8
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.