CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK2013-2014

DIRECTOR’S REMARKS

It is our intention that this Student/Parent Handbook is to assist both new and returning members of the Centro Educativo Internacional Anaco Anzoátegui International Educational Center community to prepare for the new school year. The goal of the handbook is not to restrict but to provide a common understanding which will lead to safer and more secure learning environment.

With your help, we will do everything possible for your child to feel safe, successful, confident, and among people that care about him or her.

Please take the time to review the contents of this handbook with your child, to become familiar with school regulations and norms. This is one good way you can help to support our educational work with your children. With your help, we will do our best to educate them both intellectually and socially.Sincerely,

Marcelo Fernandes Director – Centro Educativo Internacional Anaco

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HISTORY OF CEIA

This year marks the 54th anniversary of the official registration of the school. Escuela Anaco C.A. was first registered on June 21,1956. The Mobil Oil Company leased 2 hectares of land to the school and for the construction of the school. Shares were purchased by many of the local petroleum companies at the time. Some are still operating in Anaco, like Schlumberger, others are gone such as Santa Fe Drilling, Mene Grande, and Mobil. In 1970 three more hectares were leased to the school and the gymnasium was built. During the years teacher housing, the Early Childhood Center, an art studio, science lab, and library were added.

The school has seen many changes during the past 54 years and has survived the many highs and lows of the petroleum industry, the Venezuelan economy, and Venezuelan politics. The school began with an almost exclusively North American student body. That began to change in the 70’s with the nationalization of the oil business and the formation of PDVSA (Petroleum Company of Venezuela). Enrollments were routinely over 100 and some years over 200. This year we are projecting 78. Enrollment hit a low of eight students in the late 80’s due to the worldwide decline of the petroleum industry.

There was an internal conflict in OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) resulting in Saudia Arabia flooding the market with their oil. Companies in Anaco were operating with skeleton crews and mothers came into the school and the students did their study via correspondence. Since that low point, the school grew in the 90’s culminating with the introduction of a full high school program in 2000. For most of its history, Escuela Anaco only went up to eighth or ninth grade. The school even changed its name, becoming the CEIA in 1997. This reflected a change in the legal structure of the school, which went from a anonymous company to a civil association. The school reverted back to the original name, Escuela Anaco in 2004 although the legal structure remained the same.

There are some things about Escuela Anaco however, never change. The students experience an enjoyable and challenging education. The small class sizes promote strong relationships among students, teachers, and parents. Our mission of providing a North American and international education to our students has not changed either.

CEIA is an international school and below is our philosophy and values. The mission leads our daily work at the school.

MISSION STATEMENT

CEIA seeks to create a challenging learning environment, primarily in English, that encourages high expectations for success through development-appropriate instruction that

allows for individual differences and learning styles. CEIA will foster independence and critical thinking skills that are developmentally appropriate to age level and to prepare

students to become leaders in an ever-changing world.

CEIA Core Values Statements

CEIA promotes empathy as a genuine understanding of the feelings, interests and points of view of others.

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CEIA values honesty as the foundation of trust in all human relationships.

CEIA encourages responsibility for one’s behavior and academic achievement as a hallmark of student growth toward maturity.

CEIA fosters respect for self and others as essential for a caring, committed and peaceful community.

PHILOSOPHY

CEIA is a Pre-Kinder through 12 th grade school that emphasizes an excellent education in the humanities, mathematics, sciences, fine arts, language and athletics.

We believe students will grow and develop in an atmosphere that is respectful, safe, and welcoming.

Our school values the opportunity to teach our students the culture, history and language of our host country, Venezuela.

We are dedicated to providing students with the skills, knowledge, and values needed to be caring, thoughtful and successful members of the global community.

We appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities we have to provide students with individual instruction.

CEIA takes seriously the responsibility of the important service it provides the community by hosting social activities for the students, teachers, and parents on our campus.

 

OUR CEIA COMMUNITY VALUES

Making learning meaningful Addressing the individual needs of students Fostering character development through respect for self and others Being proficient with information technology Providing community service experiences Providing small class sizes to insure individual success Providing students with opportunities for creativity and self-expression Utilizing and improving our large, beautiful campus

BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENTS (LEARNING OUTCOMES)Students will

1. Demonstrate a high level of academic skills and content knowledge in order to be prepared to pursue higher education and a professional career.

2. Demonstrate high levels of communication skills in English and Spanish.

3. Utilize problem solving skills, critical thinking and analytic abilities in diverse situations.

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4. Understand how to use and apply information technology and different communications media in their daily lives and work.

5. Develop their physical and creative potential.

6. Practice the skills and attitudes which will lead them to become caring, committed, responsible, and contributing citizens.

7. Accept responsibility for their own learning, becoming engaged learners.

8. Act with honesty and responsibility.

9. Show empathy for fellow humans and respect for their individual, cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.

10. Show respect for people and property.

11. Exercise the ability to work effectively with others as part of a team and assume leadership roles in appropriate and positive ways.

12. Develop an ecological consciousness and a recognition of the need to preserve nature.

BELIEFS ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school will provide:1. A challenging, engaging curriculum which reflects the most current understanding of

both how humans learn, as well as the most effective practices found in today’s successful schools.

2. A solid core curriculum consisting of instruction in Mathematics, Science, English, Spanish and Social Studies.

3. Instruction and development in physical, aesthetic, and creative expression.

4. A safe and supportive environment for growth and learning.

5. Differentiated instruction to meet the individual needs of a diverse student population while meeting the specific goals of the school.

6. Clear, consistent, effective communications and staff-parent relations.

7. An environment for integrated development of students that serves as a center for school community activities.

CEIA PROGRAMS, STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION WILL FOSTER AND PROMOTE

1. A learning community environment in which parents, teachers, students and administrators will work in partnership with a common core of values and share accountability for the educational process.

2. An ethic of striving for continuous improvement and excellence.

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3. Appropriate psychological and emotional growth for students.

4. Models of appropriate conduct for students and other members of the school community, since the values inherent in that conduct have a strong impact on the students´ development and on what and how they learn.

5. The importance of Venezuela’s cultural, linguistic, and geographical context as a positive and enriching influence on our students’ education.

 GOVERNING BOARDThe Board of Trustees of CEIA governs the school’s operation and is the policy making body for the school. The Board of Trustees are entrusted to the survival and continual improvement of the school. The volunteer members put the needs of the students first and always think in the long term good of the school. The Board meets monthly and the Director makes it a point to bring to the Trustee’s attention parental concerns, ideas, suggestions, etc. The Board listens to the concerns of the stakeholders of the school. All concerns brought to the Director are forwarded to the Board. Please see the Director before addressing a Board member if you wish something to be discussed.

WHAT IS MY ROLE AS A PARENT?All members of the school community are needed to provide the best possible education.

CEIA students will be more successful in achieving desired outcomes if parents:Help instill student pride, confidence and a positive attitude in their school and their teachers.

Support school policies on behavior and attendance.

Provide the time and environment for students to complete homework.

Encourage students to take responsibility for completion of all homework assignments.

Be cognizant of and communicate to teachers about the level of difficulty students experience with homework.

Initiate and encourage discussions with students on local, world or family issues, in a manner that significantly engages students and stimulates thinking.

Bring problems, concerns, and criticisms directly to the appropriate teacher or administrator for clarification or resolution.

In so far as possible, take an active role in PTA, volunteer activities, and school events.

Share and convey honestly special problems students have had or are experiencing regarding learning, behavior, emotional problems, and changes in the family situation (divorce, separations, death, birth of a sibling, etc.)

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Dedicate time and thought to the continual improvement of CEIA.

PLACEMENT/ADMISSION REQUIREMENTSThe professional staff ,under the supervision of the Director, shall determine admission to the school; however, the Director shall give the final answer on the matter. Admission shall be based on data submitted as required by the school to determine the potential of the applicant to benefit from the educational program available and the capacity of the school to meet the educational needs of the applicant.

On physical/behavioral/learning difficulties or special needs:

Unfortunately, CEIA does not have special facilities or resources to support students with moderate to severe physical/behavioral or learning difficulties.

We urge parents of students with mild special needs to contact CEIA administration prior to determine if placement at CEIA will be possible. In most cases, families will need to provide the support services needed. Each case will be considered according to the student’s needs and the school’s resources available to address them.

After completing the admissions procedure, students with no reported physical/behavioral and learning disabilities will begin to attend classes at the earliest opportunity. If subsequently it becomes clear that there are obvious or known such disabilities, the student’s admission may be revoked. In the course of educating a child enrolled at CEIA, if any of the above mentioned disability is suspected based on academic performance, parents will be required to obtain appropriate testing for the child. If a learning disability is diagnosed, the Child Study Team will consider the child’s best educational options, including individualized approaches with existing CEIA resources (which usually do not include certified special education teachers), and requiring additional resources provided by parents. If the Child Study Team determines that it is beyond CEIA’s capabilities to cope with the student’s learning disability, it may decide not to re-enroll the student for future school years. The school reserves the right to appoint its own specialists to evaluate the child.

All prospective students must submit:1. A completed CEIA Registration Form

2. A completed Parents Pre-registration Questionnaire (only for N-1st grade) *

3. Copies of previous school records of the last two (2) academic years (if applicable) including:

a. Transcripts or report cards b. Standardized test scores (if available)c. Confidential records (if applicable)-Psychological assessments, especial

education or learning support documentation

4. A completed Teacher’s Questionnaire or Recommendation Letter

5. Writing sample (part of admissions testing).

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6. Immunization records or results of full physical exam by a licensed physician, including any recommendations for limitations on the full range of school activities such as PE and class trips, and noting any allergies, ongoing medical conditions or medications that continue to be required over an extended period of time.

7. Copy of prospective student’s birth certificate, ID or passport

8. Copy of both parents’/legal guardians’ ID, or passport

9. Four (4) photos

10. Admissions Testing Fee (If applicable) *

* Required before admissions testing

ADMISSIONS PROCEDURE1. On Admissions Testing

Students applying for all grades will be requested to participate in a series of placement tasks, such as a readiness test in early childhood grades and an oral interview, a writing sample and a reading and math assessment in elementary/secondary. Students with limited English applying for grades N-5 will be tested in Spanish. Admissions tests will be scheduled by the school secretary .

2. On AgeBy October 1st of the academic school year, the student must be the corresponding age to apply to:

Nursery: 1-2 years Pre-K 3: 3 years Pre-K 4: 4 years Kinder: 5 years 1st Grade: 6 yearsChildren born between August 1 and October 1 who otherwise meet all CEIA admissions criteria will be placed in the appropriate grade according to admissions testing and other admissions evaluations.In higher grades the student’s records from the previous school and admissions tests as well as age will be considered as criteria for grade placement. If the student comes from a school accredited by an CEIA-recognized regional accreditation agency with an English-language curriculum, grade placement indications from the previous school will be followed as a matter of course, with pertinent indications from the Admissions Committee regarding courses/credits required for graduation.

3. On English as a Second Language (applicable to non-native English speakers)a. CEIA may accept students with limited English up to the 5th grade depending

on program capacity. They will be supported by an ESL specialist until minimum English proficiency is acquired. In elementary grades, new non-English speaking students shall make up no more than 25% of the class (or that percentage which occurs with the admission of another new ESL student in a class with less than 20% new non-English speakers), with a maximum of 4

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per class.b. Students applying for admission to grades 6-8 must show evidence of

sufficient ability to work in English so as to permit them to do grade-level work with some help from ESL and/or classroom teachers. They must also demonstrate ability to successfully complete all graduation requirements.

4. Priority of Admission:

Students will be admitted within the following priorities whenever enrollment must be limited, as long as they meet all other CEIA admissions requirements. Factors 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be considered together to choose the most qualified and deserving applicants.

a. Children sponsored by shareholders are guaranteed admission against subscribed shares, up to a limit of three students above the class-size limits proscribed by Board Policy.

b. Admissions test results.c. Children who are holders of foreign passports, with first priority to

shareholding firms.d. English-speaking children.e. Siblings of current CEIA students and/or students enrolled for the following

school year, taking into account admissions test results as well as grades and recommendations from the previous school. (A marginally-qualified applicant who has siblings in CEIA may not have priority over a highly qualified applicant with no siblings in the school.)

f. Other applicants from the local community, taking into account admissions test results as well as grades and recommendations from the previous school.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONSFor enrollment during a current academic year, decisions are made once an application is complete and space availability is confirmed. Local limited-English-speaking students will not be accepted in the school after November 1 of a new school year except in extenuating circumstances. For students applying for the following school year, admissions testing will begin April 1. Beginning May 1st and following careful review of all applications on hand at the time (with interviews and or/testing if applicable), CEIA will provide notification of the admission decision based on the following four categories:

Accepted: The applicant has been fully accepted for admission at CEIA and a space is reserved for him/her in a particular grade level if enrollment is formalized during the month following acceptance.

Accepted Wait List: The applicant has been fully accepted for admission at CEIA but no space is currently available at the appropriate grade level. Parents will be notified when a space becomes available according to published admissions priorities.

Conditional Acceptance: Applicant’s acceptance in CEIA is subject to a specific set of conditions as stipulated by CEIA admissions committee. Students accepted under this category will need to re-apply for the following academic year.

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Denied: The applicant does not meet CEIA´s eligibility requirements for admissions or the applicant cannot benefit from CEIA´s services.

SCHOOL FEES AND PAYMENTSThe school fees, policies and payment schedules are detailed in a separate handout. These are available in the main office. Students whose parents owe tuition or fees from the previous year may not be re-enrolled in CEIA for a new school year.

SCHOOL HOURS Regular school hours are: Day- Care to Pre-K 3/4                8:00 am to 11:45 am  Kindergarten to 12th Grade:         8:00 am to 2:55 pm Students are encouraged to arrive at school before 7:50 AM. Campus is open at 7:30 AM.  Students are expected to leave campus by 3:15 or within 15 minutes of the scheduled end of after school activities unless individually arranged and supervised by a member of the after school activity committee . Students who are not picked-up on time may not participate in extra-curricular or after school activities.

The consequences for lateness are:

a. First time: The student will be suspended for five business days of all extra-curricular activities ( including tutoring and tournaments)

b. Second time: The student will be suspended for ten business days of all extra-curricular activities ( including tutoring and tournaments)

c. Third time: The student will be suspended for twenty business days of all extra-curricular activities ( including tutoring and tournaments) and can only come back aftger the approval of the majority of the members of the after school activity committee.

EARLY DISMISSALStudents are encouraged to attend school as much as possible. This is especially important on days when a portion of the student body is out of school on a sports trip. The staff is ready to teach no matter how many students are present. No student shall be permitted to leave school before the end of the regular school day without approval of the Director or his designee.  Students shall not be permitted to leave school on requests signed by a person other than parents or guardians.

DRESS CODE

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 Since students attend CEIA in order to obtain an education, it is expected that their physical appearance be conducive to that end. Any dress or grooming that hinders the learning process and is disruptive or in poor taste will not be accepted by the school. 

1. CEIA students must wear blue shorts, blue jeans, or blue slacks (all pants must be in one shade of blue with no other color present).

2. Short sleeved knit “golf”-style shirt (w/collar) with official emblem Color Requirements:            Day Care - Yellow            Pre K and K - Red

1st through 5th Grade - White6th, 7th and 8th Grade - Light Blue9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Beige

3.  The following are not permitted: a.Torn, patched or frayed jeans.b.Shirts or sweaters turned inside out.c.Exposed undershirts or underpants.d. “Flip-flops”, bare feet, torn or cut-up sneakers, beach sandals, slippers, shoes with skate wheels ,open toes shoes, or high-heeled shoes e. Hats, baseball caps, etc. inside the buildings.f. Any item worn or possessed judged by the school to be disruptive of student learning.h. Visible tattoos and no body or face piercings are allowed other than in the ear lobes (no tongue or mouth piercings are permitted).i. Sunglasses of any kind during school day, unless the student has a medical prescription.j. Students must present a neat and well-kept appearance. Clothes must be clean and neat, not ragged, frayed, or torn. k. If students are cold they should wear a dark blue jacket or sweater without a hood.

l. Student hair style will be neat and non-disruptive to learning.  m. Students must wear their uniform during the entire school day (except during P.E. and outdoor breaks).

The school uniform must be worn from Monday through Friday. On some special days (with the authorization of the Director) students may come to school out of uniform but with the following restrictions:

Shirts must cover the back and abdomen, even when the student is sitting down. No low-cut blouses are allowed. Spandex or tightly fitting elastic pants are not permitted unless shorts or a skirt is

worn over them. No short shorts or miniskirts are permitted. No beach sandals, slippers, open toes, or high-heeled shoes are allowed. No shoes with skate wheels are allowed. Students must present a neat and well-kept appearance. Clothes must be clean and

neat, not ragged, frayed, or torn. T-shirts should not contain offensive or sexually suggestive messages or drawings,

promotional messages for alcohol or tobacco products, or partisan politics.

Coming to school out of uniform on especial days is a privilege that may be revoked for individual students, entire grades or for the entire school if students do not adhere to the above indications.

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Sanctions for being out of uniform or in violation of the dress code:1. Warning – sent to the office2. Wait in the office until a change of clothes is delivered.3. If a student comes to school in uniform but repeatedly shows up to class

out of uniform, this will be treated as a disciplinary infraction.

Nursery Bathroom PolicyThe use of the bathroom with little or no assistance is something that we expect in Nursery (Pre-Kinder 3 and 4). We know that “accidents” can happen, especially during the first few weeks of school. Due to this, we allow the students to adapt to the new environment and classroom routine for a period of a month, while they learn to use the bathroom in our room.After a month of being in school and learning the new routine, bathroom accidents should be minimal or nonexistent. The only “accident” we will be responsible for changing is wet pants in case the child was unable to make it to the bathroom on time, as long as the incident is not a recurring event. However, if incontinence is a persisting issue, the parent will be called to change the student when accidents occur, and if no improvement is shown over time, the child will be sent home until he or she is completely potty trained. If your child is incontinent due to a temporary illness, please keep him/her at home. Do not bring the child into the classroom with pull-up diapers. Students should return to class when they are feeling well enough to use the bathroom alone.

SECURITY SURVEILLANCEOur campus has a fulltime security/surveillance service.  There are security personnel at both gates during school hours and at the entrance to campus at all other times.  These guards are armed and are able to contact the school office or local authorities if the need arises.  CEIA is regularly updated by Security Officials from sponsoring oil companies and we are in contact with the US Embassy when necessary.

SCHOOL INFORMATIONIt is important even for a small school such as ours to have constant communication between the parents and the school. Parents who have questions, concerns or want additional information should first contact the appropriate teacher. If the teacher cannot satisfy a question, a concern or a request for information, the parent should contact the Director or the office. The Director’s e-mail is director@aisk12.org .

 FIRST AID If a student is injured, a designated staff member will determine the extent of the injuries. If appropriate, the student will then be brought to the office.  If it is judged best not to move the student, a responsible messenger will be sent to the office with enough information to allow the office to take appropriate action – call parents, hospital, etc. If a student is brought to the office for medical treatment, parents will be notified as soon as practical depending on the severity of the situation. Please complete the school health forms for your children.

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PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)The CEIA PTA is a nonpartisan organization. All parents, teachers and administrators are eligible to be members of the PTA. PTA meetings are open to all members of the school community. Your skills, ideas and help are what will make CEIA the quality school we all want. Please join the PTA in its efforts to work with the school for the benefit of our students. Together we can support a school united and rich in spirit and pride.

OPEN HOUSECEIA will hold an “Open House” this year on Thursday, August 21st beginning at 6:00 PM. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to meet their child’s teachers and review classroom programs and curriculum.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR PARTICIPATION

Students are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities as long as that participation does not adversely affect their academic performance. Participation in extra-curricular activity also requires the student to demonstrate good sportsmanship and positive behavior in and out of the classroom. We participate in several EVAC (Eastern Venezuelan Activities Conference) events with schools in El Tigre, Maturin, and Puerto La Cruz. CEIA takes pride in our participation in these events and we also feel they are an important part of a student’s learning. Parents are encouraged to attend these events.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:

After school acvtivities are very important for our students and parents. Some rules should apply to any extra-curricular activities sponsored by people and professionals who do and do not belong to our school:

a. Must have Director’s approval;b. All activities will take place during weekdays between 3:00 pm and 5:45 pm.c. No activity will take place during Saturday, Sunday, vacation, holidays, and

school breaks. There is an exception to this rule if the activity is sponsored by one of the teacher’s during a Saturday or Sunday and with the Director’s approval.

d. Only CEIA students and parents are allowed to participate in such activities. Direct family such as student’s brothers and sisters are allowed to participate.

e. Visitors and guests are not allowed during this time.f. Schools activities, events, and resources take precedent over any other

activity.g. With the Director’s approval, parents and students under their parent’s

supervision my use the school’s facilities during weekdays until 8:00 pm. Guests are not allowed during this time.

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FIELD TRIPSField trips are an important resource for student learning and often provide social as well as academic development opportunities. A class field trip or school-sponsored event is a required academic activity, and thus all students in effected classes are required to attend. Unless administrative approval is granted, non-attendance at a field trip will be considered an unexcused absence.

Hands-on, real world learning is an important part of the education at CEIA. To help accomplish this, elementary classes are encouraged to take local and overnight field trips and all secondary students are expected to participate in CEIA´s classes without walls. These spring odysseys are scheduled every year at the following:9th -12th grades. Model United Nations in Caracas ( November) and Model United Nations in the United States during the month of March.6th -12th grade- International Trip . The 2013-2014 academic field trip will be in the United States or Europe between April 7-18. The International field trip is NOT mandatory; however, students are highly encouraged to attend this field trip and teachers may give extra-credit assignments for the students who attend the field trip. The main objective of this field trip to fulfill our school’s mission.

Because the mandatory trips are learning opportunities, students that do not attend will be marked absent from school and do assignments at home. This work can only compensate and earn credit for up to 80% of what is learned by students on field trips with their class. The amount of credit that may be earned by a student who does not go to a field trip is determined by the teacher. Parents will be informed of the approximate cost of these field trips at least three months before the field trip by the teacher and or Director.

Students whose parents are in arrears in tuition payments by more than two months may not go on overnight or extended field trips, as these require some expense by parents, and it is considered that parents should first pay tuition before taking on the expenses for field trips. Parents should be advised that the school does not buy plane tickets or pay for hotel for students but only makes the reservations. If parents delay in purchasing the ticket and hotel it may cost more than the price paid by those who purchased immediately, as is generally the case for airline tickets and hotels, which get more expensive as the date for the trip draws closer and the airplane seats fill up. Where as parents are allowed to accompany their children during the elementary field trips, Middle and High School students will travel with the school official chaperons only. This a good way to promote our school mission, independency and responsibility to adolescents.

 PHYSICAL EDUCATION Physical education is a regular required class with a recorded grade. If a student dresses in proper uniform daily, participates to the best of their ability and maintains a positive attitude, they will be successful. With a less active generation of children, it is important that they participate to the best of their ability in P.E. daily.

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Uniform: All students must come to P.E. in clothes that are conducive to free movement.  Articles such as tennis shoes, sports shorts, tee shirts, sweats, warm-ups, etc., are acceptable. Sandals, jeans, skirts, dresses, etc. are considered unacceptable in physical education. Students will be given appropriate time to change into, and out of, acceptable clothing at beginning and end of class.

 

LANGUAGEThe language of instruction is English and our host country language is Spanish.  Spanish is

taught as a “second language” or as a “first language” depending on the student’s level of proficiency.  Limited “English as a second language (ESL)” support is provided in the classroom. The language of the cafeteria and play ground is English and students are directed to speak English at all times on campus.

SPEAKING ENGLISH IN CLASSEnglish must be spoken in any class where it is the language of instruction. Students are expected to speak only English in these classes, and if they speak Spanish or any other language but English without the teacher’s permission, their report card grade may be lowered. Students speaking a language other than English in class will be warned. On the second infraction in the same class period, a point will be deducted from their quarterly grade average in that class. There is no limit to the number of points that may be deducted, but if 5 or more points are to be deducted from the next report card grade, the teacher must contact and inform parents. With previous approval of the Director, teachers may use other strategies to motivate students to speak English in class, or punish the students who do not.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY CEIA provides generous holiday vacations, and it is expected that families are able to make their travel plans fit our schedule. When a student misses classes for any reason, this disrupts not only the student's academic progress, but negatively impacts the entire class. Students who are regularly present at school make more rapid progress. Please plan family vacations and visits ahead of time to avoid interruptions of your child's learning. All absences are tabulated to get the count of total days absent and any student selected to compete in Anazoátegui state, regional, national or international sports competition must try not be absent for any other reason . However, parents of student athletes who compete in multiple tournaments throughout the year are expected to keep all other absences to an absolute minimum.

CEIA recognizes two types of absences: Excused and Unexcused. Excused absences include those resulting from sickness and family emergencies. Other absences may be considered excused only if approved by the administration. If an absence is considered excused, then the student will be allowed to make up any missed work with no penalty, and if appropriate will be given additional time to complete projects, etc. All work must be complete prior to the end of the quarter. Final exam period is during the last week of the semester.

If a student is to miss school due to a parent scheduled event such as visa documentation in Caracas, annual visit to the US, athletic tournaments, etc. it will be the student’s responsibility to secure each of their teacher’s signature and assignments three days before the absence. The teacher signature form can be obtained in the Business Office.

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Unexcused absences are any absences that have not been approved by administration. If an absence is considered unexcused, then the student does not have the right to make up missed work or to receive additional time to complete projects, etc.All work must be complete prior to the end of the semester. Final exam period is during the last week of the semester. A family trip during the first or last week of the semester is not considered a valid excuse and all work must be completed prior to the trip.

 CEIA Board Adopted Attendance/Absences Policy4006:

1. “In a yearlong course, a student is required to attend class no fewer that 158 days (87.5%). If a student misses more than 22 class days (22.5%) excused absences included in any yearlong course, an “NC” grade is automatically recorded by the instructors. Exceptional cases may be presented to the Director in writing.

2. In a semester long or alternate day course, students who miss more than 15 class days, (excused absences included) will receive the NC notation from their instructor(s). Exceptional cases may be presented to the Director in writing.

3. Once the student receives a NC for the year only the Board of Trustees, under extenuating circumstances, may reverse the decision.

4. Students that have missed a class day or a part of a class day should bring a note to the school secretary or the Director’s designee immediately upon arrival to school, whereupon they will be issued a pass for admittance to class and will be allowed to make up work. In the case of unexcused absences, any work due will be marked late, and assessments missed may not be made up. If possible, parents are asked to call the Director if their child is out sick that day, thus making it easier for the student to make up work upon their return to school.

PROMPTNESSPlease ensure your child is in school on time to begin work at 8:00 a.m. daily. Any student not in the first period classroom by 8:00 is considered late to school, whether or not the student arrived at school before 8:00. Repeated tardiness is disruptive to all concerned. Consequences for students in grades 2-8 who are repeatedly late to school are as follows:

3rd tardy in a quarter to school or 3rd tardy to class in a quarter with any given teacher, lunch detention is assigned, with administrator or teacher assigning the detention responsible for supervising (looking in on) the student.

4th tardy to school or class in a quarter, no less than one hour of Saturday School assigned. Parents contacted by administrator or teacher assigning the consequence.

5th tardy or more to school or class in a quarter, no less than two hoursd of Saturday school is assigned for each additional tardy (e.g.: a total of three hours for the 6th tardy). At least one parent and/or legal guardian must have a meeting with the Director before the student may go back to classes. If students do not show up for an assigned Saturday School the time to be served will be doubled. With a valid parent excuse presented in writing at least one day in advance of the assigned Saturday School session, students may be permitted to postpone only one assigned Saturday School per school year. The student may be assigned in-school or out-of-school suspension instead of Saturday School for non-attendance at Saturday School or according to the

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severity and specific circumstances of the case, or if the parents choose out of school suspension instead of the Saturday School. Students will not be allowed to make up for any missed work if out of school suspension is chosen by the parents.Parents are responsible for on-time drop-off and pickup of their students for assigned Saturday School.Consequences for students in grades Pre-Kinder to grade 1 who arrive late to school are as follows: 4th tardy in a quarter, parents are contacted by the teacher. 5th tardy in a quarter, the student will not be accepted into class for the day, and the absence counts toward the total of 22 absences allowed in the school year.

CUTTING CLASSStudents who cut class during the school day will have to make up for the time lost with an equivalent time in Saturday School.

LEAVING SCHOOL4007:

1. “No student shall be permitted to leave school before the end of the regular school day without approval of the Director or his/her designee.

2. Students shall not be permitted to leave school on requests signed by a person other than parents or guardians. “

Course of action: 1. Parents or guardians must complete and submit a “Student Absence Request” form

the Business Manager 48 hours before to the date of student’s absence. 2. Students are not permitted to leave school before the end of the regular school day

without permission, in writing from the Director.

Please feel free to contact the Director if you have any questions concerning CEIA ’s attendance policy.

SCHOOL PROPERTYStudents are expected to respect school property at all times. Any damage to lockers, textbooks, school supplies or other school property will be billed directly to the parents. Damaged or lost books must be paid for before a replacement is issued. Parents and students are advised that the school will withhold all records, grades and transcripts until all accounts for damaged or lost property (including library fines), as well as outstanding fees and tuition are settled. THIS POLICY WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.

 DISCIPLINE

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Effective teaching and learning cannot take place in an undisciplined environment. Subsequently, no child will be allowed to disrupt the learning environment of other children. Individual classroom teachers will be expected to handle minor discipline problems. CEIA administration will handle major or continuous discipline problems. The appropriate teacher will inform parents of minor discipline problems and solicit their suggestions to help resolve any problem. The administration will work with the student, teacher and parent in an attempt to help the student get back to normal classroom routine.The administration will also handle major and continuous minor discipline problems. In-school and Out-of-school suspensions as well as expulsion from school are possible consequences of major and unresolved continuous minor discipline problems. Absences resulting from disciplinary action are considered unexcused and could have serious negative effects on a student’s learning and grades.  Safety and security of our students is most important.  It is essential that we all work together to ensure a safe environment for all our students. We do not tolerate hitting, shoving, pushing, or any other form of overt violence form one student to another. Any student who engages in such an activity will be in danger of suspension and expulsion.

A school is a community. All communities have common goals and ways of ensuring everyone is safe and productive.

CEIA operates on the premise the EVERY ACTION HAS A CONSEQUENCE, and that we are all responsible to create an environment conducive to learning.Student behavior will be governed by these four statements about living and working together:

BE PRODUCTIVE BE CARING BE SAFE BE YOUR BEST

Our goal for students is continuous movement toward greater self-control in exercising freedom of choice. A high standard of behavior is expected of all students at CEIA. Students and staff value a strong sense of community and place great importance on honesty, respect, and trust. We feel that one of the primary goals of the school is to foster and enhance these values among all members of the school community.

We assume that all students will: Treat each other with courtesy, respect, and understanding Treat the property and personal belongings of others and school property with

courtesy and respect Not engage in disruptive behavior in the classroom, halls, or in common assemblies Use appropriate language with fellow classmates, and teachers Report to class on time, with the appropriate materials Report to school in the CEIA uniform

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Occasions will arise when teacher and/or administrator intervention is appropriate. All disciplinary matters will be handled according to the following procedures, and depending on the nature of the incident, may be handled at any "intervention level":v

Action Team Possible Consequenceslst Level Intervention Student/teacher discussion Detention Parent Notification

Student sent to Headmaster

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CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

2nd Level Intervention Student/Teacher/Headmaster Detention Elementary Discusssion 1 hr. Sat. School. (Sec.)

Parent Notification

Student sent to Headmaster3rd Level Intervention Student/Teacher/Headmaster/ Parent Contract Child Study Team Conference Suspension/ 3 hrs. Saturday School

When a student is separated from class and sent to the principal for the third time, he/she will be assigned 3 hours Saturday School or suspended for at least one day. Teachers will make a written report each time a student is separated from class.

Final Intervention Student/Teacher/ Expulsion Parent/Headmaster Board of Directors Notified

Detention/Saturday School will be supervised by a member of the secondary faculty or administration staff. Parents will be notified at least one day in advance if their son/daughter has been assigned to a detention or Saturday School. The Director will also be notified of all detentions and Saturday School assigned. Teachers should keep an anecdotal record of all infractions involving the assignment of detentions, Saturday School or suspensions. Saturday School begins at 8:00 a.m. Students who are late to Saturday School will have double the time of tardiness added to the time to be served. For example, student serving one hour who arrives at 8:10 will stay until 9:20 a.m. The assignment of Saturday School may be substituted for in-school or out-of-school suspension for non-attendance at Saturday School or according to the specific circumstances of each case.

Teachers will keep an anecdotal record of all disciplinary interventions/consequences assigned.

Child Study Team conferences are held as needed by the academic team, to discuss students who are considered "at-risk" of academic failure, or in violation of the CEIA Behavior code.

More Serious Behavior IssuesOccasionally, the school is faced with more serious disciplinary issues and it is important that parents and students know our position on these matters, and the consequences that will ensue from infractions. The following offenses will be treated at the 3 rd level of intervention:

Insubordination, threats, or verbal abuse towards a teacher or staff member Fighting, disrupting classes, or damaging school or personal property Conduct seriously endangering the safety of oneself or others Theft and vandalism Unexcused absences (truancy) Cheating on tests, examinations, assignments or homework as well as the

plagiarizing of material from secondary sources In-school possession or use of tobacco or alcohol, or being under the influence of

alcohol during a school activity. Sexual or physical harassment

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

Verbal, Sexual and Physical HarassmentCEIA shall be a safe, secure academic environment for all students and staff members. Any repeated unwanted verbal or physical abuse, sexually explicit derogatory statements, sexually discriminatory remarks, or sexually explicit written or visual material which is offensive or objectionable to the recipient, causes the recipient discomfort or humiliation in school or which interferes with the recipient’s performance in school is considered harassment. This behavior, occurring in school or out of school, is prohibited and may result in suspension or expulsion.

Consequences of InfractionsAny student who engages in the actions above (More Serious Behavior Issues) can expect to be assigned Saturday School or suspended from school for a period based on the seriousness of the issue, or past infractions. No student will be suspended from school without an opportunity to present his/her case to the Director.

Disciplinary ActionDisciplinary matters more serious than routine infractions will be handled by the Director. Violations leading to detention will be reported and assigned by the individual teacher. These will be served after school. A student guilty of one of the major violations listed above may be suspended from school for a period of up to two weeks, but generally for a week or less, depending on the seriousness of the issue.

SuspensionA student who is suspended may receive a zero (0) for all class work and may not be allowed to make up any missed assignment or test. The parents may be called in for a conference, and a letter regarding the suspension will be placed in the student's file. If no further disciplinary actions take place during the following four quarters (including the present quarter), the note will be removed from the file. A student may not participate in after-school activities on a day he/she is suspended.

ExpulsionA student will be liable for expulsion for committing acts of extreme gravity (in-school possession of weapons, explosives, or illegal drugs, intentional causing of grievous harm to another member of the school community, physical attack on a staff member, illegal or immoral behavior in the community or on the Internet which damages the reputation of the school and/or its students or personnel, hacking into restricted files on the school server, repeated verbal, sexual or physical harassment of another person) or upon accumulating four suspension letters in his/her cumulative folder during any period of four consecutive academic quarters during the same school year or over two consecutive school years. If the fourth suspension in four consecutive quarters does not involve a serious offense and occurs in the fourth quarter of an academic year, the student may be allowed to finish out the school year but will not be permitted to re-enroll at CEIA for the following school year.

When the student has three notifications of suspension accumulated in his/her cumulative folder, the Child Study Team should meet to formulate a plan of recuperation, the main objective of which is to plan for change of the behavior(s) that are getting the student in trouble. The Child Study Team is made up of the Director, teacher(s), parents, and guidance personnel and/or any relevant specialist.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

If, in the opinion of the Director, a violation of school rules and decorum meriting expulsion arises, or the student accumulates four suspensions in four consecutive quarters, a recommendation regarding expulsion will be submitted to the Board of Directors for a final decision.

POLICY ON CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM In line with CEIA core values , the teaching staff and administration of CEIA believes in the fundamental importance of academic honesty. Accordingly, CEIA staff will:

Teach specific lessons to all grades on the importance of honesty in student academic work.

Teach students specific skills in research and writing including citing references, quoting from sources, paraphrasing.

Have clear consequences for cheating and plagiarism in student academic work.

The consequences for cheating and plagiarism during any school year are as follows:For cheating or copying on homework: 0 on the work. 2nd offense: 0 and notify parents. 3rd

offense: suspension from school.For cheating on a test, term paper or quiz: 0 on the test, term paper or quiz, notify parents and/or up to 5 days suspension. 2nd offense: 0 on the test, term paper or quiz, parent conference, and up to 5 days suspension from school. 3rd offense, 5 or more days suspension from school, F for the quarter in that subject. Students may not make up work missed while suspended for cheating. 4th offense: suspension from school and denial of the privilege of enrollment in CEIA for the following school year. If a student hacks into privileged or restricted files on the server ( or faculty and staff files)in order to cheat, he/she may be recommended for expulsion, and at a minimum will be denied re-enrollment in CEIA for the following school year.

THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

A fully developed curriculum based on the Virginia Standards of Learning and McRel standards and benchmarks is being implemented in all grades emphasizing

Grades K-5 an inquiry approach to learning emphasizing the importance of asking

good questions rigorous attention to basic skills and content integration of subjects, where meaningful and productive teaching for deep understanding performance assessment

Secondary School

The secondary school at CEIA is a rich learning community comprised of students with a variety of academic needs. It is the goal of the secondary school to create an academic program that will challenge all students and to provide them with an opportunity for success and the ability to maximize

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

their potential as learners.

We feel that students have important responsibilities in this regard and we, as a school, expect the following from all students:

to perform at the highest academic level of which they are capable to value thinking and learning and to be open to new ideas to come to class prepared and with assigned work completed to value class time and to make the best use of it to respect the rights and opinions of others within the classroom to conduct themselves in a spirit of honesty and fair play with all

members of the school community

Grades 6-8 Students will receive instruction in 5 separate core subject areas - English, Social Studies, Science, Spanish and Math. They will also receive instruction in PE, Computers, Venezuelan Social Studies and Writing Laboratory.

The outstanding features of this curriculum are: plans which describe to students learning outcomes, key learning

experiences and major assessments for each unit of study, with emphasis on performance assessment.

development of higher level thinking skills a strong emphasis on the 'real-life' context of both skills and content planned integration, where appropriate rigorous attention to essential work habits criteria-driven development of knowledge, skills and attitudes

performance assessment learning community studies to provide team-building and cooperative-

learning skills

Grades 9-12During the 2011-2012 school year, Grades 9-12 will be following courses in English, Spanish, History, Math, Science, Computers, Venezuelan Social Studies, PE and electives including Writing, Model U.N., Forensics, and Art. Pre-Military Education and Psychology are offered as electives for students wanting to get the Venezuelan Bachillerato. These courses will be internally devised and internally assessed.

The outstanding features of this curriculum in Grades 9-12 are:

attention to each student's individual needs development of key skills including writing, reading,

speaking/discussion, problem-solving analysis performance assessment

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

strong content base and emphasis on deep understanding

Some grade 12 courses may be taken on-line (Virtual High School) or via any other U.S. or internationally accredited correspondence courses, depending on the availability of appropriate teaching resources at CEIA. Because these courses represent an additional cost for the school, if the student fails the correspondence or on-line course or drops out after the no-penalty withdrawal period, he or she must reimburse this cost to the school. Students must also pay for VHS courses that are additional to their normal school course load (for example, if they want to take a math or science course in addition to the math or science course they are already taking as part of their normal daily schedule, and which is not required for graduation from CEIA).

At the end of Grade 12, CEIA will issue a High School Diploma to each student who has completed the course of study.

The courses include the following features:

development of key skills - writing, problem-solving, discussion, analysis - to a world-class secondary school standard

Virginia Standards of Learning and McRel (www.mcrel.org) standards as the criteria for academic expectations

Attention to the individual profile of each student to ensure optimum progress/success

In order to be eligible for the Venezuelan bachillerato, CEIA high school students should speak to the counselor, who will advise them on which electives they must take, which include Educación Premilitar, Psychology, one year of Art, and Physics in the twelfth grade.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PROMOTION

While many academic and social/emotional factors will be taken into account to determine non-

promotion, if a student receives F as a yearly average in two or more major subjects (English,

Spanish, Math, Science, Social Studies), that student will generally not be promoted to the next

grade. In grades 9 through 12, depending on the number of graduation credits accumulated, a

student may go on to the next grade if he/she receives only one, or at times under special

circumstances, up to two F’s as a yearly grade in a major subject, but all courses that receive

failing grades that are required for graduation must be made up by taking Virtual High School or

University of Nebraska-Lincoln correspondence courses or any equivalent course from an

institution with U.S. Regional Accreditation. Arrangements for and completion of these make-

up courses are the student’s responsibility, and proof of completion must be submitted before

graduation. . The final decision concerning the retention or promotion of a student in any grade rests with the Director.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To receive a graduation diploma from CEIA, students will need to complete specific course requirements. Individual counseling will be available to high school students to ensure graduation requirements can be met. Over 4 years, students will normally receive at least 24 credits in order to fulfill CEIA graduation requirements. Recommended college (US) preparatory programs require 18 - 24 credits. One year of study is the equivalent of one credit. CEIA recommended credit distribution is as follows:

English 4 years (1 credit/year)Math 4 years (1 credit/year)Science 4 years (1 credit/year)Social Studies (North American Program) 4 years (1 credit/year)Second Language 4 years (1 credit/year)PE 4 years (0.4 credit/year)Arts 4 years (0.4 credit/year)Additional Subjects 4 years (0.6 credit/year)

A. In order to graduate from CEIA, students will:

1. complete a minimum of 24 credits in grades 9 – 122. complete a minimum of four credits in English and three credits each in Math,

Science and Social Studies-North American Program. Math credits must include Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II, or the equivalent as determined by CEIA. Science credits must include Biology and Chemistry. Social Studies credits must include U.S. History.

3. complete at least one credit of Spanish and 0.4 credits (2 periods per week for the entire year) of Venezuelan Social Studies for each year of High School enrolled at CEIA.

4. be enrolled in at least five (5) academic courses each term of each year of High School enrolled at CEIA.

B. Grade Level Placement Requirements

The number of credits suggested to be classified as grades 9-12 are:Grade 9 0 - 5 credits

Grade 10 6 - 11 credits

Grade 11 12 - 17 credits

Grade 12 18 or more credits

Final grade placement will be determined by the CEIA administrative team and admissions personnel.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

C. Transfer Students

Students transferring to CEIA at the Secondary School level must meet all graduation requirements in order to receive a secondary school diploma. The extent to which secondary school courses taken previous to enrollment at CEIA are accepted in meeting graduation requirements will be evaluated by the CEIA administration and faculty on an individual basis. This evaluation may take place only when official transcripts have been received.

Students transferring from CEIA to other international schools or back to their home country will be given the following items to facilitate their transfer:

official CEIA transcript

official letter from the Director

Families are asked to contact the future school to determine if more information is needed

QUALITY WORKAll students are expected to make their best effort and produce the highest quality work possible. Excellence is not an option reserved for the best. It is the standard we will all be working toward.

GRADING SYSTEMAssessment is an integral part of the school's curriculum, providing information to improve teaching and learning. Accordingly, assessment should chronicle student development and evaluate subject mastery through a variety of strategies, applied in a consistent and uniform fashion. Collaboration between teacher and students should serve to clarify assessment criteria and outcomes, fostering accountability, self-evaluation, and responsibility on the part of all involved in the learning process.

The faculty at CEIA believes that maintaining a consistently high standard of academic work is essential for student success. It is important that students and parents are made aware of these expectations, and that they are consistently implemented throughout the school year.

Grades Pre-k to 1 uses the EGSUIP method of grading (see below) to report academic skills.

Grades 1 through 5 use the following system to indicate student effort and to show progress in specific skills:

E ExcellentG GoodS SatisfactoryU UnsatisfactoryIP In Progress (insufficient to assign a grade).

Grades 2 through 5 use the following grading system:

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

A 90- 100 (excellent)B 80 - 89 (above average)C 70- 79 (average)D 60 - 69 (passing, but below average)F Below 60 (failing)IP In Progress (only with the Director’s approval)

CEIA applauds success. Students in Grades 2-5 whose grades are all A’s and/or B’s and no IP’s at the end of a marking period will be awarded recognition on the Honor Roll. Those students whose grades are all A’s with no IP’s will be awarded recognition on the High Honor Roll.

The grade descriptors are as follows:A - work of excellent quality, which:

shows excellent understanding of ideas, topic, and task provides clear evidence of detailed study clearly and completely explains, with examples to support conclusion, where

appropriate has few, if any, technical errors where appropriate, has a good personal response/critical voice incorporated is organized and clearly presented

B - work of good quality, which: shows a good understanding of ideas, topic, and task provides evidence of detailed study is clearly and fully explained, with appropriate attempts made to support conclusion. has no major technical errors contains some personal response/critical voice, where appropriate is organized and clearly presented

C - work of satisfactory quality, which: shows a fair understanding of ideas, topic, and task provides evidence of consistent study is reasonably well-written and organized; providing some examples, where

appropriate is mostly technically accurate shows the beginnings of a personal voice, where appropriate is clearly presented

D - work that has potential but needs attention, which: has some fundamental weaknesses in understanding of ideas, topic, and task shows some study but needs additional attention or and time allocated to it has some well-conveyed discussion, but could be improved in organization and

expression contains many technical inaccuracies has no or little sense of personal response, where appropriate lacks organization and is poorly presented

F - work that is disappointing, which: shows no or very little understanding of ideas, topic, and task has little or no evidence of study is poorly organized and written may contain many technical errors may be poorly presented

Teachers will at times, derive a grade from using percentages as well, depending on the student task, assessment plan and subject area, as follows (Grades 6-8):

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

Grade Percent A+ 100 - 97A 96 - 94A- 93 - 90B+ 89 - 87B 86 - 83B- 82 - 80C+ 79 - 77C 76 - 73C- 72 - 70D+ 69 - 67D 66 - 63D- 62 - 60F (no credit) 59 – 00IP In Progress

CEIA is pleased to recognize student successes in the academic area. A student who receives all A’s on the report card will be awarded recognition on the High Honor Roll. Honor Roll recognition will be given to students whose grades are all B’s or A’s with no C’s, D’s, F’s, or IP’s in the report card.

HOMEWORK

CEIA believes that regular and demanding homework is essential for academic achievement. Students in all grades 1-5 can expect to have homework several times a week, and nightly in grades 6-12.

Homework will be assigned to complement daily class work, or ongoing project work. Homework marks will contribute to overall student grades; the ratio of which will vary according to specific subject demands. Homework may or may not be assigned every night, according to the demands of the curricula. Timely completion of homework is essential, and late assignments will not gain full marks. Projects and exams/assessments will be announced and articulated by the faculty in order to avoid overloading a student's daily workload. We encourage all students to maintain a homework diary every day. At times, parents will be asked to confirm completion of daily assignments on a homework log provided by CEIA. It is a student's responsibility to find out and complete homework missed due to an absence of any nature.

Although total times will vary depending on assignment, level, class and time of year, and academic differences between students, we feel a student should be engaged in school-related work outside of the classroom at least an average of 10 minutes of homework multiplied by their grade level. For example: a nightly average of 10 minutes of homework in first grade, twenty minutes in second grade, and fifty minutes in fifth grade. Teachers may exceed these averages, and are encouraged to share the reasons for requiring more homework with parents.

In secondary school, amount of time dedicated to homework on a nightly basis will vary from student to student, depending on academic skills and speed of execution, but general averages are as follows:

Grades 6-8: One to one-and-a-half hours per evening

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

Grades 9-12 Two to three hours per evening

HOW WILL I KNOW HOW MY CHILD IS DOING?

Report CardsYour child will receive a written report card four times during the year (see School Calendar for exact dates).CEIA utilizes a continuous assessment approach, which means that all homework, class work, projects, tests and other exhibitions of learning will be reflected in each written report.

Remember please that we are a small school with a highly individualized program.  Students are taught and assessed according to where they are in their growth and development.  In any given grade, within the range of standards/learning set for that grade, individual students may have different learning targets and different expectations for certain work.  Our goal is a steady progress from the current level of mastery and understanding to a higher level, which stretches the student through appropriate teaching and activities.

Progress Reports Progress reports are sent home any time in between report cards for students who are:

showing excellent or improved progress not showing progress or are at risk of not successfully completing the year.

Formal Parent-Teacher ConferencesThese are scheduled four times per year, at the beginning of each quarter for parents to speak to each of their child's teachers. Appointments are scheduled through the main office. Parents should not, however, hesitate to contact a teacher or the Director at any time regarding a student's progress.

Informal Parent-Teacher ConferencesParents are encouraged to call and schedule meetings when they have any concern at all regarding their child's progress. Teachers will also initiate parent meetings whenever they see serious problems developing in a student's attitude, work habits, or work products. Parents should only contact the Director about a student problem after thoroughly exploring solutions with the teacher, and following that, with the secondary or elementary coordinator if applicable. Only after taking those steps would it be appropriate to contact the Director if no mutually acceptable solutions to the problem have been found.

Interim ReportsOccasionally an additional report may be required to gather data about a particular issue or problem. This report may be at the request of the parent, any one of the student's teachers, or the Administration.

REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ELIGIBILITYAcademic endeavor and good behavior takes precedence over involvement in extra-curricular events. Therefore, it is the school’s policy that a student must be in good standing to represent CEIA in any extra-curricular program. Any student wishing to participate in any school-sponsored extra-curricular program, including athletics, drama, academic competition, student government, forensic competition, etc., must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. No more than one report card grade less than 70% during the quarter immediately

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

preceding the activity. (Includes the fourth quarter of the previous year for first quarter eligibility of the next year.).

2. No disciplinary problems during the quarter immediately preceding the activity (Includes the fourth quarter of the previous year for first quarter eligibility of the next year)

3. Approval of the activity’s sponsor/advisor.

If quarter grades are below the specified limits but a student has made notable academic improvement since the end of the last quarter, he or she may get permission to participate in a specific sport or activity by having his/her teachers fill out an eligibility sheet. It is the student’s responsibility to take the eligibility sheet around to all teachers and follow up to make sure the sheet is completed, without putting any undue or inappropriate pressure on teachers to permit eligibility.

ACADEMIC PROBATIONStudents in grades 6-12 who have a GPA below 1.6 in the core academic subjects (English, Math, Social Studies, Science and Spanish) for three or more quarters during the year will not be allowed to re-enroll in the next grade for the following school year.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

On Wednesdays following the end of formal classes, a variety of activities are available to students. A full schedule of these activities along with details of enrollment will be distributed during the first weeks of school. Activities run from 3:00 – 3:45 p.m. for grades one through twelve. Wednesday activities are mandatory for all students.

DAY CARE

Hours of Operation/Schedule

Day Care is open year-round (except listed holidays) from 8:00 am to 11:45 am. Monday through Friday

AbsencesIf your child will be absent from the Center for any reason you must call and let someone in the office know.

Arrivals & DeparturesChildren may not enter or leave the Center unless accompanied by an adult (an individual at least 18 years of age-per TDHS). Please be sure that a staff member is fully aware (per verbal communication) that your child is arriving or leaving. Upon arrival, please be sure a

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

staff member is fully aware (per verbal communication) that your child is arriving or leaving. These times can get chaotic when there are several families arriving all at once, so for the safety of all please verbally communicate with the staff member on duty to ensure that your child is being signed-in or signed-out. The Center is required to maintain daily attendance records. These 'Sign-In & Sign-Out Attendance Sheets' are extremely important to ensure that all children are present and safe throughout the day and during evacuation drills as well. We ask that if you have more than one child in the center that you pick-up the youngest first or drop off the youngest last.

****Parents may not use cell phones during drop-off or pick-up***** If you need to use the phone do so outside the Center before or after coming onto Day Care.

Arrival Time ****Your child must be in their room by 8:00am***** For the convenience of our parents, the Center opens daily at 7:30 am. Depending on their age, children may need to be dropped off in rooms other than their assigned class, since teachers have different starting times. We ask parents to bring children to the Center no later than 9:00 am each day they attend. There are several important reasons for this, all of which involve the welfare and happiness of all the children. 1. Many of the most important activities of each day take place during the morning hours starting at 9:00 am. Children who skip some of these activities because of their late arrival often "miss out" on a favorite play period, circle time, story time, or art project

2 When children arrive late it is a disruption for the other kids that are focused on a project or in the middle of circle time. These morning hours usually include planned group activities, which are important in helping children develop social skills and abilities involving interaction with their peers as well as self-discipline. If you expect to bring your child to class late, please make arrangements with the teacher prior or contact the Center ahead of time. It is difficult for our teachers to properly plan and conduct their classes if children are allowed to "drop-in" at any time.

Saying "Goodbye" (Separation) To help achieve the goal of allowing your child to become independent, emotionally healthy, and well adjusted, we recommend the following practices with children age two and older: *If possible, children should be walked in, not carried *Present your child to the teacher on arrival. The greeting between teacher and child is invaluable. Many things about the child's health and state of mind can be determined in that brief time and nothing should interfere with it. The teacher will then help the child join into classroom activities. *Goodbyes at school should be part of a normal, everyday routine every child goes through. Separation should be sweet and brief, with reassurance about the planned pick-up time. *Parents should encourage children to make friends with the teachers and look forward to being at school without feeling guilt or disloyalty to a parent.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

Discipline & GuidanceThe Center has a philosophy of positive guidance, incorporating creative teaching and involvement to help children develop self-discipline and inner control over their actions. It is based on mutual respect and an understanding of children's needs and development. Positive guidance uses redirection, verbalization of misunderstandings, consistency, and acceptance of feelings, firmness, and fairness. Children are encouraged to express their feelings verbally as well as to discuss and resolve conflicts rather than 'act out' their feelings. In certain situations, a brief 'quiet time' may be used to allow a child to calm down and recover self-control before resuming group activities. This time is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child's age.

Aggressive Behavior All children need to be able to participate in Day Care planned activities and be able to follow simple directions. As with all aggressive behaviors parents are notified with each incident. Aggressive and hurtful behavior includes, but is not limited to: biting, hitting, kicking, pushing, and pinching. Such behavior is not appropriate. We will use every appropriate method to help children control their behavior: Step One: Teacher/Director Coaching the child and contact with the parent. Step Two: Director, Teacher, Parent Conference make suggestions. Step Three: Second Conference at which time the parent maybe asked to find alternate childcare.

Based on the extent of the aggressive behavior and circumstances, the child may not be at the Day Care for a period between one day to 20 business days/working days.Any or all of the steps may be skipped or omitted as deemed appropriate, based on the extent of the aggressive behavior and circumstances. The parents agree that the Director has the final say regarding disciplinary issues and placement in the Day-Care.

TERMINATION POLICIES

We reserve the right to terminate a child for the following reasons (but not limited to):

Failure to pay Routinely late picking up your child Failure to complete the required forms Lack of parental cooperation Failure of child to adjust to the center after a reasonable amount of time Physical or verbal abuse of any person or property Our inability to meet the child's needs Lack of compliance with handbook regulations Serious illness of child

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

Aggressive behavior of the child ( biting, hitting, etc)

Clothing and Personal BelongingsChildren's clothing should be comfortable, allowing complete freedom of movement, washable, and suitable for daily indoor and outdoor activities. Since children spend time outdoors almost every day, parents should consider weather conditions when planning daily dress. To encourage development of independent bathroom skills, children's clothing should be easy for them to manipulate with a minimum of assistance. Children must wear shoes which are practical as well as comfortable. Sandals and flip-flops are prohibited. Girls should wear shorts under dresses and skirts. A complete change of clothing should be kept at the Center. Except for special items needed to smooth the transition from home, toys and personal belongings should remain at home. This will avoid lost possessions and hurt feelings. The Center will make reasonable efforts to safeguard children's personal belongings and clothing, but will not be responsible for lost or damaged items. Candy, gum, and money should never be brought. Everything that your child brings or wears to school should be permanently labeled. Candy, gum, and money should never be brought. Anything left at the center more than 30 days after termination of services will be discarded due to room space.

PartiesBirthdays and holidays are an especially exciting time for young children and the Center will be pleased to help your child celebrate with classmates and staff. Please discuss this with your child's teacher prior to the date. We must post any snack schedule changes 48 hours in advance.

Health & Medical PoliciesThe Center is required to have on file a physicians report verifying overall good health and required immunizations. Current information on immunization status must be maintained while the child is enrolled. If your child is behind on immunizations, the Center has the right to refuse care until they are current. The parent is still responsible for tuition during this time. Children are to be checked upon arrival each day for any visible indications of illness. If a child appears ill while at the Center, parents will be contacted and asked to pick up the child immediately. If the child remains at the Center after one hour has lapsed, a sick child care rate of Bs. 60.00 per hour will be due at pick-up. The main reasons for excluding children from the Center are: · An illness prevents the child from participating in routine activities; · An illness requires more care than the staff can provide without compromising the needs of the other children in the group; · A child's presence poses an increased risk to others with whom the child may come in contact.

The Center cannot admit any child appearing to be sick without a written statement from a doctor or registered nurse certifying no contagious disease is present. · Children should be kept at home when they meet the following exclusion criteria: · Rectal temperature of 38 or higher or underarm temperature of 37,5 or higher, in the past 24 hours.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

· Conjunctivitis ('pink eye'), redness of the eye and/or lids, usually with yellow discharge and crusting. · Bronchitis, which begins with hoarseness, cough, and a slight elevation in temperature. The cough may be dry and painful, but gradually becomes productive. · A rash you cannot identify which has not been diagnosed. · Impetigo: red pimples, which become small vesicles surrounded by a reddened area. When blisters break, the surface is raw and weeping. Look for signs in neck, creases, groin, underarms, face, hands, or edge of diaper. · Diarrhea three or more times within 24 hours (watery or greenish BM's that look different and are more frequent than usual). · Vomiting within 24 hours (more than usual 'spitting up'). · A severe cold with fever, sneezing, and nose drainage. · An unknown illness without obvious symptoms other than unusual paleness, irritability, tiredness, or lack of interest. · A contagious disease, including measles, chicken pox, mumps, roseola, strep throat, etc. The Child must be clear of all symptoms for 24 hours before returning. (this means no Tylenol/Motrin during these 24 hours) While we regret the inconvenience caused by strict adherence to these guidelines, our concern for all the children dictates a very conservative approach when dealing with health matters. Because of conflicting medical opinions about the advisability of re-admitting children receiving treatment who still appear ill, the Center will err on the side of safety when making such decisions and ask for your tolerance and understanding. Should your child contact a contagious illness, please notify the Center immediately so other parents can be alerted to the possibility of exposure.Parents are encouraged to administer medication outside the Center. At the discretion of the Director, a Center staff member may administer medication, on a 'best efforts' basis. The Center and its staff accept no responsibility or liability for any error or omission regarding administration of medication. All medication must be furnished in the original prescription container, with an appropriate dispense, marked with the child's name, date, and directions for use; placed in a labeled plastic (zip-locked) bag, and handed to a staff member with a fully completed MEDICATION

In the event of an injury or medical emergency, trained staff will immediately administer first aid and notify a Director if further assistance is needed. If we believe the situation may call for parent involvement or professional medical attention, the Center will attempt to contact a parent or other authorized emergency contact. If the condition is serious, the Center will call 911 for an EMT response or will transport the child to a hospital Emergency Room.

Toilet TrainingWith cooperation from the parents, our program will help toilet train children. When the parents and staff agree that the child is ready for toilet training, they will discuss training methods that should be consistent between both at home and during child care times. Your child must be potty-trained to advance to the Pre-K classroom.

Saying "Goodbye" (Separation) - All Grades

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

To help achieve the goal of allowing your child to become independent, emotionally healthy, and well adjusted, we recommend the following practices with children age two and older: *If possible, children should be walked in, not carried *Present your child to the teacher on arrival. The greeting between teacher and child is invaluable. Many things about the child's health and state of mind can be determined in that brief time and nothing should interfere with it. The teacher will then help the child join into classroom activities. *Goodbyes at school should be part of a normal, everyday routine every child goes through. Separation should be sweet and brief, with reassurance about the planned pick-up time. *Parents should encourage children to make friends with the teachers and look forward to being at school without feeling guilt or disloyalty to a parent.

This process should take no more than one minute.

COMMUNITY SERVICECommunity service is expected of all CEIA students in age-appropriate activities. The school plans for providing opportunities for community service to students and emphasizes the importance of active citizenship. In grades 6-12, a minimum of 10 hours of community service per year are required, and actual community service hours rendered each year are listed on the student’s transcripts. The granting of community service hours depends on students and faculty advisors filling out the necessary paperwork, having it signed by the faculty advisor for the service project and turning it in to the school administrator.

A POSITIVE ATTITUDEA positive approach to daily work allows a child to maximize learning. We ask parents to join us in creating an enthusiasm and eagerness to learn, and to reinforce learning at home.

COME PREPAREDStudents should bring pencils, pens, paper, books, and other equipment such as rulers and calculators, to school as needed. Parents can assist by helping children to make lists, teaching them to check their school bags each morning before leaving for school, checking that their homework assignment books are up to date, etc..

SCHOOL TELEPHONEExcept in case of emergency, the school phone is not for student use because phone lines must be kept open for parents and community members to call. Students should see the Headmaster if they need to use the telephone after school and do not have a personal cell phone.

STUDENTS DRIVING TO SCHOOL

In order to be allowed to drive to school, a student must present a letter of parent authorization and a copy of his/her valid driver’s license to the school administration along with the original license to be examined and returned to the student. No student may leave

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

school grounds at any time in the car of another student without written authorization from his/her parent. The consequence for disobeying this rule is three days suspension from school for both students (driver/proprietor of the car and passenger), and should the infraction occur a second time during the school year, the Director will recommend expulsion for both students.

VISITORS

Closed CampusBecause of the need for campus security, CEIA is a closed campus for all students. Students having to leave school during the day for reasons of illness, doctors’ appointments or other emergencies need to bring a note from a parent to the office prior to the time of pick up and must be picked up by parents or their representatives. A student who has left campus may not return unless engaged in a legitimate after-school activity. Parents should note that CEIA is not responsible for students after 3:00 p.m. for students not participating in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity, after 4:00 p.m. for students involved in school-sponsored extracurricular activities, nor once they have left the school grounds. Students who receive regular, paid tutoring after school by CEIA staff are the responsibility of their tutors, who should not leave students unsupervised on campus until they are picked up by their parents or drivers. When students will be picked up by anyone not designated by their parents on the security form, the school needs a written note or e-mail with that person’s name and cédula or passport number, and the days or time period in which he/she should be permitted to pick up the student. Students will not be allowed to leave school premises during school hours (including the Wednesday extracurricular activities period) in the company of anyone but their parents without written notice from parents. In order to take students from school during regular school hours, the parent or person designated in writing by the parent must report in person to the receptionist to get a written pass. Once the pass is issued, the receptionist will call the classroom to request that the student come to the front office. The receptionist will not issue a pass to leave school for students who have called parents to report that they are sick without a written recommendation from the nurse that the student be allowed to leave school. At CEIA we recognize that schools are a place of work and learning. Certain limits must be set for parents and other district citizens who visit our school, classroom or work areas. The following rules apply to visitors to the schools: Anyone who is not a regular staff member or student of the school will be considered a

visitor. All visitors must report to the Receptionist upon arrival at the school. If all they need to

do is leave something (such as a lunch) for a student, it will be left with the receptionist. If they need to see an CEIA staff member they will be required to sign a Visitor’s Register and will be issued a visitor’s badge, which must be worn at all times while in the school or on school grounds. Access for vendors or other persons with commercial relations with CEIA will be limited to the administration building to see the business manager, headmaster, controller, and/or head of purchasing and maintenance unless accompanied by one of the above to other areas of the school.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

The Visitor’s Register will require the visitor to provide1. His/her name2. Time of arrival3. Purpose of visit4. Length of time expected to be on campus5. Cédula or other official I.D. (left in exchange for visitor’s badge)

Visitors attending school functions that are open to the public such as parent-teacher conferences or school events such as Halloween or the Thanksgiving Feast are not required to register.

Visitors wishing to see a teacher during the school day must have made an appointment previously by phone. At no time will they be allowed to enter a classroom to see a teacher while class is in session.

At no time will any visitor receive authorization to roam the campus without limits or at his/her free will.

No parents are allowed in the student areas during lunch and recess periods except by pre-arranged appointment.

Parents are not allowed to approach, talk, discipline, reprimand people’s children while visiting the school.

Visitors who interfere with classroom instruction, disrupt office activities, or interfere with the daily job responsibilities of school personnel will be asked to leave the school grounds immediately.

Visitors must refrain from giving directions or making evaluations of personnel or operational procedures during their visits.

If a school visit leaves a parent with a concern, this concern should be discussed with the school administration.

The above guidelines are designed to help CEIA maintain an orderly, respectful and secure educational environment for students and staff. We welcome the cooperation and understanding of all community members.

Access to school grounds shall be controlled by guards at the school entrance. During the first week of the new school year, the school shall request updated security information including contact names/numbers, persons authorized by parents/guardians to pick up students, and car makes, models and license numbers for those cars which will be issued the new access decal for the year. Access decals/signs shall be changed each year. Cars with the appropriate security decal will be allowed free access to school parking lots unless other conditions of the vehicle and/or its occupants arouse suspicion, in which case the car should be detained and the school administration contacted. Cars without the appropriate decal and all other arriving visitors will be asked to give their information to the guard including the party they wish to see, and the receptionist will be contacted for permission to pass. If permission is given, the visitor will be directed to the receptionist to be issued a visitors’ badge, and instructions with regard to access to the party in question. Visitors should not proceed directly to a classroom or other area in the school, nor interrupt classes in progress. The receptionist should be informed that the visitor is on the way. The visitor’s badge is to be surrendered upon leaving, in exchange for the visitor’s identification documents.

Visitors’ vehicles and all packages within them or carried in by visitors will be subject to search by CEIA security personnel upon entering and leaving. In cases where a “suspicious” vehicle is detained or denied access, the staging area for such a vehicle should be outside the main perimeter, off to the side, out of the direct path into the facility.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

Any cargo, and especially school equipment such as computers, sound systems, TV sets, etc., may not be taken from school grounds without written authorization from the Director. Incoming cargo should be checked so as to allow it to leave the premises if appropriate, and also to make sure that no unwanted material or substance enters the school compound. Trunks and bags will be searched for the reasons previously mentioned.

Parents and other persons calling to inquire about a student who cannot be readily identified by the receptionist should be asked to give the student’s cédula or passport number for verification. The receptionist shall maintain an updated student list including cédula and passport numbers, parents’ names, telephones and identification document numbers, and the names and I.D. numbers of persons authorized to pick up students.

Code yellow, green and red security alerts automatically deny access to incoming cars and individuals until the situation has been deemed secure

ATTENDANCE AND AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

A student who is not in school for at least one-half of the school day may not participate in any after-school activity on that day. Students who are suspended are not eligible to participate in after-school activities until the entire suspension has been served. Students must be picked up promptly after activities and in all cases before 3:45 p.m. No staff is available to supervise students left waiting at school for extended periods. Parents who leave their students at school after 3:45 p.m. may be charged an additional fee in order to pay the staff member assigned to supervise them. However, if a parent has an emergency and cannot pick up his or her student before 3:45 p.m., the parent must call in advance and notify the school. If this does not occur, the school accepts no responsibility for the supervision or well-being of the student after 3:45 p.m.

STUDENT LOCKERS

Students in Grades 7-12 will be issued a book locker and a combination lock. The lockers must be kept locked. Problems with lockers should be brought to the attention of the Principal. The lockers and combination locks are school property, and school authorities have the right to open and check lockers, as well as to assess students for damage to lockers. CEIA is not responsible for the safety of any items left in a school locker or anywhere else in the school.

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICESCell phones are very useful but should not be allowed to interfere with the educational mission of the school. They may be brought to school but must be turned off and put away during class time. Cell phones that are visible, ring or go off during classes will be confiscated. The first time this occurs, it will be given back to the student at the end of the day. The second time it will be given back to the parent upon request in person. The third infraction of this nature will result in the student not being allowed to bring a cell phone to school for the remainder of the year, which means that any cell phone in the possession of the student will be immediately confiscated. Cell phones with cameras are not allowed in bathrooms or dressing rooms and will be confiscated if this prohibition is not heeded. Students may not use cell phones to call parents to ask to be picked up during school hours. Parents must be called, if the student is sick or in case of emergency, through the school switchboard. Failure to observe this regulation will result in suspension of all cell phone privileges for the remainder of the year and will be cause for suspension of the student from school if the parent picks up the student without notifying the office, since this constitutes a serious breach of CEIA security regulations.

Unauthorized recording, showing or posting in the community or on Internet of photographs/videos of teachers or students taken in school is considered a serious offense and will be dealt with as a minimum 3rd level intervention. Electronic devices such as game boys or other hand-held personal entertainment devices are not allowed in school (unless authorized in writing by a teacher for a specific school-related event or activity) and will be taken away from the student by school personnel. The first time this occurs, it will be given back to the student at the end of the day. The second time it will be given back to the parent upon request in person. The third infraction of this nature will result in the device remaining in the possession of school authorities for the remainder of the year and being returned at the end of the school year to the parent upon request.

Cell phones with mp3 players, i-pods, etc., may be used with earphones only outside of class hours (before school, at break, lunch, and after school but not during participation in extracurricular activities). If music is played through the loudspeakers of the device or it is visible in class, it will be confiscated. The first time this occurs, it will be given back to the student at the end of the day. The second time it will be given back to the parent upon request in person. The third infraction of this nature will result in loss of the privilege of having a cell phone or mp3 player in school. This means that any cell phone or mp3 player in the possession of the student shall be confiscated immediately.

GAMES OF CHANCEGames of chance, except as part of an activity supervised by a teacher (for example, a mathematics lesson on probability) are not considered appropriate for an educational institution, hence they are not permitted on campus at CEIA.

Nursery Bathroom PolicyThe use of the bathroom with little or no assistance is something that we expect in Nursery. We know that “accidents” can happen, especially during the first few weeks of school. Due to this, we allow the students to adapt to the new environment and classroom routine for a period of a month, while they learn to use the bathroom in our room.After a month of being in school and learning the new routine, bathroom accidents should be minimal or nonexistent. The only “accident” we will be responsible for changing is wet pants in case the child was

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

unable to make it to the bathroom on time, as long as the incident is not a recurring event. However, if incontinence is a persisting issue, the parent will be called to change the student when accidents occur, and if no improvement is shown over time, the child will be sent home until he or she is completely potty trained. If your child is incontinent due to a temporary illness, please keep him/her at home. Do not bring the child into the classroom with pull-up diapers. Students should return to class when they are feeling well enough to use the bathroom alone.

CHALLENGED MATERIALSRecognizing that parents and teachers have the best interest of their children at heart and that certain literature may be inappropriate for some children, it is important that our school have a written policy detailing procedures for responding to challenged materials. A review committee consisting of two parents appointed by the P.T.A., two teachers appointed by Headmaster, will review and evaluate any challenged material and report their opinion of the suitability of the material in question. The committee may recommend unrestricted access to the materials, restricted access, or removing the materials from student contact. Within a period of a month, a response will be made by the Headmaster to the challenging party. The challenging party may not be a member of the review committee.

USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES AND RESOURCESThe community is encouraged to utilize the resources and facilities of the school. As the center of the English-speaking community, the facilities of the school are available to members and organizations of this community. Requests for the use of the school facilities must be submitted on the form of the same name to the Director for prior approval. Smoking and the drinking of alcohol are prohibited anywhere on campus.

A “Request for Use of School Facilities” form is available at the CEIA front desk and must be filled out for the School Director’s approval. The Director will then inform the Business Manager and Head of Maintenance who will proceed to schedule the activity and make all arrangements for access. The Board of Directors and administration would like the CEIA community to feel free to use the facilities under the following conditions:

1. Regular school activities have priority.2. Use of school facilities must have prior Director approval. 3. Any student group must have a responsible adult sponsor approved by the administration.4. The facility must be left clean and undamaged.5. The school assumes no responsibility for injuries to participants or spectators.6. No alcohol or tobacco should be used or displayed during the activity.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICYOur school buildings and grounds are a drug, alcohol and tobacco free area for students, staff and visitors. Any violation of this policy will result in immediate removal from the school grounds and in the case of students and staff, a Board review of their status as students or employees of the school. For purpose of this policy, school buildings and grounds do not include teachers’ houses or grounds immediately around them.A parent who wishes their child to take a prescription or over-the-counter drug must provide written instructions to the school office giving the name of the drug, when and how often it

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

is to be administered, and a copy of the prescription. All such drugs must be kept, distributed and consumed in the school office or nurse’s room.

SCHOOL EQUIPMENT/MATERIALSAll textbooks are to have identification numbers and will be assigned to students by those numbers. Students are responsible to return assigned textbooks in reasonable condition relative to which they were received. Students are responsible for repair or replacement of any school equipment and/or materials they break or damage through negligence. All charges for damaged or lost equipment/materials must be paid before report cards or transcripts will be released. Students will have a locker at school to store their books and personal items.

LUNCH Due to security and related concerns parents are not allowed to enter the CEIA campus during the lunch period. There will be assigned teachers to monitor the cafeteria and playground during the lunch period. A supervised playtime for elementary children takes place daily in Memorial Gymnasium.

SECURITY PROCEDURESWe at CEIA take the job of protecting our students, parents, faculty, and staff very seriously. Therefore, we request your cooperation with the following security policies:

The provided number for each automobile must be shown to the guards at the front gate or the automobile will not be allowed within the gate. The first copy is provided at no cost to the family. If the number is lost or damaged a fee of 50 Bolivares will be assessed.

No taxis will be allowed on campus between the hours of 7:00 am and 4:40 pm.

No student is allowed off campus without written permission from the parent and submitted to the Business Office.No student is allowed to leave campus in a taxi without express written permission and submitted to the Business Office. No student is allowed to leave in a vehicle other than the parent’s without express written permission and submitted to the Business Office. If a parent wishes to pull their child out of school before the final bell the parent must submit a written request to the Director before taking the child off campus.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASESStudents having a communicable disease shall be excluded from school attendance until such time as the School receives assurance that the student is no longer liable to infect others. The parents of the student are responsible for monitoring their children and we generally trust their judgment. The school will base decisions on respected doctors in the community.

DAMAGE OR LOSSES

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

All faculty, students and campus visitors must make full restitution for damages or losses for which they are responsible. Restitution may be made by payment at replacement cost or replacement in kind upon satisfaction of the Director. This restitution does not replace disciplinary action also deemed necessary by the Director.

COUNSELINGIn addition to regular counseling services related to personal and academic adjustments of students, school personnel shall provide information concerning vocational opportunities, scholarships, and admission requirements of advanced schools, colleges and universities. It is recognized that these services will be presented in a manner consistent with available resources of the school as determined by enrollment and financial factors. The school will also refer students to area specialists if we cannot provide a service or expertise.

SOLICITING FUNDSFunds may not be solicited with any association to the School from students or parents without prior approval of the Director. Campaigns to solicit funds shall possess an apparent educational value. All contributions must be voluntary and no child, parent or teacher shall be embarrassed or coerced in any way to contribute.

CEIA DANCES AND PARTIES

1. Birthday Celebration from Day- Care to Pre-kinder 4: Parties are allowed during school hours with the approval of the teacher and Director. Parents are responsible for the party’s organization and the cleaning afterwards.

2. Birthday Celebration from K-12: No classroom and instruction time should be used to celebrate birthdays or any other non-academic event.

3. SCHOOL RULES are in effect during school dances and parties. We expect students to show the same respect for school property and each other as they do during a regular school day. Alcohol, smoking, and drug use is prohibited.

4. CEIA students are permitted to bring guest(s) to the dance. These guests must be pre-registered by the end of the school day on the day of the dance. These guests are required to bring identification to the dance. They will not be admitted without identification. CEIA students are responsible for their guests for the entire evening.

5. The doors will open at 8:00 p.m. for entrance.

6. No one will be admitted to the dance after 9:30 p.m. No admissions fees will be returned to persons denied admission to the event because of late arrival.

7. Students are not permitted to leave campus and return back to the dance. Once students have left the dance they will not be re-admitted.

8. CEIA faculty reserve the right to inspect bags carried by students entering the dance.

9. Students demonstrating inappropriate behavior will be asked to leave the dance. In the event a guest is acting inappropriately, both the guest and their ea host will be

CEIA STUDENT / PARENT HANDBOOK 2011- 2012

asked to leave the dance.

10. All students and guests should arrange for drop off and pick-up at the School entrance.

Dances/parties will end promptly at 12:00 a.m. (Pick-up prior to 12:00 is fine!)