help answer most of those questions, but please remember that if you are unsure about anything at all you just need to ask - we are here to help.
Useful dates for your calendar Term Dates and Holidays 2016 - 2017
2017 - 2018
Autumn term begins School closed Half term break School closed School closed Autumn term ends
Monday 29 August 2016 Monday 12 September 2016 (Eidul Adha) Monday 17 October - Friday 21 October 2016 Wednesday 30 November 2016 (St. Andrew’s Day) Thursday 1 December 2016 (National Day) Tuesday 20 December 2016 at 12:00 pm
Monday 4 September 2017
Spring term begins School closed Half term break Spring term ends
Tuesday 3 January 2017 Tuesday 24 January 2017 (Unification Day) Monday 20 February - Friday 24 February 2017 Friday 14 April 2017
Monday 8 January 2018 Wednesday 24 January 2018 (Unification Day) Monday 26 February - Friday 2 March 2018 Friday 6 April 2018
Summer term begins Summer term ends
Tuesday 2 May 2017 Wednesday 21 June 2017
Monday 23 April 2018 Friday 22 June 2018
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Monday 23 October - Friday 27 October 2017 Thursday 30 November 2017 (St. Andrew’s Day) Friday 1 December 2017 (National Day) Friday 22 December 2017
Communication Day to day communication
What messages should I receive from Educare? • Teachers will email a weekly bulletin on a Friday.
General enquiries For general questions relating to your child’s wellbeing and progress in school, the class teacher is the first person you should contact. You can approach them before or after school to arrange a suitable time to speak to them, or you can contact the School Office to arrange an appointment. Alternatively you are welcome to email your child’s teacher via the School Office where the mail is forwarded onto them. For general questions about the school or for messages that you need to pass on, the School Office will be able to help you. Feel free to phone, call in at any time or email us. Your child’s teacher will contact you through the school information management system Educare. When you begin school you will have an account prepared for you and you will be given log in details. It is important that you log into your account and check you can access the infomation. It is important that you inform us if you are not receiving emails.
The bulletin will contain an over view of the week past and the week ahead. • At the beginning of each half term you will receive a curriculum map outlining the topics the children will be studying during the half term. • Homework information may be sent on various days throughout the week and may contain PDF files for to download. • Less frequently you will also receive newsletters and information about parent workshops and presentations. • We are working towards becoming an accredited ECO School. As part of this process we will be reducing the number of printed letters. It is important to check your emails regularly to keep up to date with school events.
Primary Office Telephone: 021 306 95 30 Email: primary.office@isb.ro
You can log in and access your account at any time to see the homework set or comments made by the teacher. Please be aware that attachments are not saved on Educare. These can only be accessed via personal email. All messages recorded on Educare and attachments will be sent to you via your personal email account.
Primary School contact details If your concerns or questions are more serious or confidential in nature, you are welcome to contact the relevant Deputy Head who will help you as quickly as possible. You can either contact the School Office to arrange an appointment or email them directly
Kerry Harris | Head of Primary Email: kerry.harris@isb.ro James Peall | Deputy Head KS2 Email: james.peall@isb.ro Vikki Peall | Deputy Head KS1 Email: vikki.peall@isb.ro Vicky Seeshaan | Deputy Head Foundation Stage Email: vicky.seeshaan@isb.ro ISB Primary
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School routines
Start of day routine Foundation Stage Parents of Foundation Stage children are welcome to accompany children into the Early Years department to ensure they are happy and settled going into class.
8:00 am
Gates open
8:25 am
Line up
8:30 - 8:40 am
Registration
3:00 pm
School ends
4:15 pm
Clubs end
The table above shows the timings for a typical school day.
Primary School We ask that parents of Keys Stage 1 and 2 children allow them to be independent and therefore remain in the playground or gallery. Parents are not permitted into the classroom corridors unless they have a pre arranged appointment with a teacher. We ask parents with appointments to please remain in the reception area until the teacher has dismissed the class and comes to meet you. The school gates are opened at 8:00 am but the school building is not open for students until 8:30 am. This allows staff time to prepare for lessons before children arrive. Any children arriving before 8:30 am may wait in the school playground until the doors open. Please note there is no supervision for students before 8:15 am. If parents arrive earlier than 8:15 am we kindly ask them to remain with the children until the duty teachers begin their duty at 8:15 am.
Children arriving by school bus Black and White Travel is the only ISB agreed company which runs a comprehensive school bus Service. It operates throughout Bucharest and surrounding areas. Black and White Travel can be contacted on: 0735183567 or transport@isb.ro
Late arrivals It is vitally important for children to be in school ready for the start of the day because this is when children share information with their friends and when valuable instructions are given by the teacher. Missing this key information can have a negative impact on the children’s learning especially if this occurs regularly.
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If you do arrive late to school please report to the receptionist to inform us that the child has arrived in school. Children will then be given a late slip and they will take this to the class teacher.
Absence
Leaving School Early
The School Office must be informed by 9:00 am if a child is absent due to sickness. We can then mark the register as an excused absence. If parents do not contact the school the absence will be marked as unexcused.
As parents of children at ISB you will recognise how important it is for your children to attend all their lessons. We therefore ask that whenever personal, medical or dentist appointments are necessary they are made after school hours to minimise the disruption to learning. If you wish your child to leave school early for a personal reason this request must be put in writing to the Deputy Head. The Deputy Head will carefully consider each request and they will categorise the request as an authorised or unauthorised absence. This will then be marked in the register. Whenever children leave the school early he/she will need a signed permission slip from the Deputy Head to show to the security guard at the gate before being permitted to leave the school premises.
Any requests for future absence due to personal reasons, must be made to the Head Teacher in writing in advance. Please refer to the school policy on absence during term time. Absence from school is taken very seriously in Romania and as our school is also accredited by the Romanian authorities we follow the Romanian Law in this regard. Please refer to the ISB Attendance Policy. The School Office must be informed by 09:00 am if a child is absent due to sickness.
End of the day routine Foundation Stage Parents are requested to wait in the gallery at the Foundation Stage entrance. Teachers will be waiting in the FS shared area and teachers will only release the children when they see parents or drivers waiting.
Early Arrivals and late Pick up’s We must remind parents that they are responsible for the safety of the children before 8.15am We ask that parents and guardians accept full responsibility for their children who use the playground before 8:15 pm or after school at 3:15 pm or 4:15 pm if attending an after school club. Direct supervision is required at all times and this means that parents are within reach of children should they fall and hurt themselves. We recognise that occassionally parents may be late collecting children from school. It is essential however that you telephone the school and inform us that you are going to be late and provide an estimated time of arrival. On these occassions children will be taken to the library to wait for parents to collect them. There are currently two options available to children between 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm • Option 1- Children are collected from school by parents at
3:00 pm or take the school bus home.
• Option 2- Children attend an after school activity and are
collected at 4:15 pm or take the school bus home.
From September 2017 we will be running an ’after hours club’ for children between 4:15 pm and 5:15 pm. There will be a small fee for this club. Parents may choose to sign their children into the ‘After Hours Club’ at the start of the term in addition to this children who are collected after 4:15 pm will automatically attend the club and parents will be charged the fee.
Primary Years 1 and 2 At the end of the day children line up and are escorted by staff to the gallery to meet parents, or to the school bus. Years 3 to 6 Our older children are expected to take responsibility for themselves, their homework and belongings before leaving the classroom at the end of the day. Staff will help the children with the arrangements if necessary, since many use the bus, or are heading to activities. If you are collecting your child, please come into the gallery to meet them. Any changes in pick up routines - for example if your child is going home with another adult - should be communicated in writing to the class teacher in advance. ISB Primary
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School Buses
In FS and KS1 children will be taken to the bus by the teaching assistant. The teaching assistant or duty teacher will assist the children with their seatbelts. If your child is below 1.35 metres in height we recommend parents provide a ‘booster seat’. Booster seats can be kept on the child’s seat on the bus for use on a daily basis.
Parking and dropping off
Parents who drive children to and from school should use the drop off points provided to the left or right of the main school entrance where sign posted. Drop off points are adjacent to the school gates. Free parking places are available in the areas on left side and right side of the school. We kindly request that drivers (including taxi drivers) do not block the road by parking in front of the main entrance or parking in either of the drop off zones. The road must remain clear in case of an emergency. The firemen and SMURD must be able to use it efficiently.
Security information
The school gates are locked during the day. A closed circuit monitoring system operates within and around the campus. All visitors, including parents, are requested to sign in with the security guard at the main entrance between the hours of 8:30 am and 2:45 pm. All visitors will be asked to wear a badge at all times. When an appointment has been arranged we kindly ask you to remain at the reception point in the gallery until the appropriate person is informed and comes to meet you. In times of true emergency (such as fire or other situations requiring evacuation of the school) parents will be sent an emergency text message from the school. If an alarm sounds whilst in the school building all visitors and parents are requested to follow the evacuation procedures as detailed in the Health and Safety Policy on the school website.
What does my child bring to school?
One of the best ways to ensure that your child feels happy, confident and settled on their first day at school is to make sure that they have with them all the equipment that they need. The exact days that some items need to be brought into school will be communicated via the class teacher in the first day or two of school. Please ensure that you check EduCare for this information. For Key Stage 2 please see the appendix.
PE bag Children in Early Years and KS1 wear their PE kit on PE days. In KS2, Years 3-6, all children need to bring their PE kit into school in a separate bag in order to get changed at PE time. Every piece of clothing must have your child's name clearly marked.
Refillable water bottle Water bottles can be used during lesson time as proper hydration helps to improve concentration levels. Please ensure that ALL items are clearly labelled with your child's name.
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What should my child wear? We believe that a uniform encourages a sense of unity and common purpose - a particularly important consideration as we endeavour to welcome children from a wide variety of countries and provide them with a true sense of belonging. Details of the school uniform you will require for your child can be found in the school uniform policy on the school website. A uniform is worn by students starting from Foundation 2. The main School Uniform Shop is located on the 1st floor of the school building. Payments may be made by cash. The Uniform Shop is generally open during the week before school begins and during term times. Please contact the secretary to find out more about this.
Labelling All Items should be clearly labelled with your child's name and class.
Jewellery In general, jewellery should not be worn in school. We do allow children with pierced ears to wear small stud earrings, but request that they are removed or covered during PE lessons.
General health If your child has diarrhoea, vomiting or fever, he/she should remain at home until they have been clear of any symptoms for at least 24 hours. This helps prevent the spread of infection to others in the school. If your child develops an infectious illness or condition, please inform the school nurse as soon as possible. If your child is not coming to school please inform the office by 9:00 am. Please ensure that your child is well enough to return to school after they have had an illness. Children should not return to school until they are well enough to participate in all school activities, including playtimes. Apart from chronic illnesses (asthma, epilepsy etc.) we request that all medication is given outside school hours. Asthmatic children should be provided with an inhaler/medication to keep permanently in school.
Student health The school has a School Doctor and Nurse whose primary role is to assist children who become ill or hurt during the course of the school day. For general medical advice parents should contact their family doctor. The school Doctor and/or nurse is on site from 8:00 am-4:15 pm.
Student health
Health information As soon as your child starts school the School Nurse and class teachers must be notified of all health-related problems such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes and allergies, for example, to foods such as peanuts, milk, chocolate, colourings etc. Parents are requested to update this information on a medical form annually. If changes occur throughout the year it is important to keep the medical staff and teachers informed.
Allergies
Our teachers and medical team endeavour to keep the children safe at all times but when children play there is always the chance that they may trip and graze a leg, bump heads, or occasionally sprain an ankle. This is perfectly normal for children growing up and becoming more aware of their bodies; their limitations, balance and spatial awareness.
If your child has food allergies then please provide the school with their special food for snacks and treats. If providing home-made foods for parties or birthdays please include a list of ingredients so we can look after our children with food allergies. The school operates a no nuts advisory policy at all times.
It is the school policy to inform parents when their children have had a bumped head during the school day or an accident that has required treatment in the medical room. When a child visits the medical room the Doctor and or nurse assess the injury; this will fall into one of three categories: • Category 1 - No treatment required- just a reassuring word from the nurse • Category 2 - A minor injury cut, graze, bumped head, sprained ankle etc. these incidents will be recorded and treatment will be administered. This may include cleaning, plaster, or bandage. When a child bumps heads, the medical team will always email the parents to inform them and inform the teacher. Parents will receive a letter informing them of the injury and the treatment applied with some advisory notes. • Category 3 - These incidents will need more urgent treatment. Parents will be called immediately and teachers will be informed. A visit to the Doctor or hospital maybe required and on very rare occasions an ambulance may be called. Injuries in this category would include a suspected broken leg, arm, continuous vomiting.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school nurse or your child's teacher at any time if you have any concerns or worries regarding this matter.
Legal requirements The school is obliged to follow the Romanian law with regard to medical matters. In this regard we must ask parents to provide a medical note from the family Doctor to state the children in Foundation stage are well enough to come to school. This should be provided after an absence of three days from school. If such a letter is not provided the school Doctor will complete a check during the first day back in school.
Snack and lunch at school The school provides a snack during the morning. In Early years this can consist of a sandwich, yoghurt, fruits or cheese. In Keys Stage 1 and 2 this may be fruits, milk or yoghurt. In FS snacks and lunch are included in the school fees. From Year 1 onwards children may have lunch at the ISB canteen which requires a separate fee. If you wish your child to have a school dinner please speak with accountancy alternatively children may also bring a packed lunch from home. Named lunch and snack boxes are essential. Children in year 5 and 6 may also buy lunch from the cafeteria using a school lunch card which needs to paid for at accountancy.
Lunch from home
Please provide something simple such as sandwiches, yoghurt, chopped raw vegetables, fruit, a biscuit and a drink. Sweets are not allowed in school and are only used for special celebrations. Being healthy is both an important aspect of growing up and becoming a responsible adult as well as a part of the curriculum. Parents can help school greatly by providing a balanced and healthy lunch for the children. We realise that children are often quite fussy about food when they are growing up. It is our joint responsibility to educate them well in healthy living. Eat smart, think smart, learn smart!
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Helping you feel at home Welcoming new children
Welcoming new parents We understand that moving to a new country and culture can be an overwhelming experience - whether you are an experienced expat or this is the first time you have left your home country.
Both staff and children in the school are very used to welcoming new children. New students are allocated 'buddies' to look after them in school until they have settled in. These buddies help their new friends guiding them with school routines; showing them around the school building and ensuring that they are included in lunch and playtime games.
Getting involved at school We are always grateful to the many parents who come into the school on a regular basis to help in a variety of ways.
For many parents school can provide a vital community link, offering a chance to quickly make friends and establish an important support network. We have various ways in which we help new families settle into life in Romania and at ISB.
Parents become involved in many activities such as art, computers, cooking, gardening, stories, special days and trips. If you have a particular skill or area of expertise to share we would also be delighted to hear about it.
The ISB Parents-Teachers Association
In addition to this general volunteering we have a number of more formal ways in which you can become involved in school life. If you are interested in volunteering on a regular basis, please contact the Deputy Head.
How can I help? The PTA The PTA - Parent Teacher Association provides a link between the parents and teachers within the school. The PTA holds a parent breakfast once a month and parents are welcome to come along and socialise. The PTA also have an active group of parents who meet to prepare and support many school events throughout the year. Newcomers are always welcome to come along and join in. One of the principle roles of the PTA is as a fund-raising body for the children at school. EVERY parent with children at the school is automatically a member of the PTA and it is hoped that you will become involved to some degree during the course of your children's attendance at the school whether it be on the committee, attending the monthly meetings, helping out at events or just attending events to help make them successful.
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As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. When parents and families are involved in their children's education it helps the children achieve their potential and develop a positive attitude about going to school. There are many ways that you can support your child’s learning at home throughout the school year. We organise parent workshops on phonics, reading and maths to help parents understand our teaching methods. We also organise many parenting workshops. If you are not confident in speaking English we are able to translate for you or you can bring a bilingual friend to help. We suggest getting to know your child’s teachers by attending the welcome evening duirng the first week of the academic year, and attending the parent evenings and open days throughout the year. It is vital that you keep us informed of any change in contact details and are aware of messages your child has received via Educare
How will I find out how my child is doing?
Homework Homework details are also shared on EduCare. We recommend that parents provide a supportive, quiet environment at home, where children feel positive, motivated and able to apply themselves without distractions. As parents you can help encourage your child's interest in their learning through discussion, by helping them to locate relevant materials such as books, photos, artifacts or useful web sites and by taking them to visit appropriate museums, galleries or other places of interest. Parental involvement in a child's education is not an added extra, but is integral to the learning process. Young children need the interest and encouragement of their parents. Children also need their rest and play; it is therefore important to strike the correct balance between work and play; introducing children to a wider range of activities outside of school will help develop the whole person.
The primary school follows a gradual build-up of homework from shared activities such as reading together in Foundation, to the more regular homework in Year 6. In Key Stages 1&2 we have produced detailed information on what to expect in relation to homework. Every child in Key Stages 1&2 will receive this information in September or on starting school. Our school subscribes to Educationcity and Bugclub for homework and reading activities online. Login details will be provided by your child’s class teacher.
Parent Representatives Every class in the school will have a parent representative. All parents are encouraged to share their contact details with the parent representative who will then forward information about school visits and parties etc and help coordinate various events with the teacher such as party food and volunteer helpers for school trips and class room support. If you would be interested in being a class representative please let the class teacher know.
Learning and Attainment Children's learning, achievement and progress is analysed week by week. Teacher evaluations take place in many different ways, including: observation, discussion, questioning and by marking children's work. Reasearch has shown that ‘feedback’ and sharing the ‘next steps’ with the children is the most effective strategy for raising standards. Teachers also make use of standardised assessment materials in order to gain further information about children's progress. Information gathered offers an overall picture of each child’s progres. This is communicated through Parent Consultations and end of semester reports. Children receive a report in December and June. Both reports summarise the objectives covered during the semester, and a personalised account of how well your child has achieved, their effort and application.
What if I need to contact the teacher? Teachers are always happy to see parents when they are available — the best time for enquiries is often immediately after school. Please note that teachers need to concentrate on their pupils learning and so will not always be available during the school day. However it is always best to speak to your child's teacher early if you have concerns so that a small issue does not become a large one. If you wish to contact a teacher via e-mail, please do so through their official isb.ro email account. The Office staff will ensure that urgent messages are given to the teacher as soon as possible.
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Promoting positive behaviour
Playtimes
The school has a strong ethos of promoting positive behaviour. This is promoted regularly through the following practices
In the Primary School we recognise that access to the outdoors and playtimes is an important part of every child's day. Through play children develop vital personal, social and physical skills, as well as having fun with friends.
Assemblies Assemblies provide an opportunity to reinforce our internationalsim by recognising cultural festivals celebrated by our international community. Assemblies are also used to promote positive behaviour. They often follow a theme, for instance sharing, loyalty or perseverance. The children's achievements in and out of school are also reported and praised during assemblies. A range of awards and certificates are given out to the children to encourage good behaviour and self-esteem. These can be given for such things as progress in academic work, kindness to others, helpfulness in class, extra effort, or good behaviour.
The Behaviour Policy The school follows a whole school policy which incorporates the Learning Rainbow and Golden time. Every class room displays a learning rainbow. All children begin each week in the middle of the rainbow. They may move along the rainbow in a positive direction and be rewarded with a prize at the end of the week. Or they can move along the rainbow in a negative direction and ultimately lose their golden time on a Friday afternoon. All children are made of aware of the school motto Learn- Respect- Succeed. The children are reminded of these principles regularly and are expected to follow these in every thing they do at school.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) PSHE aims to help our children to understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We provide opportunities in specific lessons, assemblies, circle time, special school projects and other activities to enrich pupils' experiences and help students acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives, now and in the future.
House points Children are placed in one or four Houses: Foxes, Hares, Bears or Lynxes. In their house teams children participate in various games, special days and sporting competitions throughout the year.
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Playing by the rules All children are taught to respect the school playground rules. The school's behaviour policy applies throughout the school, including the playground. Playground friends or buddies are children who help to support friendships. Year 6 prefects also help to promote positive behaviour during playtimes. In order to allow children to play particular kinds of games without being disturbed, separate areas are designated to EYFS, KS1 and KS2. At the end of playtime the children are expected to line up on the playground and walk quietly to their classes and sit down sensibly, ready to begin their lesson.
Playtime supervision Teaching assistants and teachers supervise the children during playtime.
What will my child learn?
School trips and special events
We follow the Cambridge Primary Curriculum for the core subjects English, Mathematics and Science.
Educational visits are organised as an integral part of the curriculum to enrich the children’s learning and broaden their experiences. In KS2 all children have the opportunity to participate in a residential visit. We encourage all children to take part.
We follow the National Curriculum of England and Wales for the foundation subjects however this has been adapted to suit the context in which we live and the needs of our children. The curriculum is taught partly as separate subjects but also through themes and topics which help to establish meaningful links across the curriculum. Information about the specific topics and themes is communicated to parents and children throughout the year via EduCare and is also available on the website. Parents will receive invitations to Curriculum Evenings and Curriculum Workshops during the year. These workshops explain how we teach, how children learn and cover some of the content of the curriculum.
There is an extensive programme of activities and events that take place within school throughout the year. The traditional Romanian celebrations in winter and spring are particular highlights. We also recognise the cultural events and festivals of our international student body. We support our PTA in organisng the summer fair and the secondary student prefects organise the Winter fair for our students. In addition to this we hold a variety of ’themed' days (e g International Day) giving everyone a chance to enjoy the diversity of ISB.
Co-curricular activities In addition to the curricular opportunities available to ISB students, the school organises a large range of co-curricular activities during lunch time and after school. We offer specialist one-to-one music lessons throughout the year. Co-curricular activities after school are aimed at older children and are available from Foundation 2 to Year 6. There are a range of activities incuding various sports, arts and crafts, cooking, and technology. The exact programme of co-curricular clubs activities varies from term to term depending on the number of participants, but it may be possible for new activities to be set up if demand from students is great enough. Details of which co-curricular activities are running each term are sent out via EduCare and you need to respond via an on-line form. Places on certain activities are often limited so please make sure you respond quickly to secure a place for your child. If you have any queries regarding the offered clubs, please contact the school office in the first instance.
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Appendix
Key Stage 2 Stationery List 2016-17 KS2 children are required to bring their own stationery for use in class. Please make sure that you label every item with the child’s name.
Basics that you need every day • Pencil
case to fit on your desk pencils x 2 • Pencil sharpener with top to catch shavings • 30cm ruler • Pair of scissors • Glue sticks • Whiteboard pens x 2 • Water bottle • HB
Years 4-6 may also need: • Protractor, compass and calculator • Year 6 or those children with pen licenses • Blue or Black ink, gel or roller pens Optional Extras • Coloured
pencils pens for art • Rubber for art • Highlighters • Felt
Please note you will need to update the items during the school year. Thank you for your cooperation
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ISB Primary
Address: Sos Gara Catelu, Nr.1R, Sector 3, 032991, Bucharest, Romania Phone: (+40) 21-306 95 30 E-mail: info@isb.ro Web: www.isb.ro