Infant School welcome guide 2021/2022 East Campus
1
Contents
Welcome to the UWCSEA East Infant School (Kindergarten 1–Grade 1) We wish you a warm welcome to the UWCSEA community. All the Infant School staff are looking forward to getting to know you and your family.
Welcome to the UWCSEA East Infant School............................. 1 Parent involvement and communication between home and school................................2 Contacting/notifying the school................................................... 4
The start of anything new is always exciting but at times challenging, as there is so much to learn about policies, procedures and day-to-day routines. We want to make your start as smooth as possible and this booklet aims to facilitate this.
Starting school.................................................................................. 4 The school day....................................................................................5 UWCSEA learning programme.......................................................7 Student health and well-being......................................................10 East Infant School contacts...........................................................12
The following pages are a quick reference to get you started for the year. If you have any questions not answered here, please do not hesitate to contact the school office (you will find a list of key Infant School contacts and school departments on the last page of this booklet). Parents are children’s first teachers, and we firmly believe that children are most successful at school when there is a strong partnership between home and school. We look forward to developing this strong partnership with you over the next few years. Finally, and most importantly, at the heart of all the activity in a school’s life, are our individual students with their own passions, personalities and challenges. Some will only be with us for a short time; others will stay here much longer and regard Singapore as their home. UWCSEA East is an exciting, positive and vibrant place to learn. Entrust your children to this school and we will deliver happy, confident global citizens with a passion for learning; who we believe, will be eager and able to make a difference in the world. We look forward to meeting you and your child soon. Pauline Markey Primary School Principal
2
School contacts
Parent involvement and communication between home and school
If you have any concerns regarding your child, whether they are academic or related to their social and emotional needs, the first person to talk to is your child’s class teacher. The class teachers are supported by a number of other staff whose roles are outlined below.
We believe strongly in the importance of a close partnership between home and school, and clear, effective communication facilitates this. Parents are welcome in school, and during the year you will be invited to come on trips, attend activity days and help in your child’s classroom.
The next person in the support chain is the Head of Grade.
We try to limit the amount of paper sent home, though occasionally we send a letter home for your attention. To keep up-to-date with events, please read your child’s grade and class announcements as well as the Learning Journal regularly. We encourage parents to also read the weekly eBrief and keep an eye on your app/online notices and the school calendar.
Communication Rachel Rhodes Head of K1
Imogen Piccirilli Head of K2
Karen Maheshwary Head of Grade 1
If, after discussions with the class teacher and Head of Grade, you feel you would like to have further a discussion with the Vice Principal or Principal please let us know:
If you need to get a message to the class teacher during the day please phone the Infant School Office as teachers do not have time to check their emails during the busy school day. We try to minimise the number of emails sent home. We have a number of other avenues to provide information to parents, however sometimes there is a need for the teacher or school office to send a mass email to parents in their class or grade, and it is important to ensure your email address is up to date (see following page for details on how to do this online).
Website and Community Portal
Pauline Markey Primary School Principal (K1–G5)
The website is a rich resource dedicated to providing information on the College and the Infant School. Parents can login to the Community Portal via our website where you can view information tailored to your family and about your child(ren).
Tracy Jochmann Primary School Vice Principal (K1–G1)
The Infant School secretaries are also happy to help you with any enquiries.
Access a number of key systems for the following: • online medical information system (for review and updating) • contact information update system (for review and updating) • student record system (timetable, attendance records, reports and assessments) • notices for parents (you can see the notices sent to students as well) Parents and students are all issued with individual logins which will be emailed to them prior to the start of the school year.
Cheryll Biason Infant School Secretary (K1–G1)
Hajerah Abdulla Principal’s Personal Assistant and Senior Secretary
Nisha Kaur Senior Secretary (Curriculum)
UWCSEA App The UWCSEA App is available for iOS and Android devices via the app stores. Search for UWCSEA and download the app to access eBrief, the calendar, notices, student timetable (including their activities for each day) and more. Parents will need login details to access the App, as the information is customised to each user.
3
Updating your contact information and indicating a preferred email address If there is any change in contact information (i.e., phone, address or email), it is very important that parents amend the details the school holds on file. An important step to remember is to indicate your preferred email address for receiving school communications. If you do not do this the College will default to the first email contact on file as your preferred email address. Indicating a preferred email address also allows us to eliminate duplication in communication and ensures we are able to identify each parent uniquely as required by some key systems used at the College. You can indicate your preferred email address by logging in to the portal or via the UWCSEA app.
Online College Calendar There is an up-to-date online calendar on the school website. There is also a printable academic year calendar listing term dates and public holidays. The College uses Google Calendar, and, depending on the calendar system you use, you can import all or some of these events from Google Calendar to your own to help you keep on top of what’s happening. If setting this up in advance, please make sure you include the Infant School, East Campus and UWCSEA/College calendars—you can also include other school sections and the PA calendar.
eBrief This weekly newsletter consolidates key information into an easy-to-read format for parents. Considered essential reading, eBrief is sent to all parents every Friday during the school term. It contains information for parents on the upcoming two weeks. You can expect the first eBrief the Friday before school commences—to help you get ready for the start of the year. It is not sent during school holidays.
Parental help There are many ways that parents can help in school, and once all of the children have become settled in their new class, teachers will inform you of the days and times when they would like parental assistance. Early in the school year, parents are asked by the class teacher to indicate their availability, either as class parent or through other avenues. Parents are invited to join us for many of the special days that are held during the year, for example Uniting Nations Day, PE Learning Shares and the Arts Festivals, COVID-19 restrictions permitting.
Class parents A ‘class parent’ is a volunteer who helps to facilitate communication between the class teacher and the parent body and assist the class teacher at times such as the Arts Festival when parental help is needed. They may also take on responsibility for organising social events for the parents and children in the class to encourage them to get to know each other outside school.
Parents’ Association (PA) The PA provides opportunities for all parents to contribute to the UWCSEA community. Being involved in PA activities provides parents with an opportunity to be an active participant in their child’s school community, to keep up-to-date with happenings in the school and provides an avenue to meet other parents and members of the school community. New parents are encouraged to contribute as much as their time and interests allow. The PA offers many opportunities for parents to become further involved in the life of the school. These include: • coffee mornings and other networking opportunities to meet other parents • nationality-based social events for parents to network with other parents of the same cultural background • general events such as the Family Festival and welcome events for new parents To find out more about the PA, click here.
4
Contacting/notifying the school
Starting school
Absence from school
Uniforms
Please telephone the Infant School Office if your child is sick and will not be coming to school (see the back of this booklet for contact details). It is vital that we are informed immediately if your child has an illness that is infectious so we can alert other parents to be vigilant for symptoms. There are a number of contagious diseases that affect young children and, in some cases, we have to declare any reported cases to the Singapore Ministry of Health.
The uniform policy is available on the orientation website. Students are required to wear the uniform every day.
Travel during term time Taking children out of school during term time impacts their learning and we ask that parents restrict travel to school holiday periods wherever possible. However, we appreciate that there are some situations when this is unavoidable. If your child has to miss any school, please inform the class teacher and seek approval from the Principal in writing. While we understand that circumstances may arise where a child may need to miss some days of school, we are not able to provide schoolwork for children who will be absent due to travel.
Temporary supervision due to both parents being absent from Singapore It is a UWCSEA admission requirement that parents reside in Singapore. If for any reason, for example a family emergency, both parents are out of Singapore we must have clear details of the adult who will act as a supervisor in their absence so we know whom to contact in case of an emergency. Please complete the Nomination of a Supervisor during Temporary Parental Absence form, which is available on the Community Portal via the Forms button.
Appointments If your child needs to attend an appointment, for example with a doctor or dentist, we do ask that you try to make these outside of school hours. If this is not possible, please inform the Infant School Office and class teacher of your plans to collect and return your child to school.
The required items for Infant students are: • grey culottes (girls) • grey shorts (girls and boys) • turquoise polo shirt (girls and boys) • UWCSEA cardigan (optional but recommended for airconditioned buses and classrooms) • socks—white, black or grey • black shoes or runners which fully enclose the feet but do not cover the ankles—Velcro fasteners please • school hat • PE shirt • PE shorts • trainers for PE with non-marking soles • cooler bag (optional) • backpack—this must be able to fit into the cubby hole • UWCSEA sun-protection swim top (optional) School hat A hat needs to be worn for all outdoor activities, including play at break and lunchtime, sports, PE and excursions. If a child does not have a hat in school then they will be asked to play in a shaded area. Students should also consider wearing sunscreen. Shoes Please buy black shoes, that fasten easily with Velcro (no laces please) if possible, so the students can be independent. The College Shop sells a selection of black school shoes for all ages. Trainers in any colour with non-marking soles are required for PE. Jewellery For safety reasons Infant School students are not allowed to wear jewellery, apart from small pierced ear studs or if a piece of jewellery has a specific religious significance, please approach the class teacher to discuss. PE uniform Students wear their PE uniform to school on the day they have PE and can remain in the PE kit all day. You will be informed of arrangements for PE at the start of term and details of when the PE uniform is required. For the PE swimming units, there is an optional UWCSEA rash top (swim vest) available from the College Shop.
5
The school day Bags We recommend that Infant School students have a backpack that measures approximately H:40cm, W:35cm, D:14cm, to ensure that it is large enough to accommodate all the necessary items a child needs but will still fit in their cubby hole in the classroom. IKEA has a model, ‘UPPTÄCKA’, that many of our parents purchase.
The Infant School (K1, K2, G1) day is one hour shorter than the rest of the College, so they have slightly different routines for the afternoon and, of course, an earlier pick-up time. 7.30am
Earliest time that students can be dropped off at school
8am
School starts
We request that Infant School students do not have backpacks on wheels as they have proven dangerous when children have to negotiate stairs—and also they do not fit into the cubby holes, meaning the classroom and pod areas become crowded and difficult to navigate.
9.40am
Morning snack and play
11.30am
Lunch and play
2pm
Classes finish
Where to purchase uniforms
The Infant School day begins at 8am. Students can arrive at any time after 7.30am, when supervision is available in the classroom or outside play area (depending on the weather). See transport section for more information.
In line with COVID-19 precautionary measures, all uniforms are to be ordered online and arranged to be collected. Visit uwcseaeastshop.org to place your order. East College Shop Term time: 8am–12pm; 12.45–4pm School holidays: 8.30am–12pm; 1–4pm Tel: +65 6305 5344 ext 2924 eastshopstaff@uwcsea.edu.sg
Stationery and school supplies Students do not need to bring any stationery or other supplies to school as we provide all materials needed in the classrooms including pens, pencils, rulers, books and colouring pencils.
Arriving at school
Leaving school All children who use the bus service are escorted to the buses by their Teaching Assistant. For safety, and in order to avoid congestion on the stairs and in the Infant pods, we ask that parents or helpers who are collecting students remain in the waiting area on Level 1 while the bus students are being escorted downstairs. Parents collecting children can proceed upstairs when the stairwell has been cleared, usually by 2pm. The children will be supervised in the classrooms until 2.15pm. Children who have not been collected will then be taken to wait in the Infant School Office. Please phone the Infant School Office if you are delayed.
Transport to and from school There are a number of options for travelling to and from school each day. We understand that permanent transport arrangements may not have been finalised by the first week of school and that they can sometimes differ from what the regular routine will be. Buses If your child will travel to school by bus they will be met in the drop-off area in the bus bay and directed to the classroom or the Infant playground where they will be supervised before school starts. A member of staff will remain in the drop-off area until all the buses have arrived. Your child will be issued with a bus identification card in the first few weeks of school. It is important that it is brought to school each day. An external transport company manages the school buses, facilitated by UWCSEA’s Transport Manager. All buses are air-conditioned with seat belts and each bus has a ‘Bus Aunty’ (monitor) to look after the children while in transit. The buses serve most areas of Singapore but it is important to check with personnel in the Transport Office when signing up for a service what the likely pick up and drop off times will be (see back page for contact details).
6
Some important things to note about the bus service: • all Infant School students must be met off the bus by a parent/guardian/helper, or they will be returned to the College to be collected at the parent’s expense • students are not allowed to travel on another bus for any reason, so if children are having a playdate, they need to be picked up by car • the bus service will pick up and drop off only to one address; logistical requirements are such that there can be no provision to have a regular drop off at a different address • due to insurance regulations parents are not allowed to travel on the school bus • students can apply for a one-way or two-way service, however preference is given to two-way applications A Bus Services Handbook as well as more information about the bus services, the bus rules and areas of Singapore covered by school transport can be found on the orientation website and Community Portal. Morning drop-off by private car If you drive to school the best time to arrive is between 7.40 and 7.50am. You can leave your child with the Teaching Assistant who is on duty who will collect your child from the car drop-off area and guide them to their classrooms. We have separate arrangements for children and parents who arrive on foot. Updated guidance will be sent closer to the start of term depending on current COVID-19 restrictions. Afternoon pick-up by car At the end of the school day, students who go home by car can be collected from their classroom from 2pm. Parents can park in the designated parking areas on campus. We ask that you do not park or leave your car in the driveway so we can maintain a flow of traffic and everyone can depart the campus quickly and safely. Please contact the Infant School Office if you are running late to collect your child, or you need to collect or contact them in an emergency at other times. Walking and public transport All Infant School students must be accompanied by an adult to their classroom or left in the drop-off area. We cannot meet children off public transport or at any of the other entrances to the school. Taxi directions Ensure you ask the driver to take you to UWCSEA East Campus in Tampines. As we have two campuses, it is important that you ask for the correct campus.
Security pass and security check You will need your security pass to access the entry points. Please organise a security pass to facilitate a speedy arrival to school if you or a helper will be bringing your child to school or collecting them regularly. Families are asked to upload photos for parents, nominated adults and enrolled children directly to the College database for their UWCSEA profile and ID cards. Refer to this Profile photo upload guide. To upload, log in here using your parent login details.
Visitors to Campus Under the current COVID-19 requirements all visitors to campus must have a valid invitation with a confirmed time and date and must have pre-registered with our visitor booking system – Envoy. The Infant secretary or Parents’ Association will share Envoy registration details with you prior to any meeting on campus. Upon arrival on campus visitors must complete all TraceTogether Safe Entry procedures. Parents MUST have their grey parent lanyard and ID card clearly visible at all times whilst on campus.
Parking Parking is available on campus, although at peak times and during events you may need to park over the road in the public car park.
Changes to travel arrangements If there are any changes to your child’s transport arrangements, it is very important that you email the class teacher with details of the change. However, emails sent to the class teacher during the day may not be read immediately. If in doubt please ring the Infant School Office. This also applies to emergencies and last minute changes of travel arrangements. We cannot accept ‘word of mouth’ messages from your child.
7
UWCSEA learning programme Toys
Academics
We ask that Infant School children do not bring their own toys to school unless asked to by their teacher, for example for Show and Tell.
Online information centre (portal) There is a dedicated ‘learning’ section on the Community Portal that provides an outline of the curriculum. Please login at www.uwcsea.edu.sg and then go to the ‘Academic Overview’ under Learning Links, and then select Infant School. Login details will be provided to you in July (see page 2).
Birthdays Birthdays are a very special event, and each class will celebrate them in a different way. If you wish to send a treat in to school for your child to share with their classmates, we suggest small cupcakes for all the children in the class, as this is much easier to manage. Please speak to the class teacher about your plans and they will advise you accordingly, especially if there are any children who have food allergies. We discourage distribution of ‘goodie bags’ and other gifts in the classroom. Please be aware that the Infant School is a nut-free zone. If invitations to a birthday party are given out at school, every child in the class should receive one.
Money at school We ask that students do not bring money to school unless the class teacher has specifically requested payment for an excursion or other purpose. All money should be placed in an envelope with the child’s name, class and what the money is for, written on the outside.
Importance of labelling everything Please mark all belongings (clothes, PE kit, shoes, hats, lunch boxes, bags, etc.) with the student’s full name, so we can return them if lost.
Library Your child will visit the library once a week to select books. The number that a child can choose depends on the grade they are in. Books are normally kept for a week and once the book has been returned a new book may be borrowed. Teachers will inform you which day your child’s class will visit the library. Parents are also able to sign up to borrow from the library. The library provides resources online and subscribes to several database and eBook platforms that are suitable for students and parents. Excursions/field trips There are many excursions that students undertake as a class within Singapore. These support the curriculum and are generally scheduled to coincide with a Unit of Study to extend students’ knowledge and stimulate lines of inquiry. Permission will be required for each off-campus excursion. Parents are asked to contribute to the cost of entry tickets where appropriate. Physical education Students are expected to fully participate in the Physical Education (PE) programme and this includes swimming lessons. There is space in the online medical questionnaire for parents to inform us of their child’s swimming ability. Even if a child cannot swim, we expect all children to participate in lessons. Infant students are taught in a purpose-designed learn-to-swim pool and are fully supervised. We believe that if a child is well enough to attend school then they should be well enough to participate in PE. However, we understand there are sometimes extenuating circumstances that will mean your child cannot participate in swimming or other PE activities, and we are understanding of these. Please send an email to your child’s class teacher stating the reason why your child cannot participate in PE.
8
Home learning Infant School students are not given a set amount of time for home learning. The school day is busy, and students are often tired when they get home. We firmly believe that parents can best help their child through practical activities at home. These may include enjoying stories together, playing language and number games, developing language skills through conversation and including children in ordinary family activities such as shopping, cooking and laying the table. Infant School students bring home books to share and read with their parents; the number of books per week will vary depending on their age, the developmental reading ability of each student, and their grade. Books that come home are ‘just right’ books that children feel confident with, and can read without too much assistance. Very early readers may bring home books with pictures only. Grade 1 students may be asked to carry out research at home for a Unit of Study. Reporting and assessment Although we have scheduled dates for parents to talk with the class teacher, appointments can be arranged at other times if there is an issue that needs to be discussed. Reports are sent home at the end of Term 3. Parents have the opportunity to meet with the class teacher for conferences in Term 1 and then again in Term 2. Specialist reports, conferences and Learning Share sessions all enable parents to keep up-to-date with their child’s progress in school. Each child also has an online Learning Journal that parents are able to access. Learning Support and tuition There are dedicated Learning Support teachers available to children in the Infant School. Parents are always consulted before a child is referred for learning support. The majority of students who receive support need short-term instruction in a small group or in-class support. The school works with many outside professionals to support children with specific needs. We request that any referrals to outside professionals are done after consultation. We also request that parents advise the school if they are planning to arrange external tuition for their child in any academic subjects. Student records Student records are available for viewing online via the Community Portal. This gives a summary of your child’s attendance, and provides access to downloadable copies of their reports, including medical reports.
Digital literacy Becoming digitally literate is an important aspect of a UWCSEA education. We strive to prepare our students to thrive in the 21st century where collaboration is vital and learning is a continual process. In the Infant School, we use technology as a tool for learning, embedding technology into the programme where appropriate to provide students with rich learning experiences using various digital technologies, including iPads, iPods, digital microscopes and interactive whiteboards. Our emphasis is on students using technology to be creators of content, rather than just consumers of content. To this end, the school provides opportunities for students to create, collaborate and share with technology throughout the academic year. At UWCSEA, digital citizenship is also an important aspect of our curriculum. Learning how to be safe, respectful and responsible citizens using digital technologies enables them to reach their potential as global learners.
Activities Infant School students can be involved in optional paid activities from 2–3pm immediately after school. We believe that young children should not be over-scheduled and need time to relax and play at home after a long day at school, so we encourage parents to limit Infant students’ participation in activities. There are, however, a number of activities available such as art, ball skills, chess, dance, gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics, and swimming that are open to Infant School students. These fee-based activities are run by outside providers. Details are advertised in eBrief. There are a limited number of activities available to K1 children in Season 1. Sign-up online Sign-up for activities is done online during a designated period, and while parents can browse the available activities, students need to use their own login to submit their preferences each season. Staff can also assist new students through the process. Sign-up opening and closing dates, and full information on how to sign up, will be posted in eBrief and in the online calendar.
9
Service & Sustainable Development
Personal and Social Education
One of the key values at UWCSEA is service, and all students from K1 to Grade 12 take part in our structured Service programme. Service is broken into three elements which are all embedded into the Primary learning programme: 1. College 2. Local (Singapore-based) 3. Global
The purpose of the Personal and Social Education (PSE) programme is to ensure that our students are in an environment where they feel safe, happy and secure as well as excited to learn. UWCSEA has a strong PSE programme that nurtures positive relationships amongst the children. It is important for all students to have an open mind, show respect for each other, to be ready to compromise with others and to act with integrity. Every school day begins with a Morning Meeting where the class comes together to greet each other, share news and information. During this time, key social skills are learnt and developed.
In College Service, students are involved in activities and action to support their peers in the classroom and around the school. This service is generally integrated into classroom routines, but also allows Infant School students the opportunity to interact across grade levels. Local Service means pairing with a Singaporean communitybased organisation and looking at ways the students can support these in age-appropriate ways. At the East Campus this involves a number of activities, including the annual Shoebox Appeal at Lunar New Year that involves all Infant School students, as well as visiting programmes—for example, inviting residents in a local nursing home to the dress rehearsals for the Arts Festival or other performances, or the regular visits made by Grade 1 to residents at the Kheng Chiu Loke (Happy Lodge) Home. The Global Concerns (GC) programme at the East Campus provides students with an opportunity to learn about challenges faced by people in the region and to provide support. In the Infant School, the GC we support is Kuma Cambodia, a project and school just outside of Phnom Penh run by NAPIC. We help support the Kuma students with a holistic education. Throughout the year, students and their parents are invited to participate in many activities to offer support. Activities are always age-appropriate, but are designed to allow students to gain an understanding of the people they are assisting. Focus days Focus days are held in response to a natural or man-made disaster, and provide our community with an avenue of reflection and response to provide support and gain a greater understanding of what has happened. Age-appropriate information on what has taken place is shared with students on these days.
A strong home-school relationship is also important in ensuring that the children are happy confident learners. Please feel free to discuss any matters of concern at any time, firstly with your class teacher.
Outdoor Education The opportunities for learning at UWCSEA extend far beyond the classroom as students take on experiential challenges that build resilience, collaboration and leadership. Our Outdoor Education programme offers an incremental progression of age-appropriate experiences to students across the K–12 curricula. Please note that any field trips or excursions will need to be conducted in-line with COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
10
Student health and well-being Meals at school There are three scheduled times for students to eat: • brain food is eaten shortly after arrival to keep students energised after what is often an early start • snack • lunch All Infant School students bring their own brain food to school each day. Snack and lunch can be brought from home or ordered online and will then be delivered to the class. There is a Food Services page available on the Community Portal with detailed information about the provisions, nutritional guidelines and more. For food brought from home, each meal/snack should be packed separately in labelled containers so they can be stored in the classroom and accessed easily by the students. We encourage the children to be independent. To help them achieve this, please ensure that all food brought to school is not too complicated to assemble or too messy to eat. Any cutlery needed (spoon, fork) should be packed with the lunch and labelled. Please note that there are no facilities to refrigerate or reheat food. Food is stored safely at (air-conditioned) room temperature, so please consider this when packing your child’s food. To help keep food warm or cool, there is an insulated pack with UWCSEA branding available from the shop. Meals are eaten under the careful supervision of adults and they encourage children to eat what has been sent from home. However, if a child is unable to finish, any uneaten food will be returned home so parents can monitor their child’s food consumption at school. Again, please be aware that the Infant School is a nut-free zone.
Healthy eating We encourage students to eat and drink as healthily as possible and we ask for your assistance with this when sending food and drink into school. Please do not pack any sweets or other confectionery, or fizzy or caffeinated drinks. What is ‘brain food’? This is normally a piece of fruit or some dry cereal and should take no more than five minutes to eat. Drinks Water is readily available and students are encouraged to drink water frequently. We also have water fountains located around the school. Food allergies If we need to exclude specific food or other allergen items from a class, we will let parents in the class know as soon as possible. Please see the section on Food and other allergies further down for more information on this very important policy.
11
Health and wellbeing of students
Food and other allergies
Medical care The clinic is staffed by trained nurses and is fully equipped to handle minor injuries that occur in school. If a child has been taken to the College clinic and needs to go home, then one of the nurses will contact you.
The Infant School is a ‘Nut Free Zone’. Some children have life threatening food allergies, and in the interest of safety, we have declared the entire Infant School section nut-free. If a student has an allergy to other products, we assess the allergy in conjunction with parents and may need to request that items containing the allergen are not brought into the school by other students in that class or grade.
If your child has any medical condition that may require medical treatment, emergency care or that our staff should be aware of, please notify us via the online medical questionnaire (see below) so we have the information necessary to provide care if required. Any medication should be given at home or, if it is essential that it be administered during the day, then it will be administered by the nurses at the clinic. Students are not permitted to carry medication around the school. If your child shows any signs of illness, please do not send them to school. If they are taken ill at school, we will contact you to arrange for them to be picked up. Please refer to the section below on nominating alternative or emergency contacts. Online medical forms There is a comprehensive online medical questionnaire that we require all parents to complete for each child prior to orientation. The form covers vaccinations, pre-existing conditions and illnesses, as well as related information for activities such as PE—swimming ability and other conditions that may affect their participation. As it can take some time for this information to be processed, it is important that you also inform the class teacher of any serious allergies or health problems your child may have. If there are any changes in medical information please amend the online form as well as inform the class teacher. You will be able to complete the form once you receive your portal login information in July.
Once we have a better idea of the requirements of each student, via the online medical questionnaire, we are able to assess the level of caution we need to adopt in each class. If we need to exclude a specific food or other allergen item from a class, we will let parents in the class know as soon as possible. If your child has a severe allergy please make sure that this is indicated on the online medical questionnaire and bring it to the class teacher’s attention as soon as possible. We also require details of the management plan to be set out for staff. There is also a support group for parents of allergy sufferers that we can put you in touch with.
Emergency contacts Part of the online medical questionnaire asks parents to nominate two emergency contacts in Singapore. It is important that these are kept up-to-date. These should be people that you trust to make medical decisions for your child should the unfortunate need arise. We therefore request that you do not nominate your domestic helper. Please also note that these contacts are not necessarily the same as the nominated guardian, which we require if both parents are to be out of Singapore at the same time. This situation requires separate notification to the school by completing the Nomination of a Supervisor during Temporary Parental Absence form.
12
East Infant School contacts Reception and the school offices are open from 7.30am to 4.30pm. East Campus Reception
+65 6305 5344 uwcseaeast@uwcsea.edu.sg
Infant School Office
+65 6305 5344 | ext 2101 infantschooleast@uwcsea.edu.sg
Infant School Secretary Cheryll Biason (K1–G1)
cheryll.albero@uwcsea.edu.sg
Hajerah Abdulla (Principal’s Personal Assistant and Senior Secretary)
hajerah.abdulla@uwcsea.edu.sg
Nisha Kaur (Senior Secretary, Curriculum)
nisha.kaur@uwcsea.edu.sg
Heads of Grade Rachel Rhodes (K1)
rachel.rhodes@uwcsea.edu.sg
Imogen Piccirilli (K2)
imogen.piccirilli@uwcsea.edu.sg
Karen Maheshwary (G1)
karen.maheshwary@uwcsea.edu.sg
Infant School leadership Pauline Markey, Primary School Principal (K1–G5)
pauline.markey@uwcsea.edu.sg
Tracy Jochmann, Primary School Vice Principal (K1–G1)
tracy.jochmann@uwcsea.edu.sg
School services College Clinic
+65 6305 5344 | ext 2994 collegecliniceast@uwcsea.edu.sg
Transport Office
+65 6305 5344 | ext 2830 busesuwceast@uwcsea.edu.sg
Library
library.uwcsea.edu.sg
Parents’ Association
+65 6305 5344 | ext 2080 paeast@uwcsea.edu.sg
Online staff directory The staff directory can be accessed via the Find it Fast menu on the website (login required). Please look in the online staff directory for email addresses for individual staff and in the Contacts Us page of the website for the emails and telephone numbers for departments such as Admissions and Finance.
COMS-2122