Junior School welcome guide 2021/2022 East Campus
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Contents
Welcome to the UWCSEA East Junior School (Grades 2–5) We wish you a warm welcome to the UWCSEA community. All the Junior School staff are looking forward to getting to know you and your family over the next few years.
Welcome to the UWCSEA East Junior School............................. 1 School contacts..................................................................................2 Parent involvement and communication between home and school................................3 Contacting/notifying the school................................................... 4 Starting school...................................................................................5 The school day....................................................................................6 UWCSEA learning programme...................................................... 8 Student health and wellbeing....................................................... 11 East Junior School contacts...........................................................13
Starting a new school is an exciting time but it can also be daunting for parents and students alike. There is so much to learn about practices and day-to-day routines. We want to make sure your start is as smooth as possible and this booklet aims to facilitate this. 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 (you will find a list of key Junior School contacts and school departments on the last page of this booklet). Parents are an integral part of our community 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 your time with us. 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
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School contacts 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.
If, after discussions with the class teacher and Head of Grade, you feel you would like to have further discussion with a Vice Principal or the Principal, please let us know:
The next person in the support chain is the Head of Grade (HOG):
Jennifer Juteau Vice Principal (Grade 2–3) Lisa Plamondon Head of Grade 2
Luke Whitehouse Head of Grade 3
Lindsay Strickland Head of Grade 4
Kim Duffy Head of Grade 4 (Term 1)
Brendan Bolger Head of Grade 5
Ben Clapp Vice Principal (Grade 4–5)
The secretaries in the Junior School office are also happy to help you with any enquiries.
Siti Farhana (Grade 2 and 3)
Norliah Naip (Grade 4 and 5)
Hajerah Abdulla Principal’s PA and Senior Secretary
Nisha Kaur Senior Secretary (Curriculum)
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Parent involvement and communication between home and school We believe strongly in the importance of a close partnership between home and school, and clear, effective communication facilitates this. Parents are invited to share in their child’s learning in a number of ways throughout the year including; joining us on some school trips, attending activity days, learning more at a parent workshop and more formal meetings. 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.
Student organiser This is a tool to help students organise their week at school. Students also use the organiser to make notes about their Home Learning and other reminders.
Contacting your child’s class teacher Email is our primary form of communication between parents and teachers. If you need to get a message to the class teacher during the day, please phone the Junior School office, as teachers do not always have time to check their emails during the busy school day.
Website and Community Portal The website is a rich resource dedicated to providing information on the College and the Junior 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. 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 are all issued with individual logins which will be emailed to them prior to the start of the school year.
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.
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 Junior 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 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, Learning Shares and the Arts Festivals, COVID-19 restrictions permitting. We value the support of our parents, as we firmly believe that educating children is a partnership between home and school.
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Contacting/notifying the school Class parents
Absence from school
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.
Please telephone the Junior 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 reported cases to the Singapore Ministry of Health.
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. We are also able to connect you with parents who speak the same language. 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.
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, please inform the school ahead of time. We require clear details of the adult who will act as a supervisor in your 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 ask that you try to make these after school hours or during school holidays. If this is not possible, please inform the Junior School office and class teacher of your plans to collect and return your child to school.
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Starting school Uniforms The uniform policy is available on the orientation website. Students are required to wear the uniform every day. Students should wear their uniform on the first day of school; it is not necessary on orientation Day. The required items for Junior 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 • hat • PE shirt • PE shorts • trainers for PE with non-marking soles • lunch box (cooler bag optional) • backpack–reasonable size • UWCSEA sun-protection swim top (optional)
PE uniform Students should wear their PE uniform to school if they have PE in the first two periods of the day, but they must bring their normal school uniform to school to get changed into after PE (including the uniform black shoes). If students have PE after lunch, they must wear their school uniform to school and bring their PE uniform to change into. Junior School students always have a shower after completing their PE lessons, so they will need to bring a towel to school with them on these days. 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. Bags Students in the Junior School can select their own backpack; they do not need to purchase the UWCSEA backpack. We ask that backpacks are kept to a sensible size, so they can fit comfortably in the shelves in the classroom, as well as transport the books and PE kit required by students.
Where to purchase uniforms In line with COVID-19 precautionary measures, all uniforms are to be ordered online and arranged to be collected.
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.
Visit uwcseaeastshop.org to place your order.
Shoes Please buy black shoes or trainers that fully enclose the foot but do not cover the ankles. The College Shop sells a selection of black school shoes for all ages.
Stationery and school supplies
Trainers in any colour with non-marking soles are required for PE. Jewellery For safety reasons, students are not allowed to wear jewellery, apart from small pierced ear studs. If a piece of jewellery has a specific religious significance, please approach the class teacher to discuss.
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 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.
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The school day The school day has been designed so that all Junior School students have breaks at the same time, allowing us to more easily plan whole school events: 7.30am
Earliest time that students can be dropped at school
8am
Start of school (students can enter classrooms from 7.50am)
9.50am Morning break (20 minutes) 11.30am Lunch (55 minutes) 1.40pm Transition time (10 minutes) 3pm
Classes finish
3.10pm
Activities (these are optional)
4.30pm End of activities Students are asked to leave the campus at the end of the school day unless they are staying back for Activities. Junior School on campus after 3pm, must be in an activity or supervised by an adult. Junior School are not permitted to use Santai Cafe after school without being accompanied by an adult or wearing a special band provided to children registered in the PS Library. Once you have been sent your login details, you can access and print your child’s full timetable via the Student Online System, using the Community Portal (see website section for more details).
Arriving at school The school day begins at 8am. Students should arrive between 7.30am and 7.50am, when supervision is available in the classroom or outside play area (depending on the weather). See transport section for more information.
Leaving school G2 and G3 pick up students will be picked up at the Infant Block whereas G4 and G5 will be at the Main steps. Students will be supervised until 3.15pm, and after this time any child who has not been collected will wait in the Junior School office.
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. Please keep your child’s teacher informed. Buses A bus service application form was included in the letter of offer information packet sent by Admissions and is also available on the East Campus orientation website. Please complete and return it by the end of July to ensure that your child can utilise the bus service at the start of Term 1. Transport may not be immediately available for the start of term for any forms submitted after this date, although every request will be processed at the earliest possible date. 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 last page for contact details). • Junior School students are dropped at their designated drop-off point even if nobody is waiting to meet them. It is essential that the students are clear about what to do when they are dropped off • students are not allowed to travel on another bus for any reason so if they are visiting another student, 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 drop offs 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.
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Morning drop-off by private car Students being driven to school should arrive between 7.30am and 7.50am. Students should not be dropped off before 7.30am as there is no supervision available. For safety reasons, we ask that parents use the designated drop-off areas on campus, rather than letting Junior School students out onto the pavement outside the school.
Visitors to Campus
When on the driveway, please try and move as far forward as possible within the drop-off zone to ensure a flow of traffic. We ask that parents remain inside their car. Our experienced security guards are on duty to help the flow of traffic.
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.
Please do not stop your car for any longer than is necessary. Please move through to the car park to facilitate the flow of traffic. Updated guidance will be sent closer to the start of term depending on current COVID-19 restrictions.
Parking
Afternoon pick up by car At the end of the school day, students who go home by car make their way to the designated pick up area at the front of the school, and can be collected from 3pm (G2/3 and G4/5 all have different pick up areas). 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. Bicycles Some students may elect to cycle to school, and we have bike stands where bicycles can be locked on the campus. If your child would like to cycle to school, please inform the class teacher. All students who cycle to school are expected to wear a bicycle helmet and follow the Singaporean cycling regulations. Younger students should be accompanied.
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 grade secretary or Parents’ Association will share Envoy registration details with you prior to any meeting on campus.
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 write a note in the organiser, including day and times, ensuring that it is clear which day the change will occur. For emergencies and last minute changes of travel arrangements, call the Junior School office before 2.30pm. Messages received after this time may not reach the class teacher before they have left for the buses. We cannot accept ‘word of mouth’ messages from your child or emails sent to the class teacher during the day as often emails are only read after the children have gone home.
Money at school
Taxi directions Ensure you ask the driver to take you to UWCSEA East Campus in Tampines, as we have two campuses in two different locations.
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.
Security pass and security check
Importance of labelling everything
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.
Please mark all belongings (clothes, PE kit, shoes, hats, lunch boxes, bags, swimming gear etc) with the student’s full name, so we can return them if lost.
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.
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UWCSEA learning programme Academics 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 Junior School. Login details will be provided to you in July (see page 3). 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’ learning and stimulate lines of inquiry. Permission will be required for each off-campus excursion. Parents may be 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, 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. 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 that sometimes circumstances mean your child cannot participate in swimming or other PE activities. Please send in a note via the student organiser stating the reason why your child cannot participate in PE. Please note that any field trips or excursions will need to be conducted in-line with COVID-19 restrictions at the time. Home learning All students in the Junior School are set home learning and Seesaw on a weekly basis. The home learning is posted on the class announcements, which is accessed through the Seesaw app. The amount and type of home learning set differs in each grade, increasing as the children go through the Junior classes and may differ per child.
Specific information and expectations on home learning can be found on the class announcements page. Please provide an appropriate space for your child to complete their homework comfortably. It is beneficial for a child to be able to talk through their home learning with an adult. 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. 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. Reports are sent home at the end of Term 3. Learning Support and tuition There are dedicated Learning Support teachers available to children in the Junior School. Parents are always consulted before a child is referred for Learning Support. The majority of students who receive support need short-term intervention 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—for specific learning needs or for general tuition purposes—are done after consultation with the class teacher and/or the Learning Support Department. 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 an environment where collaboration is vital and learning is a continual process. In the Junior School, we use technology as a tool for learning, embedding technology into the programme where appropriate to provide students with rich learning experiences. 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.
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Activities
Music
We encourage all students from Grade 2 on to participate in lunchtime and after-school activities. The Activities programme is broken into four seasons, running roughly parallel to the ACSIS competitive sporting seasons in which UWCSEA participates.
The Music learning experience for each Junior School student is very much an explorative, hands-on learning experience. Students are led on a journey of discovery as they participate in practical, creative activities and develop skills and qualities. Students are encouraged to explore, listen to, understand, create, perform, internalise and reflect on their own and others’ music.
The wide range of activities on offer fall into six categories: Wellness for Life, Mind Matters, Arts and Performance, Dragons Sports, Learn and Lead, and Create and Innovate. Many activities are included in the tuition fees, however some will incur additional fees if we need to purchase materials or provide external coaching, tuition, transport or uniforms. The approximate cost will be noted at the time of selecting activity preferences, and payment will need to be made once a student is accepted into an activity at the commencement of the season. Some activities require commitment for more than one season; this is also noted in the sign-up system the students use to request activities. Dragon Sports UWCSEA fields competitive teams in the Singapore-based ACSIS competition in a number of different sports in relevant age groups in the Junior School. In past years, this has included teams for boys and girls in badminton, basketball, cricket, cross country, football, gymnastics, netball, rugby, touch rugby, as well as track and field. There will be trials for representative teams in the first week of school. Students should look out for details of these in the student notices on the website. Sign-up online Sign-up for activities is done online during a designated period, and while parents can browse the available activities here, 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.
Music provides an avenue for students to understand how each of the five elements can be connected, as they learn to value the importance of each element in shaping them as global citizens. This is achieved by: • class curriculum: class-based practical and theoretical work that explores the key strands of composing, performing, listening and analysing, as well as understanding music in society • Activities: Junior School large and small ensembles, participation in Primary School concerts and community events • passion-led service that explores deep and relevant connections to Music (through meaningful links to Global Concerns, Local and College Service) • formal concerts including Uniting Nations and Arts Festivals, and Primary Colours • informal performances including class, assembly and NoonTunes performances • Instrumental Teaching Programme 1:1, pair or group instrumental and voice lessons • meaningful PSE through these elements Music activities on offer include: Strings United (double bass, cello, viola and violin), Band Together (wind, brass and percussion), Global Voices (G2–5 Choir), Chamber ensemble, Kutandara! (African Marimba), Rhythmical Madness, Ukulele Grooves, Guitar and ensemble. Music service includes: Strings United, Wind Band, 3 different choirs, Zimbabwean marimbas, ukuleles, rock bands, songwriting, beginning band and beginning orchestra.
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Service and Sustainable Development All students from K1 to Grade 12 take part in developmentally appropriate service and sustainable development learning. In Primary School, Service and Sustainable development learning has been embedded within the curriculum. Learning takes place during and alongside Interdisciplinary Units giving all students the opportunity to learn about Environmental Sustainability, Local Service and Global Concerns. The curriculum for Service and Sustainable Development has three strands, Awareness, Systems Thinking and Action. Through using systems thinking approaches to develop awareness of different issues and contexts students are able to ensure that action that they take is informed, intentional and in partnership with either our local or global concerns partners. Students develop their understanding of Environment Sustainability and develop stewardship skills through leading Environmental Initiatives (EI) to address global issues at a campus level. EI’s focus on environmentally sustainable solutions and actions and apply systems thinking approaches. Each grade level from K1 to G5 has responsibility for a particular EI and classes rotate throughout the year in leading their EI. In Junior School, the EIs are: Grade 2
Gardening
Grade 3
Composting
Grade 4
Paper recycling
Grade 5
Fresh Fruit Friday
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 the annual Giving Tree donation drive in December as well as regular visits by Grade 1 students to Kheng Chiu Loke (Happy Lodge) Home for the elderly.
Grade 2 visits Pasir Ris Kitchen Gardens, Grade 3 visits St. John’s Home for the Elderly, Grade 4 partners with Christian Outreach for the Handicapped and Grade 5 partners with Willing Hearts through regular visits and weekly rice drives. The Global Concerns reciprocal partnerships provide students with opportunities to learn about challenges faced by people in the region and to provide support. Activities are always age appropriate and designed to allow students to gain an understanding of the people and organisations we partner with. In the Junior School, the GCs we support are: Grade 2
Blue Dragon, Vietnam
Grade 3
Green Umbrella, Cambodia
Grade 4
Bali Bridges, Indonesia (supporting the Widhya Asih Foundation)
Grade 5
Epic Arts, Cambodia
From Grade 1, each grade level offers a Service and Sustainable Development trip for parents and students to visit our GC partners, to learn more about the culture, further develop the relationships with the partners and to take informed purposeful action with the partners and their communities. We also host guest speakers and visits from our GCs throughout the year giving our students opportunities to learn more from our partners enjoying workshops on dance, performance and circus skills to name a few.
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Student health and wellbeing Personal and Social Education
Meals at school
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. Many school days begin with a Morning Meeting where the class comes together to greet each other, as well as share news and information. During this time, key social skills are learnt and developed.
Students have a choice of bringing their own food to school or purchasing lunch and snacks from the canteen. Our catering contractor looks after the canteen and provides both snacks and a pre-order lunch service for Junior School students in Grades 2 to 5.
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 due to the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, there will be no overseas travel for UWCSEA student groups during the 2021/2022 school year. Enrichment trips outside of Singapore are also unlikely to be available in the 2021/2022 school year. Instead we will be delivering a ‘Local Plus’ model, with on-campus experiences and offcampus trips within Singapore. These experiences will retain the learning for students, while giving them the opportunity to experience Singapore in new ways.
Parents of Grade 2–5 students can log in to the system via the Community Portal to place orders in advance. A fourweek menu cycle is uploaded on a regular basis. A preordered meal can be cancelled by 8am on the day of order itself. Grade 2–3: Food / meals are sent to the classroom. Grade 4–5: Students can collect their pre-ordered meals from the school canteen. 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. Drinks We have water fountains located around the school at appropriate heights for students to comfortably access. Junior School students should bring a labelled water bottle to school with them each day. The canteen offers juice and milk drinks for sale. 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 for more information on this very important policy.
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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.
Some children have food allergies, and we monitor this very carefully. If a student with a severe allergy, such as a nut allergy, is identified in a class, we will request that items containing the allergen are not brought into the school by any student in that class, and the room will be declared a ‘Nut Free Zone.’ For safety, the parents of students who suffer from such allergies are encouraged, nevertheless, to assume that the classroom is not nut free and to behave in accordance with that assumption.
If your child has any medical condition that may require medical treatment, emergency care or something 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. 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 questionnaires, 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 items, 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 form asks parents to nominate two emergency contacts in Singapore. It is important that these are kept up-to-date. These should be people 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, because, sadly, their instructions might not always be heeded. Please also note that these contacts are not necessarily the same as the nominated guardian which we require if both parents are out of Singapore at the same time. This situation requires separate notification to the school (see section on page 3) for each and every absence.
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East Junior 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
Junior School Office
+65 6305 5344 | ext 2207/2208 juniorschooleast@uwcsea.edu.sg
Junior School secretaries Siti Farhana (Grades 2 and 3)
siti.farhana@uwcsea.edu.sg
Norliah Naip (Grades 4 and 5)
norliah.naip@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 Lisa Plamondon (Grade 2)
lisa.plamondon@uwcsea.edu.sg
Luke Whitehouse (Grade 3)
luke.whitehouse@uwcsea.edu.sg
Lindsay Strickland (Grade 4)*
lindsay.strickland@uwcsea.edu.sg
Brendan Bolger (Grade 5)
brendan.bolger@uwcsea.edu.sg
*Kim Duffy (Grade 4, Term 1)
kim.duffy@uwcsea.edu.sg
Junior School leadership Pauline Markey, Primary School Principal
pauline.markey@uwcsea.edu.sg
Jennifer Juteau, Primary School Vice Principal (G2–3) jennifer.juteau@uwcsea.edu.sg Ben Clapp, Primary School Vice Principal (G4–5)
benjamin.clapp@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.
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