western academy of beijing a · mobile phones at school lost property home learning parents absent...

WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students AW e s t e r n A c a d e m y o f B e i j i n g

4 Welcome

5 Mission, Philosophy, Values, IB Learner Profile, FLoW21

9 Program Overview International Baccalaureate

Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) Assessment and Reporting Conferences International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) Information and Digital Literacy Library Services China Engagement

21 Transition Transition to Beijing Transition to WAB First Days at WAB

25 Developing Independence Playground Communication Expectations

Self-Management Skills Personal Items at School Mobile Phones at School Lost Property Home Learning Parents Absent from Beijing

29 Support Services Support Services at WAB A Model of Instruction at WAB Support Services Referral Process Specific Responsibilities & Roles of the Support Services

33 Student Services Student ID Cards

Food Services Transportation Health Services

Contents

54 WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students

Mission, Philosophy, Values, IB Learner Profile, FLoW21

WELCOME FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

Welcome to the Elementary School at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB).

The Elementary years at WAB are a special time in a child’s life. Students from all around the world come together to make friends and learn that people have different needs, abilities, values, cultures and beliefs. Most importantly, they learn to respect these differences. We are confident that WAB’s international community and its setting here in Beijing, China, will provide unique opportunities for students to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute positively within their own communities and, ultimately, to the world, both as children and as adults.

Our programming at WAB begins in our Early Childhood Center (ECC) where our Early Years are housed. Kindergarten through Grade 5 classes are located in our main ES building. Many of our valuable ES resources are shared across all levels, such as the Sabina Brady Library, the gymnasium and the aquatics center; additional WAB resources, such as Tiger Field, Tiger L’Air, the Peace Park and the Chinese Garden are also utilized by all.

Our teaching programs and curriculum at WAB give our students the chance to build upon their own prior experiences and to make new discoveries through further investigation. Through the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), student learning takes place in relevant contexts where clear goals and expectations are discussed and negotiated in order to engage and guide students as active participants in the learning process. Learning through meaningful and connected tasks using an inquiry-based approach requires our students to think, reflect, apply, analyze, problem solve and evaluate. These processes all require higher-order thinking skills that allow for application of learned concepts, the necessary tools for life-long learning.

Our teachers at WAB “Make a Difference” every day. They make special contributions to each child’s education and to their unique understanding of the world in which they live. We hire teachers who are experienced, dedicated, professional, and committed to student-centered learning opportunities. WAB teachers are constantly striving to learn and grow professionally to incorporate the best strategies for the effective engagement of all learners.

Families are an important part of our program. We value your input and support. Our door is always open, as it is our goal to create strong bonds between home and school. This handbook provides useful information for both students and parents. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time should you need any additional information.

Kindest Regards,

Angela Steinmann Nathaniel Atherton Jonathan Mueller Principal Assistant Principal Curriculum Coordinator

Welcome

ES HandbookEDITS.indd 4-5 2019/8/8 8:50 AM

22 WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students 23

TRANSITION TO WABAs with any international school, transition is a normal part of the life of WAB and all staff are aware of and monitor the impact of transition continuously. Between entering Early Years in the Early Childhood Center and leaving Grade 5, Elementary students experience a variety of physical, emotional, psychological, social, moral and intellectual developments. For many of our students it is also a time of transition to a new country, a new culture and for many, a new language. WAB recognizes the fundamental importance of carefully supporting Elementary students through each phase of transition.

WAB aims to support transition through a range of activities, including a comprehensive new student orientation program and parent workshops. Leaving WAB is an equally important time for transition support as arriving at the school, and the WAB Alumni Network (WAN) provides a way for students of all ages to maintain a connection to the school.

Teachers and counselors plan for transition at all stages of a student’s development in both formal and informal ways including:

• A common curriculum framework and language for learning across the school;

• A Learning to Learn Program for all grades at the start of each academic year, which is intended to support students academically, socially and emotionally as they enter their new grade and class;

• A formal transition program at the end of Grade 5 for students moving to Grade 6 in the Middle School;

• A full Unit of Inquiry devoted to the theme of Transition and Change in the final month of Grade 5;

• Information sharing and dialogue between Grade 5 and Grade 6 teachers;

• Parent information sessions for parents of students transitioning;

• A Community Picnic at the start of the school year;

• A Buddy Program for students joining the school;

• A transition program for arriving and leaving students, supported and led by the Elementary counselors;

• A China Engagement focus to the curriculum to encourage authentic connection to our host country, China.

TRANSITION TO BEIJINGMoving from one country to another is a life-changing experience. The process of transitioning into a new life, a new culture and new friendships can lead to conflicting feelings. We might feel exhilaration at the discovery of the new, and also a feeling of loss at what was left behind. Everybody experiences these mixed feelings during transition, no matter how experienced we might be in moving workplaces, schools and countries. Some people move through transition quickly, while others might take up to a year or longer to feel comfortable and fully “arrive” in their new country.

For yourself• Understand that people in your family may be transitioning at different rates;

• Be kind to yourself and to those around you;

• Try to look after yourself; keep an eye on your diet and make sure you get enough sleep;

• Exercise - you may not feel like it, but it is one of the best solutions to feeling stressed;

• Try to keep a sense of humor and look for the positives in every situation;

• When someone invites you to an event or suggests you give them a call – try it.

For your child • Children need special time with you during the early days of a new place;

• Try to identify your child’s special space where they feel most comfortable (it is often their bed). Set it up according to their desires (even if it doesn’t make sense at the time);

• Make a time every day where you do nothing but listen to your child. When they talk about their feelings, acknowledge them – don’t try to get them to feel differently. If they are identifying problems don’t step in and solve them but support them to come up with their own solutions. Children need to feel a sense of control over their new environment too.

For your family• Routine - try to re-establish positive family routines at home as soon as possible;

• Rituals - does your family have special celebrations, ways of doing things together or special meals together? Keep them going;

• Relationships - be kind to each other and recognize that the up and down emotions you may all be experiencing are a normal part of transition, and that they will pass.

FIRST DAYS AT WABTransition and change always bring feelings of uncertainty for all involved whether it be your first day at WAB or a change of class for existing students. WAB staff are very aware and skilled in managing the feelings and behaviors of students during this time. Parents may feel that by increasing their presence at school during this time, things will run more smoothly for their child. Research and experience tell us that in fact the opposite occurs, with the period and intensity of anxiety often increasing, sometimes resulting in behaviors from a student that can be difficult to manage.

WAB advises parents to:

• Model confidence and calm to children in both what is said and what is done;

• Keep farewells at school or the bus stop caring but brief;

• Keep visits to the school short and purposeful until the child has settled in;

• Advise teachers or counselors if the child or the family is struggling with transition.

TransitionTransition


support services Support Services

IndividualizedInstruction

Estimated 1-5%of studentpopulation

Strategic andTargeted Interventions

Estimated 15-20%of student population

Effective Classroom Instruction withDifferentiated Instructional Strategies


MODEL OF INSTRUCTION AT WAB

SUPPORT SERVICES AT WABAt WAB, we believe students learn best in a caring and inclusive environment. WAB’s Support Services model provides focused and targeted instruction to meet diverse student needs. We use a collaborative approach to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess so that students can learn in an inclusive environment with high expectations and high support.

The school’s philosophy is to help students reach their full potential as individuals in the global community. This collaborative approach allows all students to receive support, regardless of individual needs.

This service also aims to differentiate for students who demonstrate a specific need. The Support Services specialist confers with the homeroom teacher to discuss goals and content material to meet the individual learner’s needs. Our goal is to offer transparency in our programs to all stakeholders as appropriate. We look at each individual child’s needs at time of admission with a view of support.

A MODEL OF INSTRUCTION AT WAB Students receive support in the classroom from the homeroom teacher, the support services teachers, and teaching assistants. The staff members work together with students to assess, plan, and teach students. Each classroom and grade level uses a flexible menu of approaches, such as co-teaching models, in-class accommodations and strategies, and/or small groups to support the learning needs of students.


support. We also offer individualized support on a case-by-case basis. We track our students and have set procedures for documentation.

SUPPORT SERVICES REFERRAL PROCESS When there is a concern about a student’s learning a teacher or parent may ask for assistance. This concern may be about specific academic, social, emotional, or behavioral issues. The homeroom teacher and the student’s grade-level learning team develop a student support plan for that child and share it to get input from the parents.

The identification of students’ learning needs is a collaborative process that is achieved through analysis of a variety of objective and subjective assessment data. Objective assessments include group and individual tests of ability, standardized tests of achievement, curriculum assessments from WAB, and previous schools’ results. Subjective assessments may include observations, checklists (parent, teacher, and student), student work samples, and interviews.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND ROLES OF SUPPORT SERVICESLearning SupportWAB’s Learning Support (LS) teachers support students with learning disabilities and difficulties through collaboration, co-teaching, and pull-out lessons. The LS teachers collaborate with classroom teachers to differentiate their programs and to ensure that accommodations and modifications that may be required by

In addition, two counselors, an educational psychologist, and enrichment coordinators liaise across the Early Childhood Center and the Elementary School. These personnel meet regularly with homeroom teachers and Support Service teachers to address the needs of specific students.

Effective Classroom Instruction with Differentiated Instructional Strategies: All students receive instruction in a differentiated classroom by the homeroom/single-subject teacher, in collaboration with the support team, as appropriate. Co-teaching models are implemented for this instruction as required.

Strategic and Targeted Instruction: Students with specific need have a plan that includes necessary accommodations and targeted strategies provided by the support team. These students are on the support register.

Individualized Instruction: This instruction involves detailed plans. These students receive some one-to-one support and extensive accommodations are in place. This includes long-term goals and ongoing partnership between the school and home. WAB continually assesses how or if we can meet the needs of the students in this category.

Our Support Services Model Includes: Counseling, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Learning Support, Enrichment, Educational Psychologist, Nursing, and Behavior. Students, parents, and staff are involved in a collaborative process for developing differentiated programs that best support the learning needs of the child as a whole in an inclusive class environment. We offer pull-out support: Literacy Support Program (LSP), Beginner English (BE), and individualized

the LS student are implemented. Sometimes they will be required to assist with referrals to community professionals and collaborate with teachers to follow recommendations.

LS teachers, when appropriate, will work with specialists to provide opportunities for students to receive therapy and specialized programs from professionals in the community. The LS teachers will also plan and implement Individual Education Plans (IEP) for high-needs students.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)WAB’s EAL teachers support EAL students as well as assist classroom teachers with the differentiation of their programs. EAL programs are designed to help EAL students who may need extra support with various tasks in the homeroom or individual subjects. The EAL specialist and involved teachers confer regularly to discuss students’ needs and develop strategies based on those needs and expectations.

Enrichment WAB believes that while all our students have strengths that must be valued and promoted, there are students whose educational needs are different from their age peers due to the nature of their academic strengths. Enrichment support within the school promotes student progress in all elements of the IB and WAB programs and utilizes a range of individualization options, grouping, and regrouping practices for a variety of learning situations in order to facilitate appropriate provision.

Support Services

STUDENT SUPPORT MODEL

STUDENTNursing

Speech andLanguage

Support

LearningSupport

EnglishLanguageLearningSupport

Homeroom/SubjectTeacher

EnrichmentSupport

CounselingBehavioralSupport


37 Supportive Environment Peer Support Parent Involvement Room Parents Cybersafety Class Placements Emergency Evacuation Security

Housekeeping Staff Supporting Student Behavior in the School Environment Role of the Counselors and the Principal/Vice Principal

45 Extracurricular Programs WABX Program WABX - ES After School Activities Grades 1-5 WABX - ES Lunchtime Programs WABX - ES TigerSharks Swim Team Band & Strings Ensembles ES Instrumental Music Program Cultural Celebrations

Class Parties

49 The School Day Bell Times Assemblies Play Times - Indoor & Outdoor Options Playgrounds and Supervision Clothing Recommendations Arrival at School Absence from School or Late Arrival

Early Departure Attendance and Punctuality Field Trips Use of School Facilities After School Hours Overseas or Alumni Student Visitors Student Use of Telephones

55 Campus Map

Contents


Supportive Environment

• Peer Support

• Parent Involvement

• Room Parents

• Cybersafety

• Class Placements

• Emergency Evacuation

• Security

• Housekeeping Staff

• Supporting Student Behavior in the School Environment

• Role of the Counselors and the Principal/Vice Principal

• Hand, foot, and mouth disease: Students must be excluded and can not return to school until 14 days from the onset of symptoms;

• Head lice: Students can return to school after their hair has been treated and they have been checked by the WAB school nurse;

• Impetigo: Students can return to school when all sores are dry and scabbed. If they have had antibiotic treatment they can return after 48 hours;

• Measles: Students are expected to stay at home at least five days after the rash appears, but if complications have arisen then they are excluded for 15 days;

• Mumps: Students are expected to stay at home at least 21 days following the parotid gland having swollen;

• Ringworm: No exclusion if the student is on antifungal medication;

• Rubella (German Measles): Students are expected to stay at home at least seven days after the rash first appears;

• Threadworms: No exclusion but recommended to see a doctor for treatment to commence;

• Verrucas (foot wart): Flip-flops must be worn at all times in the pool area and in the changing room until the wart is gone.

Student Health ScreeningsAll students from Grades 1 to 5 are screened by our school nurses for general vision, height, and weight, which gives a BMI percentile for their age and gender. Grade 1 will also have a color vision screen, and Grade 5 girls will have a scoliosis screen during their swimming block.

Medication at SchoolThe school nurse must administer all medication during school hours. All medication, other than Epi-pens and asthma inhalers, should be kept in the clinic. Please fill in the Permission to Administer Medicine form or send a note with the student’s name, reason to give medicine, dosage, and time. All medicines must be in their original container, clearly labeled with the student’s name, class, and the dosage to be given. A few over-the-counter medications (i.e. Panadol, Ibuprofen) are available in the clinic and can be given if parental permission is on file.

Medical RecordsIt is very important that WAB nurses have complete, updated medical records of students at all times. Parents are asked to complete and return the WAB Medical Questionnaire to the clinic and keep nurses updated of any new conditions or immunizations. It is also important to keep the school informed of current parent/guardian work, home and mobile telephone numbers, and emergency contact information. For specific illnesses the nurse may require further information and write up an individual health plan. Should this be required, the nurse will contact a parent/guardian accordingly.

Illnesses and Exclusion from SchoolWAB’s exclusion period for the following illnesses/conditions follow the guidelines from the Beijing Center for Disease Control (CDC):

• Chickenpox: Students are expected to stay at home for at least seven days after the rash first appears and all blisters have crusted over;

• Conjunctivitis (infected): Students can return to school once they have been on treatment for 24 hours;

• Diarrhea and Vomiting: Students who have diarrhea and/or are vomiting are excluded from school until they have had no symptoms for 24 hours;

• Fever: WAB maintains a “fever free” environment. Students with a temperature of 37.5 0C and above are excluded. Students are expected to be fever-free, without medication, for 24 hours before returning to school;

Student Services


46 WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students 47 47

WABX PROGRAMWAB provides extensive extracurricular activities through its WABX program. A large range of high-quality activities is available to cater to the interests and needs of students. These may be conducted during lunchtimes, after school, and on weekends.

The recreation program focuses on the social needs of expatriate students in Beijing and endeavors to provide a range of interesting activities that promote an active lifestyle and provide support for students making positive lifestyle choices. In addition, activities aim to provide opportunity for the development of leadership skills. Encouraging meaningful interaction with students from local Chinese schools is an integral part of the WABX program.

Elementary School students may choose to participate in the following:• Choir and Band (full-year commitment)

• Swim team (TigerSharks)

• After-school Activity program (one eight-week block commitment per term)

• Mother Tongue Language Classes

• Library until 5:00pm daily for Grades 3, 4, 5

• Social activities, including movie nights

• Instrumental music lessons in strings, woodwind, brass (full-year commitment).

We send information home regularly outlining activities. Parents may also contact relevant school personnel for specific information.

WABX-ES AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES GRADES 1-5Our After-school Activities (ASA) program runs three days a week for three sessions per year and offers an opportunity for students from Grade 1 to Grade 5 to select activities. Students have the opportunity to choose from more than 75 activities falling under these main categories: arts, information communication technology, environment, dance, sports, chinese cultural activities, and languages.

A full ASA program will be electronically sent to all families in late August via SchoolsBuddy online system. Parents will need to sign up for this service to access the descriptions of all activities. Then for each session SchoolsBuddy will send a sign-up notice for each new session throughout the year.

Extracurricular Programs

WABX-ES LUNCHTIME SPORTS PROGRAMSOlympic Dream Series (ODS)The Olympic Dream Series is a series of sporting events run at lunchtime throughout the year. It is designed to provide students from Grade 2–5 with the opportunity to be active and experience a variety of sports during their lunchtime. Depending on the grade level, students are able to participate in sports such as the biathlon, cross-country, badminton, table tennis, handball, swimming, track and field, and benchball.

Lunchtime Sports Program/Interschool SportsIn addition to the Olympic Dream Series, WAB Elementary School students have the opportunity to participate in a lunchtime sports program that exposes students to the sports WAB participates in at a representative level. The International Schools Athletic Conference (ISAC) provides the Elementary students from Grades 2-5 with opportunities to represent WAB in soccer, cross-country, handball, table tennis, track and field, badminton, and benchball. Exposure to these sports and training for interschool events happens during the lunchtimes.

WABX-ES TIGERSHARKS SWIM TEAMThe WAB TigerSharks competitive swim team is open to those Elementary students who can complete 25 meters of at least three competitive strokes. The season will run in three parts from August to May. Tryouts will be held for each of the seasons. There will be competitions offered throughout the year that all participants are expected to attend. The majority of these will be in the Beijing area, though we will have a few outside of Beijing and China.

BAND AND STRINGS ENSEMBLESThe Beginner Band and Beginner Strings are instrumental ensembles that give students the opportunity to play their instrument in a group setting, even if they have just begun learning. Students from Grade 3 to Grade 5 can join Beginner Band, and students from Grade 2 to Grade 5 can join Beginner Strings. Students within the ES Instrumental Music Program are encouraged to take part in the ensembles when they begin private lessons. Ensembles allow students to develop their skills further and to give their lessons greater purpose and direction. Great opportunities exist for strings, wind, and brass students! These ensembles are year-long commitments. The Beginner Band and Strings perform at assemblies as well as perform mid-year and end-of-year concerts for parents. If your child has been playing longer and is confident in playing and reading music, opportunities exist in the Development Band and Intermediate Strings. Placements in these ensembles are at the music director’s discretion.

ES INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAMWAB offers weekly instrumental instruction on a wide variety of instruments. We also offer lessons after school. There is an additional fee for the Instrumental Program. All lessons are individual, as we believe that students benefit most from a 1:1 teaching-and-learning situation. Once a student’s place in the program is confirmed, all fees must be paid in full prior to the first lesson. Lesson books are included.

This program requires a full-year commitment and includes a performance component through recitals or ensemble performances, such as the band or string concerts. Students are encouraged to make a commitment to perform in order to give their learning a purpose.




Personal-Social-Physical Education (PSPE) day unless your child has swimming.

WAB recommends the following clothing choices for single subject-lessons:

Physical EducationWe recommend that they wear the PE kit to school, which is popular with many students who often wear it throughout the week as well. Specific sports shoes for PE should be sent or worn to school on these days. Open sandals, boots, and jewelry are not suitable for PE lessons. Additional items of PE clothing, such as tracksuit tops and pants, long sleeved tops, and swimwear are available to purchase through the Parent Link outlet known as the Tiger’s Den in the Elementary School. All PSPE clothing should be clearly marked with child’s name for quick return if lost.

SwimmingSwimming is a part of the educational program at WAB, and all students are expected to participate. When swimming is scheduled, students need to bring a towel and swimwear. Goggles are optional. Generally if students are not feeling well enough to swim, we recommend they not attend school that day. If a student cannot swim, a note is required from the parent on that day.

Visual ArtsAll students wear supplied art smocks or aprons during visual arts lessons. However, students are encouraged not to wear ‘good’ clothes on art days, as accidents can and often do happen.

ARRIVAL AT SCHOOLStudents should not arrive at school before 8:00am. We supervise indoor and outdoor areas after 8am. When the bell rings at 8:30am, students go to their homerooms.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL OR LATE ARRIVALParents are asked to notify the school via the Parent Portal, telephone, email, or send a note of explanation to the homeroom teacher if their child is absent for any reason.

If arriving late (after 8:30am bell) students are to report to the Elementary Reception to sign in. Administrative staff will adjust the official school records accordingly.

The School Day

EARLY DEPARTURE Occasionally, a student may need to leave campus before the end of the school day. Elementary students can leave when prior communication has been received from a parent. Prior to departure, the parent and student are asked to report to Elementary Reception and sign-out with the receptionist. Elementary students are not permitted to leave the campus during the school day without being accompanied by a parent (or nominated adult) and an exit/sign-out pass.

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITYTo ensure students optimize learning and achievement, attendance and punctuality at school is essential. WAB is committed to maximizing school attendance. Students are expected to attend school every day unless they are sick or have extenuating circumstances explaining their absence.

Expectations of parentsWhile we appreciate that some school absence is inevitable, we ask families to support us by:

• Ensuring that your children attend school and arrive punctually every school day.

• Providing the school with notification in the event that your child will be absent or late. This can be done via the WAB Parent Portal.

• Communicating with your children about the importance of daily attendance and punctuality and their effects on learning and achievement.

• Informing the school principal or assistant principal of any special circumstances that may have an effect on their child’s attendance.

Extended AbsenceParents are requested to advise homeroom and single-subject teachers if their child will be absent from school for an extended period of time (more than three consecutive days).

The nature of the PYP and learning at WAB is inquiry-based. As such, class activities and assignments are organized in such a way that they cannot always be replicated at a later date. Because it is not possible to replicate the school’s learning environment, teachers are unable to provide schoolwork for a student who is absent from class except in the case of a student who has a documented acute or chronic medical condition requiring extended time away from school. Regular daily attendance, therefore, is necessary and expected.

We urge parents to exercise discretion and avoid absences due to convenience, travel, or vacation during regularly scheduled school days, including days adjacent to weekends and school holidays.

FIELD TRIPS China is considered a key platform for learning, providing opportunities for real-life investigations, and experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

Field trips and in-school visits are woven through transdisciplinary and single-subject Units of Inquiry with an emphasis on students developing connections to people and issues in a richer and more meaningful way than they might do as tourists. These opportunities are planned to be developmentally appropriate and responsive to the needs identified through students’ inquiries.

When students go on WAB field trips:

• Parents receive written communication about the field trip which outlines the date, mode of

The School Day



WELCOME FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM Welcome to the Elementary School at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB).

The Elementary years at WAB are a special time in a child’s life. Students from all around the world come together to make friends and learn that people have different needs, abilities, values, cultures and beliefs. Most importantly, they learn to respect these differences. We are confident that WAB’s international community and its setting here in Beijing, China, will provide unique opportunities for students to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute positively within their own communities and, ultimately, to the world, both as children and as adults.

Our programming at WAB begins in our Early Childhood Center (ECC) where our Early Years are housed. Junior Grade 1 through Grade 5 classes are located in our main ES building. Many of our valuable ES resources are shared across all levels, such as the Sabina Brady Library, the gymnasium and the aquatics center; additional WAB resources, such as Tiger Field, Tiger L’Air, the Peace Park and the Chinese Garden are also utilized by all.

Our teaching programs and curriculum at WAB give our students the chance to build upon their own prior experiences and to make new discoveries through further investigation. Through the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), student learning takes place in relevant contexts where clear goals and expectations are discussed and negotiated in order to engage and guide students as active participants in the learning process. Learning through meaningful and connected engagements using an inquiry-based approach requires our students to think, apply, analyze, problem solve, evaluate and reflect. These processes all require higher-order thinking skills that allow for application of learned concepts, the necessary tools for life-long learning.

Our teachers at WAB “Make a Difference” every day. They make special contributions to each child’s education and to their unique understanding of the world in which they live. We hire teachers who are experienced, dedicated, professional, and committed to student-centered learning opportunities. WAB teachers are constantly striving to learn and grow professionally to incorporate the best strategies for the effective engagement of all learners.

Families are an important part of our program. We value your input and support. Our door is always open, as it is our goal to create strong bonds between home and school. This handbook provides useful information for both students and parents. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time should you need any additional information.

Kindest Regards,

Angela Steinmann Catherine Pierre-Louis Principal Vice Principal

Jonathan Mueller Dr. Karen Lindner Curriculum Coordinator Early Years Coordinatorl

Welcome

5

Mission, Philosophy, Values, IB Learner Profile, FLoW21


PHILOSOPHYThe Western Academy of Beijing offers a challenging and caring, community-based educational environment in which students are active participants in the learning process. WAB fosters critical thinking and inquiry-based skills to ensure its students achieve their full potential as individuals and as members of the global community. In this setting, students, staff, and parents co-operate in the educational process guided by the following principles:

The Western Academy Educates the Whole ChildThe Western Academy of Beijing seeks to develop the intellectual, social and emotional, physical and aesthetic potential of each child along with moral sensitivity. WAB children will learn how to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate new situations, knowledge, and rapidly changing technology with ease, confidence and creativity. WAB’s educational program provides its students with a fundamental respect for the beliefs and values of other peoples and will take full advantage of the culture of its host country, China.

The Western Academy Champions its StaffThe staff teaches with an international perspective. They are selected for their professionalism, high qualifications, skills, and creativity. Individual professional development is both supported and expected, while WAB creates an atmosphere in which the staff’s expertise and talents enrich the school community as a whole.

The Western Academy Involves the ParentsParents are encouraged to participate as partners in the education of their children and in the continuing development of the school. WAB supports, respects and desires such an active role for parents. The Western Academy of Beijing, a community of students, staff, and parents, is committed to the creation and support of a dynamic model school with high academic, social, and ethical standards.

VALUESLearner-CenteredWhere all decisions are made and actions taken to enhance the life-long learning process so that each member of the WAB Family is an inquiring, critical, and purposeful Learner.

China Global CoherenceWhere we strive to nurture socially responsive global citizens bound together by China – the common thread woven throughout our diverse Family Mosaic.

Mosaic of DiversityWhere each makes unique and irreplaceable contributions that, when combined, create the WAB Family.

CaringWhere by valuing and respecting our environment, we sustain and nurture healthy relationships with, and life-long responsibilities, to self, family, and the world.

WAB Spirit (Gong He)Where with a spirit of commitment, enthusiasm, and shared purpose, each member of the WAB Family contributes to the whole.

Mission | Philosophy | Values

MISSION

WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students 7

IB Learner Profile

IB LEARNER PROFILEThe aim of all IB Programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

IB Learners strive to be:

Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators They understand and express ideas and information, confidently and creatively, in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect

for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring They show empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas, and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

ReflectiveThey give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

FLoW21Western Academy of Beijing is in the midst of an on-going journey to transform our school experience to maximize learning for each individual student. This initiative is known as the Future of Learning at WAB, or FLoW21. With the active involvement of all members of our community, we are working to update, innovate, and reinvent our teaching and learning practices across the school. Faculty, students, and parents have formed committees to accomplish FLoW21’s Targets, or goals, which are based on the latest evidence and neuroscientific research into how we learn. To learn more about the community’s work, explore related global stories and resources, and investigate everything about the journey, visit our regularly updated FLoW21 website at www.wab.edu/flow21.

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Program Overview• International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP)

- Connect

- Inspire

- Challenge

- Make a Difference

• Assessment and Reporting

• Conferences

• International Schools’ Assessment (ISA)

• Information and Digital Literacy

• Library Services

• China Engagement

Program Overview


INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME Due to its philosophy and pedagogy, the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) is an excellent vehicle for putting WAB’s mission, philosophy, and core values into practice.

Like WAB, the PYP places learning at the center. Our emphasis is on helping students develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and ethically. Preparing students for success in school, as well as in the world beyond school, empowers them to become independent, life-long learners.

CONNECTLife-long learners need to be knowledgeable, and the PYP helps students connect to concepts and knowledge that have global significance through the six transdisciplinary themes. These themes guide teachers in the design of Units of Inquiry that will help students understand:

• Who we are

• Where we are in place and time

• How we express ourselves

• How the world works

• How we organize ourselves

• Sharing the planet

The use of the transdisciplinary themes to organize curriculum means that the connections that learners naturally make between and within subjects are emphasized. Students in the Early Childhood Center (ECC) and Junior Grade 1 study Units of Inquiry in four of these six themes each year, while students from Senior Grade 1 to Grade 5 study one unit of inquiry under each of these themes. The fact that students revisit these themes each year allows them to make connections between their learning from one year to the next.

Units of Inquiry are developed by teaching teams to be engaging, relevant, challenging, and significant. The school identifies the core knowledge, concepts, approaches to learning, and learner profile attributes that will be developed throughout the unit, as well as anticipating actions that the students may take. Although the learning goals for each unit do not vary from class to class, the teachers connect to students’ interests to guide them in how best to reach these goals with their group of students. Students truly have agency and are partners in the learning, as this is what makes the units relevant and engaging.

Program Overview


Figure 1: IBPYP Curriculum Model

INSPIREAll Units of Inquiry are designed to be:

• Engaging (of interest to the students and involving them actively in their learning).

• Relevant (linked to the students’ experience and circumstances, as well as having relevance in the world beyond school).

• Challenging (extending prior knowledge and experiences to increase understanding).

• Significant (contributing to an understanding of the commonality of human experiences).

It is our hope that through creating units that meet these criteria, students will be inspired to learn and extend their learning beyond school.

CHALLENGETThe PYP is highly regarded, as it requires that students are literate in the traditional sense and also in the languages of mathematics and the arts. These literacies prepare students to rise to the challenge of participating in the critical thinking that the program demands. The subject areas therefore retain an important place at WAB.

All Units of Inquiry are supported and balanced by the six PYP subject areas. Science and social studies content (as well as many outcomes from the other subject areas) are covered through the transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry.

At the same time, students may also be engaged in disciplinary Units of Inquiry, or inquiries into the big ideas of languages, mathematics, the arts, and physical education.

All Elementary School students at WAB study all six PYP subject areas: Language; Mathematics; Personal, Social and Physical education; the Arts (Visual and Performing); Science, and Social Studies.

The Western Academy of Beijing is committed to offering a challenging curriculum with a clearly articulated progression of understanding, knowledge, and skills that will empower students to transition seamlessly from one grade to the next and one school section to the next. As such, we have developed Standards and Benchmarks in all of the subject areas that outline our intended learning from Early Years to Grade 12. These Standards and Benchmarks documents connect all three IB Programmes together and can be referenced and downloaded through parents.wab.edu.

LanguageThe language of instruction at WAB is English. Language, as the vehicle for thinking, is fundamental to all learning. By acquiring language, as well as learning about and through language, we nurture an appreciation of the richness of language and a love of literature.

Program Overview


There are four strands of the language curriculum:• Oral language - listening and speaking

• Visual language - viewing and presenting

• Written language - reading

• Written language - writing

The Elementary School Chinese language program is dedicated to improving students’ ability to communicate in Chinese. Early Years students are exposed to Chinese language and culture through integrations with their units of study. Students in Junior Grade 1 through Grade 5 receive 200 minutes of Chinese instruction per week and are grouped according to their proficiency level. Classes are differentiated to ensure that everyone is given the challenge necessary to further their learning. As much as possible, the learning in Chinese classes supports the learning in the homerooms’ Unit of Inquiry.

MathematicsMathematics is viewed as a way of thinking and a language for understanding the world. To study mathematics is to inquire into this language and to learn to think in this way.

There are five strands in the mathematics curriculum which are interwoven through Units of Inquiry, and stand-alone units of work.

• Number

• Measurement

• Data handling

•Shape and space

•Pattern and function

Personal, Social and Physical Education (PSPE)The PSPE curriculum incorporates both physical education (PE), addressed mainly by our specialist PE teachers, and Personal and Social Education (PSE) addressed by all teachers in all subject areas. This subject area includes three strands:

• Active living

• Interactions

• Identity

Physical Educationhrough Physical Education (PE), students learn the ‘language’ of physical movement and explore the skills associated with different strands of PE. They learn to understand what they can and cannot do physically and

Program Overview


scientific experiences and those of others. Students gain experience in testing their own assumptions and thinking critically about the perspectives of others in order to further develop their own ideas.

There are four strands in the Science curriculum that are explored through the Units of Inquiry:

• Living things

• Earth and space

• Materials and matter

• Forces and energy

Humanities (Social Studies)Humanities provides opportunities for students to look at and think about human behavior realistically, objectively, and with sensitivity. It aims to guide students toward a deeper understanding of themselves and others, and of their place in an increasingly global society.

There are five strands in our Humanities curriculum that are explored through the Units of Inquiry:

• Human systems and economic activities

• Social organization and culture

• Continuity and change through time

• Human and natural environments

• Resources and the environment

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: STUDENT ACTION, SERVICE, AND LEADERSHIPAt WAB, we promote the education of the whole person, emphasizing intellectual, personal, emotional, and social growth through all domains of knowledge.

Through our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), we believe that education must extend beyond the intellectual to include not only socially responsible attitudes but also thoughtful and

become aware of their own strengths and weaknesses in this regard. Physical activity is an essential aspect of a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle and learning through PSPE helps to build self-esteem, confidence, cooperation, and fitness. Learning in PE will include:

• Individual pursuits

• Movement composition

• Games

• Adventure challenges

• Health-related fitness

Personal and Social EducationPersonal and Social Education (PSE) provides the models, processes, and values for handling social and personal issues and ensuring health and well-being. Through PSE, students will develop their self-identity, use appropriate social skills when interacting with others in a range of situations, and learn to communicate and manage their feelings, emotions, and opinions. Students develop aspects of PSE continually, through all subjects and at their own pace.

The Arts: Visual Arts & Performing ArtsThe Arts include the development of creative skills, verbal and non-verbal expression, an awareness of the perspectives of others and aesthetic appreciation. The Arts enable students to develop and communicate their understandings in powerful ways that go beyond their spoken language ability.

The strands in the Arts curriculum are:

• Creating

• Responding

Science Science provides opportunities for students to engage in scientific investigations by making accurate observations, handling tools, recording and comparing data, and formulating explanations using their own

Program Overview


appropriate action initiated by students. This self-initiated action can also involve service or lead to service. In helping to educate our students to take responsibility for shaping a better world, we recognize that skills in both leadership and teamwork are vital.

WAB’s challenging, holistic education fosters academic achievement, student-initiated action, service to others, and the development of leadership and team-building skills.

Action, service, and leadership development are significant parts of what we do at WAB.

ActionAt the heart of the PYP philosophy is a commitment to structured inquiry as the leading vehicle for learning.

Successful inquiry may lead to action initiated by the student as a result of the learning process. This action may extend the student’s own learning, the learning of others, or it may have a wider social impact.

Effective action begins at the most immediate and basic level: with the self; within the family; within the classroom, the hallways and the playground. Even very young children can have strong feelings about fairness and justice, and teachers can facilitate positive expressions of these opinions. Effective action can be a demonstration of a sense of responsibility and respect for self, others, and the environment.

At WAB, it is intended that the student taking action will grow from the experience, and that the process of taking action, or not, will contribute to each student establishing a set of values.

Some examples of student self-initiated action at WAB include:

• Designing and creating MBots in our ES Makerspace

• Developing and producing a cafe for parents, students, and teachers

• Coding and constructing games via applications such as Scratch

• Creating organic essential oils for sale with proceeds supporting endangered animals

• Developing recipes for lavender soap production to be included in WAB’s Tiger Den shop

• Raising money for hurricane relief funds

Through taking action within the curriculum, students begin to develop the awareness that inspires them to take part in some type of

Program Overview


opportunities for them to contribute to the school and our community.”

The purpose of student leadership in our school is to provide opportunities for Elementary students to contribute to the WAB community, and to be active stakeholders in their school. This goal is achieved through a variety of programs and activities including:

• Student Council: Students are elected to represent their class on the Student Council. Council provides a student voice on issues raised by students and also serves as an organizational body where students plan and organize activities and events. There is a United Student Council that meets as an ASA.

• Classes meet regularly to discuss both class and wider issues. It is from and through these meetings that information is communicated between the student body and staff via the Student Council.

• Big Brother Big Sister Program: This is a voluntary program where Grade 4 and 5 students provide mentorship to younger students. The role of the big sisters and brothers is to interact with younger children, help them find friends, provide activities, organize games, and help resolve conflict.

• ASA Leaders and Helpers: ASA Leaders and Helpers provides an opportunity for students with particular skills in an area of interest to share their talents as an organizer or supporter of an After-school Activity. ASA leaders have a teacher mentor to assist with organization and supervision.

• Recognition of Student Action (ROSA): Students are recognized for their contribution to the school and community through this initiative. The three levels of ROSA recognition are based upon the service action completed by the student. The criteria for a ROSA award is “Student action above and beyond expectations.”

service to others or the environment. Students’ self-initiated actions can be preparation for service, and action is an essential element of service.

Service Service is an action, but action does not have to be a service.

The action component of the PYP can involve service in the widest sense of the word: service to fellow students, and to the larger community, both inside and outside the school. Through such service, students are able to grow both personally and socially, developing skills such as cooperation, problem solving, conflict resolution, and creative and critical thinking. Moreover, these service actions are ways in which the students demonstrate the attributes of the Learner Profile and the attitudes that we seek to engender within the PYP classroom. Service can create a community of thinkers.

Some examples of service at WAB include:

• Partnering and volunteering with local pet shops to take care of animals

• Organizing daily recycling program for a local food vendor

• Grade 4 Sports Day mentoring programs with Early Years

• Planting trees in the local community

• Hosting After-school Activities (ASA) for younger students

LeadershipIn helping to educate our students to be individuals who are willing to take responsibility for making a difference in the world, we recognize that skills in both leadership and teamwork are vital. From the youngest students to the oldest, every child has age-appropriate opportunities to explore and develop these skills.

The Elementary School’s student leadership mission is:

“Empowering our students by providing

Program Overview


ASSESSMENT AND REPORTINGThe prime objective of assessing student learning and performance is to make a difference to subsequent learning. Assessment at WAB is designed to give feedback to:

• Students: to encourage the start of life-long learning.

• Teachers: to support their reflection on what to teach and how to teach it.

• Parents: to highlight their child’s learning and development.

Teachers assess students by selecting or designing methods of assessment appropriate to the learning outcomes they intend to capture. Teachers also take into account the diverse, complicated, and sophisticated ways that individual students use to develop and demonstrate their understanding.

Continuous assessment provides insights into students’ understanding, knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It is also a means of exploring the learning styles and individual differences of the students in order to differentiate instruction. Feedback from assessment allows for the improvement of the overall program.

Teachers employ a range of assessment strategies and tools when they are assessing students. Some strategies include observations, performance tasks, tests, and open-ended tasks. When they are employing these strategies, they use anecdotal records, rubrics, checklists, and continuums to record their findings. These tools may be used during formative and summative assessments, self-assessments, and peer assessments.

REPORTING CYCLEWAB believes that for effective learning to occur, students should be partners in the assessment and evaluation of their progress.

Reporting on student progress takes place continually as part of the teaching and learning process. Teachers work with students, as an integrated part of their teaching, to evaluate successes and plan new goals.

In addition to providing regular, valuable feedback to students, the schedule of reports as follows ensures that parents remain informed about student progress and achievement. Teachers also contact parents by email or phone to report on student achievement or to inform parents of concerns or changes in student progress.

The Elementary School encourages discussions

Program Overview


about learning to occur with the teacher, student, and parent together. However, parents are welcome to make an appointment to discuss their child’s learning with the teacher at any time during the year. Parents are asked to make a prior arrangement to meet with a teacher in order to allow teachers to focus on teaching and planning during the school day.

In addition to individual meetings requested by parents and teachers, the following are scheduled reporting times held during the year:

Conferences

October: Parent-Teacher Conferences for students in Early Years-G2; Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences (PSTCs) for students in Grades 3-5 These conferences give the parent and teacher an opportunity to reflect on how the student has begun the academic year. A review of the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral progress will be discussed.

January: Student Progress ReportIn January, the Student Progress Report includes a description of the learning covered during that part of the year in each subject, a summary of overall achievement against the school curriculum, and individual comments.

February: Parent-Student-Teacher ConferencesThese conference sessions allow for the opportunity for parents, teachers, and students to jointly discuss the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral progress of students during the first semester of school.

April/May: Student-led Conference Day (SLC)A Student-led Conference (SLC) is recognized as a powerful learning event that highlights the essential partnership between students, parents, and teachers. Students explain and share what

they have learned, how they learned it, and what they need to learn next. As a student, this requires a high level of knowledge, skill, and understanding about their own learning.

On Student-led Conference Day, students guide their parents through examples of their learning in all subject areas. Student-led Conference Day allows parents to see a slice of the everyday program at WAB in a way that written communication alone cannot. Feedback from parents who have attended SLC Days has been very positive, and the school highly recommends that parents make themselves available for a full day. On Student-led Conference Day, parents and students arrive together at the scheduled time, participate in activities, and depart together.

June: Student Progress ReportThe Student Progress Report issued in June follows the same format as the January Student Progress Report.

Each year, students in the Elementary School will each have a digital student portfolio of their work.

The collection of work samples in a digital portfolio shows a student’s understanding and application of the curriculum, including their development of the skills of learning and the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Throughout the process of digital portfolio compilation, students are encouraged to focus and reflect on their learning, recognize the progress they have made, and set achievable goals. The portfolios are also used during Student-led Conference Day where parents are invited to celebrate, appreciate, and understand their child’s learning and the learning processes their child uses.

Program Overview


including computers, ipads, digital cameras, video equipment, scanners, and copier/print services and current software applications.

Educational Technology facilitators support the flexibility of this model by attending the homeroom and providing in-class sessions or opportunities within a specialist classroom setting. Based on the learning needs and tasks, small or large group teaching options are used.

LIBRARY SERVICESThe Sabina Brady Library supports the information and recreational reading needs of the Elementary School community.

The six guiding principles of the library are:

• Information Literacy: to develop students’ skills in finding and using information independently.

• Reading: to develop confidence and enjoyment of literature.

• Access: to access information within and beyond the school.

• Service: to ensure that library users are supported and welcome.

• Information Resources: to provide a wide variety of information resources including extensive use of digital media.

• Environment: to offer a stimulating and comfortable environment to be shared by the WAB community.

INFORMATION AND DIGITAL LITERACY All teaching and learning in the PYP is underpinned by inquiry. To enhance both teaching and learning, WAB provides multimedia resources, technology tools, and services. WAB provides excellent opportunities for students to explore digital literacy skills and digital tools using a transdisciplinary curriculum framework. From the crafting of words into a work of art using word processing skills to filming problem-solving skills in a physical education class, technology used for the right purpose enhances learning and achievement. The transdisciplinary approach of the PYP challenges students and teachers to go beyond the obvious appeal of technology to actively exploring and developing digital literacy skills and tools for high-level thinking, research, communication, socialization, and self-management.

In an age where managing information and knowledge is as crucial as acquiring them, WAB is committed to developing in students the essential information and digital literacy skills that will allow them to be effective life-long learners in the digital age.

To support this vision, WAB has strategically created a wealth of technology services, resources, and tools. All students have access to classroom, grade-level, and public resources

Program Overview


The Sabina Brady Library, one of three libraries school-wide, offers an extensive collection of more than 80,000 resources: digital equipment, books, posters, DVDs, audio books, e-books, magazines, and online databases. In keeping with WAB’s belief that the library is central to the development of information literacy, our library boasts a team of dedicated staff committed to helping enrich the teaching and learning opportunities.

Mother Tongue Collection The Chinese collection has books for children and adults and continues to grow. There are small mother tongue collections in French, Spanish, Korean, Finnish, Dutch, German, Italian, Japanese, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish in varying stages of development. These are managed by parents from the various mother tongues.

Library Hours• Monday to Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

• Grade 3, 4 and 5 students can use library independently after school until 5:00pm

• Early Years-Grade 2 students must be accompanied by an adult after school until 5:00pm

BorrowersParents are welcome to join the library and borrow up to 10 items. Library staff will help you sign up as a patron. A parent paperback ‘swap’ collection is available, and donations are always appreciated. You are free to take any of these novels for your recreational reading. Parents also have access to a ‘parenting’ section – where relevant resources on a huge variety of parenting and child development issues are available for borrowing.

BorrowingThousands of books are borrowed and returned each week. Please help your child be a responsible borrower, encouraging him/her to keep books in a set place at home and return them on time.

An automated ‘overdue’ email is sent weekly to all patrons. Parents from EY-Grade 2 will receive these emails so you know which books your child has. Grade 3–5 students will receive personal emails. Please contact library staff to discuss matters arising from overdue notices, rather than continually receiving the reminder. Should a resource become lost, a replacement cost will be charged. If the resource is found, money will be refunded. At the end of the

school year all borrowed items must be returned for stock-taking purposes.

Length of loan = 14 days

• Early Years and KG: 2 books

• Grades 1–3: 3 books

• Grades 4–5: 4 books

• Parents: 10 books

Library BagsOnly new students in Early Years-Grade 1 will receive a red library bag. Continuing students are asked to reuse their red library bag from the previous year. Children are asked to use this bag to protect and store their books. They will bring their bag to the library each week during the borrowing period. Should a library bag become lost, replacements are available for purchase in the Parent Link shop in the Elementary School.

Parent Link Friends of the LibraryHelping students learn to read and love reading is a team effort. Library staff and the Teacher-librarian welcome contact from parents and are keen to support reading needs and extensive use of the library by the WAB community. Parents are also encouraged to become active supporters of the Friends of Library’s initiatives throughout the year. Information about this is also available on the library blog.

Online AccessBorrowers can access the school library catalogue and resources by clicking on the ‘Library’ link in our parent portal, parents.wab.edu. A large range of online databases for magazines, research, and current information is also available.

Program Overview


and also to be responsive to the needs identified through students’ inquiries. As such they will change from year to year.

In additional to day trips around Beijing and on-campus China Engagement workshops to support authentic experiential teaching and learning at WAB ES, our Grade 5 students have their annual China Studies Residential Field Trips in Guandi Village at the foot of the Great Wall in Huairou, Beijing. The main aims of the trip are to broaden the students’ experience of China and to improve the students’ understanding and awareness of Chinese culture, geography, and history; and to enhance the school curriculum, in particular our Units of Inquiry, by providing opportunities to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a real situation.

As part of their studies, students inquire into the school’s local neighborhood. Through their inquiries students identify ways in which they can work with local Chinese communities and organizations to deal with the real-life issues affecting them. In collaboration with these local groups, the students form teams and plan positive action that strengthen the community. In doing so, students’ connections to the community, of which they are a part, are strengthened.

CHINA ENGAGEMENTAs part of WAB’s core value of China-Global Coherence, the school is committed to providing opportunities for students to engage with their host country, China, in an authentic and meaningful way.

Interactions with members of the Chinese community within WAB, in the neighborhood, and in Beijing form an integral part of the Elementary School curriculum. They provide genuine opportunities for students to develop and use Chinese language for real purposes while learning more about Chinese culture and society. All students learn more about Chinese traditional festivals through a variety of activities. China is considered a key platform for learning, as developing understandings in this particular context enables students to deepen understandings of globally significant themes. Real-life investigations and experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom are integral to our China Engagement.

Field trips and in-school visits are woven through transdisciplinary and single-subject Units of Inquiry with an emphasis on students developing connections to people and issues in a richer and more meaningful way than they might do as tourists. This may take the form of service where the focus is on genuine service developed through collaboration with local groups and individuals. These opportunities are planned to be developmentally appropriate

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Transition• Transition to Beijing

• Transition to WAB

• First Days at WAB


TRANSITION TO BEIJINGMoving from one country to another is a life-changing experience. The process of transitioning into a new life, a new culture and new friendships can lead to conflicting feelings. We might feel exhilaration at the discovery of the new, and also a feeling of loss at what was left behind. Everybody experiences these mixed feelings during transition, no matter how experienced we might be in moving workplaces, schools and countries. Some people move through transition quickly, while others might take up to a year or longer to feel comfortable and fully “arrive” in their new country.

For yourself• Understand that people in your family may be transitioning at different rates;

• Be kind to yourself and to those around you;

• Try to look after yourself; keep an eye on your diet and make sure you get enough sleep;

• Exercise - you may not feel like it, but it is one of the best solutions to feeling stressed;

• Try to keep a sense of humor and look for the positives in every situation;

• When someone invites you to an event or suggests you give them a call – try it.

For your child • Children need special time with you during the early days of a new place;

• Try to identify your child’s special space where they feel most comfortable (it is often their bed). Set it up according to their desires (even if it doesn’t make sense at the time);

• Make a time every day where you do nothing but listen to your child. When they talk about their feelings, acknowledge them – don’t try to get them to feel differently. If they are identifying problems don’t step in and solve them but support them to come up with their own solutions. Children need to feel a sense of control over their new environment too.

For your family• Routine - try to re-establish positive family routines at home as soon as possible;

• Rituals - does your family have special celebrations, ways of doing things together or special meals together? Keep them going;

• Relationships - be kind to each other and recognize that the up and down emotions you may all be experiencing are a normal part of transition, and that they will pass.

Transition


TRANSITION TO WABAs with any international school, transition is a normal part of the life of WAB and all staff are aware of and monitor the impact of transition continuously. Between entering Early Years in the Early Childhood Center and leaving Grade 5, Elementary students experience a variety of physical, emotional, psychological, social, moral and intellectual developments. For many of our students it is also a time of transition to a new country, a new culture and for many, a new language. WAB recognizes the fundamental importance of carefully supporting Elementary students through each phase of transition.

WAB aims to support transition through a range of activities, including a comprehensive new student orientation program and parent workshops. Leaving WAB is an equally important time for transition support as arriving at the school, and the WAB Alumni Network (WAN) provides a way for students of all ages to maintain a connection to the school.

Teachers and counselors plan for transition at all stages of a student’s development in both formal and informal ways including:

• A common curriculum framework and language for learning across the school;

• A Learning to Learn Program for all grades at the start of each academic year, which is intended to support students academically, socially and emotionally as they enter their new grade and class;

• A formal transition program at the end of Grade 5 for students moving to Grade 6 in the Middle School;

• A full Unit of Inquiry devoted to the theme of Transition and Change in the final month of Grade 5;

• Information sharing and dialogue between Grade 5 and Grade 6 teachers;

• Parent information sessions for parents of students transitioning;

• A Community Picnic at the start of the school year;

• A Buddy Program for students joining the school;

• A transition program for arriving and leaving students, supported and led by the Elementary counselors;

• A China Engagement focus to the curriculum to encourage authentic connection to our host country, China.

FIRST DAYS AT WABTransition and change always bring feelings of uncertainty for all involved whether it be your first day at WAB or a change of class for existing students. WAB staff are very aware and skilled in managing the feelings and behaviors of students during this time. Parents may feel that by increasing their presence at school during this time, things will run more smoothly for their child. Research and experience tell us that in fact the opposite occurs, with the period and intensity of anxiety often increasing, sometimes resulting in behaviors from a student that can be difficult to manage.

WAB advises parents to:

• Model confidence and calm to children in both what is said and what is done;

• Keep farewells at school or the bus stop caring but brief;

• Keep visits to the school short and purposeful until the child has settled in;

• Advise teachers or counselors if the child or the family is struggling with transition.

Transition

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Developing Independence

• Playground

• Communication Expectations

• Self-Management Skills

• Personal Items at School

• Mobile Phones at School

• Lost Property

• Home Learning

• Parents Absent From Beijing


• ‘WAB Weekly’ is the school’s newsletter. It is published on Fridays in our Parent Portal, and is made accessible via email reminders and WAB’s official WeChat account.

• WAB Special Emails are sent on an as-needed basis, and may come from WAB Administration or the Elementary School to inform parents of events or other school-related issues.

• Featured stories about WAB initiatives, activities and accomplishments are also published on the school website’s ‘News’ page several times per week.

• Regular grade level/class newsletters are posted on class and grade-level blogs to keep parents in touch with the classroom program, events, and news.

SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLSFrom a very early age, students are supported by teachers to develop responsibility and independence in looking after their own belongings (i.e. clothing, school bags, library books, lunchboxes, drink bottles, etc.).

Teachers also support students in making decisions about their own safety and comfort (e.g. appropriate shoes to wear to school and the need for coats on cold days). Teachers achieve this by asking students questions such as, “Are those shoes suitable for the climbing equipment?”; “What do we need to do when we go outside in cold weather?” and “What do we do with our coat/sweater when we take it off?” It is beneficial for families to work together to develop a similar independence at home.

All learning involves making mistakes, and students will misplace items at school. To allow for easy return of lost goods, parents are asked to help by labeling clothing and other items with the student’s name.

PERSONAL ITEMS AT SCHOOLMany students are keen to bring their latest “craze” item to school or to collect items and share them with their friends. When these items are brought to school they are often lost, misplaced, or swapped unwisely. Investigating student complaints about items such as sports cards, marbles, mobile phones, iPods, is very time consuming and usually cannot be fully resolved.

Therefore, it is preferred that these items are not brought to school. Any items brought from home to school are at the discretion of the parents and are the full responsibility of the student while at school. WAB is not responsible for any losses.

PLAYGROUNDAt WAB, the playground is a learning environment that is as important as the structured activities provided for students inside the classroom. WAB promotes opportunities for students to experiment with things they have learned and to problem solve. This might occur on the play equipment, through the creation of imaginative games or through social interactions. When students engage in play they may become dirty, receive minor injuries or find themselves in conflict with others. This often comes as a result of exploring the limits of their own experiences.

Through a strong commitment to the IB Learner Profile, staff members support students to explore, learn, and negotiate their way through experiences on the playground and with their peers. WAB also utilizes the skills of Big Brothers Big Sisters (peer mediators that are trained Grade 4/5 student leaders) to support students to resolve issues that may occur and to lead more structured games with younger students.

COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONSWAB uses a wide variety of strategies to ensure parents remain informed of student progress and aware of school events.

The following publications are produced on a regular basis:



MOBILE PHONES AT SCHOOLStudents in the Elementary School are not permitted to use mobile phones during the school day. WAB understands that on occasion parents provide mobile phones for contact after school hours. Mobile phones must be switched off during the school day and must be left in school bags. Phone calls to home can be made through school phones, if necessary, with teacher permission.

From time to time students with mobile phones use them to call parents when they have a problem or concern, without the knowledge of staff. Parents are encouraged to keep class teachers, counselors, or administrators informed if this occurs so that WAB can help support the student to resolve issues at school. Counselors are available to help students work through any issues or problems that they may be experiencing.

LOST PROPERTYLost items are transferred to “Lost & Found” cupboards, which for the Early Childhood Center are under the fish tanks and for Elementary School are located outside the library, near the Atrium. Labeled items will be returned to students immediately. When lost-and-found items accumulate they are put on display for homeroom classes to check. Periodic announcements in WAB Weekly also remind students and parents to check the Lost and Found locations in the school. Once or twice a year, any unclaimed items are given to charity. WAB takes no responsibility for lost or unclaimed goods..

HOME LEARNINGPhilosophy StatementHome Learning connects home and school. It allows parents and children to have the opportunity to share aspects of the child’s learning. Home learning should be related to the needs of each individual student. The goal of home learning is to support and extend learning beyond the walls of WAB in a positive way. For students in the earlier grades, it should foster positive attitudes and habits; it might require home involvement and reinforce simple skills introduced in class. For students in upper Elementary grades, it plays a more direct role in fostering student agency.

In recent years neuroscientific as well as social and developmental psychological discoveries have taught us more about how we learn. One of the major insights is that emotion

drives attention and attention drives learning. We want to help build a sense of ownership and autonomy in our learners. As such, students at WAB have choice in their home learning. Teachers will provide students with options connected to the academics of the classroom as well as opportunities to develop transdisciplinary skills.

Students will need to make responsible decisions regarding their choices and should consider both their own interests as well as areas for development. Find out more about how parents can support learning at home on the Parent Portal.

Home learning is not an expectation for Early Years and Junior Grade 1 students. We encourage you to read with your child (in your first language) to help foster a positive attitude toward reading, along with discussions and follow up on any areas in which your child shows a particular interest. We encourage you to read your child’s Learning Story portfolio with them and add comments together.

PARENTS ABSENT FROM BEIJINGOn rare occasions, both parents may be absent from Beijing for a period of time. During this time the family must appoint a temporary guardian who is responsible for the care of their child, and WAB must be informed of this arrangement. This requires the temporary guardian to make decisions about the educational, social, or emotional needs of the student, support the school in dealing with any issues that arise, take responsibility in the case of an accident or injury e.g. taking the student to hospital, giving permission for school field trips or special events, and attending required functions at school.

Parents must complete the Temporary Guardianship Form and return it to the Counseling Office prior to their absence and also advise their child’s teachers that they will be absent. This is essential in order for staff to ensure the safety and well-being of students.


29

Support Services• Support Services at WAB

• A Model of Instruction at WAB

• Support Services Referral Process

• Specific Responsibilities & Roles of the Support Services

support services

SUPPORT SERVICES AT WABAt WAB we believe students learn best in a caring and inclusive environment. WAB’s Support Services model provides focused and targeted instruction to meet diverse student needs. We use a collaborative approach to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess so that students can learn in an inclusive environment with high expectations and high support.

The school’s philosophy is to help students reach their full potential as individuals in the global community. This collaborative approach allows all students to receive support, regardless of individual needs.

This service also aims to differentiate for students who demonstrate a specific need. The Support Services specialist confers with the homeroom teacher to discuss goals and content material to meet the individual learner’s needs. Our goal is to offer transparency in our programs to all stakeholders as appropriate. We look at each individual child’s needs at time of admission with a view of support.

A MODEL OF INSTRUCTION AT WAB SStudents receive support in the classroom from the homeroom teacher, the support services teachers, and teaching assistants. The staff members work together with students to assess, plan, and teach students. Each classroom and grade level uses a flexible menu of approaches, such as co-teaching models, in-class accommodations and strategies, and/or small groups to support the learning needs of students.


In addition, two counselors, an educational psychologist, and enrichment coordinators liaise across the Early Childhood Center and the Elementary School. These personnel meet regularly with homeroom teachers and Support Service teachers to address the needs of specific students.

Effective Classroom Instruction with Differentiated Instructional Strategies: All students receive instruction in a differentiated classroom by the homeroom/single-subject teacher, in collaboration with the support team, as appropriate. Co-teaching models are implemented for this instruction as required.

Strategic and Targeted Instruction: Students with specific need have a plan that includes necessary accommodations and targeted strategies provided by the support team. These students are on the support register.

Individualized Instruction: This instruction involves detailed plans. These students receive some one-to-one support and extensive accommodations are in place. This includes long-term goals and ongoing partnership between the school and home. WAB continually assesses how or if we can meet the needs of the students in this category.

Our Support Services Model Includes: Counseling, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Learning Support, Enrichment, Educational Psychologist, Nursing, and Behavior. Students, parents, and staff are involved in a collaborative process for developing differentiated programs that best support the learning needs of the child as a whole in an inclusive class environment. We offer pull-out support: Literacy Support Program (LSP), Emergent English (EE), and individualized

Support Services

Support Services

IndividualizedInstruction

Estimated 1-5%of studentpopulation

Strategic andTargeted Interventions


Effective Classroom Instruction withDifferentiated Instructional Strategies


MODEL OF INSTRUCTION AT WAB


support. We also offer individualized support on a case-by-case basis. We track our students and have set procedures for documentation.

SUPPORT SERVICES REFERRAL PROCESS When there is a concern about a student’s learning a teacher or parent may ask for assistance. This concern may be about specific academic, social, emotional, or behavioral issues. The homeroom teacher and the student’s grade-level learning team develop a student support plan for that child and share it to get input from the parents.

The identification of students’ learning needs is a collaborative process that is achieved through analysis of a variety of objective and subjective assessment data. Objective assessments include group and individual tests of ability, standardized tests of achievement, curriculum assessments from WAB, and previous schools results. Subjective assessments may include observations, checklists (parent, teacher, and student), student work samples, and interviews.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND ROLES OF SUPPORT SERVICESLearning SupportWAB’s Learning Support (LS) teachers support students with additional learning needs through collaboration, co-teaching, and pull-out lessons. The LS teachers collaborate with classroom teachers to differentiate their programs and to ensure that accommodations and modifications that may be required by the LS

student are implemented. Sometimes they will be required to assist with referrals to community professionals and collaborate with teachers to follow recommendations.

LS teachers, when appropriate, will work with specialists to provide opportunities for students to receive therapy and specialized programs from professionals in the community. The LS teachers will also plan and implement Individual Education Plans (IEP) for high-needs students.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)WAB’s EAL teachers support EAL students as well as assist classroom teachers with the differentiation of their programs. EAL programs are designed to help EAL students who may need extra support with various learning in the homeroom or individual subjects. The EAL specialist and involved teachers confer regularly to discuss students’ needs and develop strategies based on those needs and expectations.

Enrichment WAB believes that while all our students have strengths that must be valued and promoted, there are students whose educational needs are different from their peers due to the nature of their academic strengths. Enrichment support within the school promotes student progress in all elements of the IB and WAB programs and utilizes a range of individualization options, grouping, and regrouping practices for a variety of learning situations in order to facilitate appropriate provision.

STUDENT SUPPORT MODEL

STUDENTNursing

LearningSupport

EnglishLanguageLearningSupport

Homeroom/SubjectTeacher

EnrichmentSupport

CounselingBehavioralSupport


Counseling Counselors support the academic, social, and emotional needs of students. Counselors offer support services for students and families as they manage issues of studying and living in an international environment. Counselors endeavor to promote personal well-being, healthy relationships, and the successful balance of academic, extracurricular, and community involvement for WAB students.

Behavioral SupportStudents needing behavior support will receive it through a collaborative team approach, which may include administration, a grade level leader, homeroom teacher, support services staff, and his/her counselors.

NursingWAB nurses form an important part of our support team. Nurses focus on the health and well-being of families and students. They collaborate with other school services as appropriate. WAB employs a full-time Chinese registered nurse, as well as foreign-hire registered nurses.

Homeroom TeacherThe homeroom teacher is an integral part of support for students. They work in collaboration with other services as needs arise.

Support Services

Individual Education Plans (IEP)This is a school-wide term used for individual plans for students who need one-to-one support and extensive accommodations. This plan includes long-term goals and ongoing partnership between school and home. Students may have had internal and external evaluations.

These plans are written and reviewed collaboratively with relevant teaching personnel and parents. When the school receives an external evaluation such as an occupational therapy, language, or psycho-educational evaluation, an IEP will be written. When WAB accepts a student with an updated IEP, WAB endeavors to follow the recommendations sited in the plan.

Literacy Support Program (LSP)LSP is an academic intervention program for students who have specific, identified learning needs. This program occurs during the additional Languages block. Students in this program have an IEP. Their progress is closely monitored, and their plans are reviewed and updated twice a year. Access to this program has strict criteria. Student enrollment in this program alters from year to year.

Emergent English Program (EEP)The Emergent English Program is designed to give intensive English language support for those new to English acquisition. Students involved in this program will attend classes during, and in place of, the additional Languages block.

33

Student Services• Student ID Cards

• Food Services

• Transportation

• Health Services


represents approximately five days of meals for most students. When the balance is below RMB50 students will receive a reminder notice to add value to the card. Should a card reach a negative balance, we will contact parents to pay the minimum balance as soon as possible. We strongly urged parents to monitor their child’s Smart Card consumption. Adding money to your child’s Smart Card can be done in the following ways:

At a food counter in either the ES; using WeChat, AliPay, or RMB

By using the Compass mobile APP (APP info on Parent Portal)

By bank wire transfer to the following account:

–Name: 康帕斯（中国）企业管理服务有限公司 –Bank Name and Branch: ICBC 中国工商银行虹桥开发区支行 –Account Number: 1001242719300441879

Important: after the money has been transferred, [email protected] and [email protected] giving your child’s full name, grade level, student number and the amount of RMB that was deposited.

Students who forget their cards have the option to use the student number digital login or our facial recognition service at the serving counters. Students who have lost their cards need to report to Elementary Reception, where they can order a new card. A new card will take approximately 24-hours to process and carries a replacement charge of 25 RMB.

STUDENT ID CARDS Student ID cards (Smart Cards) are issued upon enrollment. They are used for a variety of purposes that include the purchase of food, borrowing sports equipment and library resources, and to release materials from the school’s printers.

FOOD SERVICESWAB Food Services are managed by Chartwells, an international company highly regarded amongst its industry peers. WAB Food Services provide a wide range of international food options from various outlets within the school. The ECC food service is located in the Piazza and served family style. The Elementary School food service is located in the Atrium and has four serving counters: three hot-food counters and the salad/sandwich/sushi bar. All food is prepared fresh daily in WAB kitchens. Menus can be viewed on the Parent Portal.

Student meal offers include set menus, which are balanced meals, and custom-made sandwiches, salads, sushi, and snacks, which are served at morning break and lunchtime. Additional Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs] can be found online under the Food Services group on the Parent Portal. Queries about food or food services can be forwarded to the Chartwells on-site manager at [email protected].

Adding Money To Smart CardsDepositing funds using Chartwells recharging service is a quick and efficient way to ensure that your child can purchase food during the school day. In addition, money can be added to the cards at the recharging station in the Atrium.

We recommend a minimum of RMB150, which

Student Services


TRANSPORTATION WAB provides a student bus service to and from school. Buses arrive at school between 8:10am and 8:30am each day, although delays can occur due to traffic congestion. Afternoon buses depart at the following times:

Early Years Half DayMonday-Friday | 12:00pm

Early Years Full DayMonday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday | 3:30pm

Wednesday | 12:00pm

KG-Grade 5Monday- Friday | 3:30pm

A 4:30pm bus service is available to take students home from After-school Activities Monday to Thursday, from August to June. In addition, a late bus service for Middle and High School students runs daily at 5:45pm from the HUB carpark. This service can be available for Grade 5 students if they have late activities. If your child does need to take this service, parents need to contact ES Administration and Transportation Department first.

Any bus changes need to be communicated to the Manager of Student Services through email, text message, or bus change slips, which are available at Elementary Reception. Students will not be allowed to travel on an alternative bus without written consent from their parent. Please do not email or text the homeroom teacher, as it may not be seen during the school day. The bus service is coordinated by the Manager of Student Services who can be contacted through Elementary School Reception or [email protected]. School buses are supervised by Bus Supervisors (WAB Teacher Assistants) who are in mobile telephone contact with the school at all times.

HEALTH SERVICES A Health Clinic staffed by registered nurses is located in the Elementary School Building and available to all Elementary students. A log is kept of all treatment provided, and parents are notified in the event of any significant illness or injury.

Illness Parents are asked to notify the school nurse of any infectious diseases or of any change in the health status of a student, e.g. a vaccination,

illness, injury, or operation. It is important for parents to keep students at home if they are sick. By following this protocol, we are able to maintain a healthy environment for all and minimize the spread of infections to others. Parents need to pick up their child from school if the school nurse calls to let the parent know that the student is too sick to be at school. Parents will be informed of any exclusion times due to the illness.

Parents should advise Elementary Reception of reasons for all absences from school including illness. Parents can use the Parent Portal to log their child’s absence. In the event of extended illness (student absent for a number of days), parents are requested to contact the clinic. .

InjuriesIn the event of an injury requiring the student to go home, the school nurse will call his/her parents. In the event of a serious injury or illness, the nurse will contact the parents/guardian and arrange for the student to be transported to the nearest medical center or hospital for further attention. If necessary, the nurse (or a designated person) will accompany the student to the hospital or medical center and meet the parent there. Parents will be notified of any head injury, and an information sheet will be given to every student.

Student Services


• Hand, foot, and mouth disease: Students must be excluded and can not return to school until 14 days from the onset of symptoms;

• Head lice: Students can return to school after their hair has been treated and they have been checked by the WAB school nurse;

• Impetigo: Students can return to school when all sores are dry and scabbed. If they have had antibiotic treatment they can return after 48 hours;

• Measles: Students are expected to stay at home at least five days after the rash appears, but if complications have arisen then they are excluded for 15 days;

• Mumps: Students are expected to stay at home at least 21 days following the parotid gland having swollen;

• Ringworm: No exclusion if the student is on antifungal medication;

• Rubella (German Measles): Students are expected to stay at home at least seven days after the rash first appears;

• Threadworms: No exclusion but recommended to see a doctor for treatment to commence;

• Verrucas (foot wart): Flip-flops must be worn at all times in the pool area and in the changing room until the wart is gone.

Student Health ScreeningsAll students from Senior Grade 1 to 5 are screened by our school nurses for general vision, height, and weight, which gives a BMI percentile for their age and gender. Senior Grade 1 students will also have a color vision screen, and Grade 5 girls will have a scoliosis screen during their swimming block.

Medication at SchoolThe school nurse must administer all medication during school hours. All medication, other than Epi-pens and asthma inhalers, should be kept in the clinic. Please fill in the Permission to Administer Medicine form or send a note with the student’s name, reason to give medicine, dosage, and time. All medicines must be in their original container, clearly labeled with the student’s name, class, and the dosage to be given. A few over-the-counter medications (i.e. Panadol, Ibuprofen) are available in the clinic and can be given if parental permission is on file.

Medical RecordsIt is very important that WAB nurses have complete, updated medical records of students at all times. Parents are asked to complete and return the WAB Medical Questionnaire to the clinic and keep nurses updated of any new conditions or immunizations. It is also important to keep the school informed of current parent/guardian work, home and mobile telephone numbers, and emergency contact information. For specific illnesses the nurse may require further information and write up an individual health plan. Should this be required, the nurse will contact a parent/guardian accordingly.

Illnesses and Exclusion from SchoolWAB’s exclusion period for the following illnesses/conditions follow the guidelines from the Beijing Center for Disease Control (CDC):

• Chickenpox: Students are expected to stay at home for at least seven days after the rash first appears and all blisters have crusted over;

• Conjunctivitis (infected): Students can return to school once they have been on treatment for 24 hours;

• Diarrhea and Vomiting: Students who have diarrhea and/or are vomiting are excluded from school until they have had no symptoms for 24 hours;

• Fever: WAB maintains a “fever free” environment. Students with a temperature of 37.5 0C and above are excluded. Students are expected to be fever-free, without medication, for 24 hours before returning to school;

Student Services

37


• Peer Support

• Parent Involvement

• Room Parents

• Cybersafety

• Class Placements

• Emergency Evacuation

• Security

• Housekeeping Staff

• Supporting Student Behavior in the School Environment

• Role of the Counselors and the Principal/Vice Principal


PEER SUPPORTStudents at WAB are encouraged to contribute to our unique and caring school environment. As a part of the Student Leadership program, there are many avenues by which students are able to support one another.

Big Brother Big Sister (Ge Ge, Jie Jie)Grade 4 and 5 students have an opportunity to participate in this extremely successful and popular community service program. Big Brother Big Sister participants spend at least one break or lunchtime a week going to either the ECC or Junior/Senior Grade 1 playgrounds to serve as big brothers and sisters for the younger students. This may involve simply playing with the children, but often includes such responsibilities as helping children develop friendships if they seem to be alone, helping resolve conflicts, or even organizing games.

Buddy ClassesAlmost all of the homeroom classes have a particular buddy class with which they will do regular activities. Commonly there is a two- to four-year grade gap between the two classes. For example, a Junior Grade 1 class will work with a Grade 4 class, or a Senior Grade 1 class with a Grade 5 class. Example activities may be reading a story to the younger students, helping them choose a library book, or leading them through a challenging activity using computer technology.

ASA Leaders and HelpersSStudents in Grades 4 and 5 have an opportunity to assist teachers running an After-school Activity (ASA). Grade 5 students may also run their own ASA with the guidance of a teacher.

Additional OpportunitiesWithin the spirit of student leadership, other opportunities arise each year for children to take a leadership role. Examples include older students running lunchtime drawing or dancing clubs for the younger children.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT Parents are encouraged to participate as partners in the education of their children and in the continuing development of the school. Many procedures are established to enable parents to be involved in and informed about their child’s education.



Parental involvement can occur through a variety of avenues including:

• Attendance on field trips

• Classroom involvement e.g. reading, electives, cooking

• Assisting in the library

• Assisting with sports and other events

• Commenting on portfolio learning engagements

• Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences (PSTC)

• Student-led Conferences

• Parent information evenings

• Parent workshops

• Room Parents

A significant contribution can be made by parents to the decision-making processes at WAB through volunteering on the WAB Board (elected position), WAB Board Committee, or Parent Link.

Parents are encouraged to provide input and feedback through a variety of means including:

• Parent surveys

• Feedback sheets

• Meetings with staff

• Emails to staff

Parents are most welcome at WAB during the school day and after school hours. Parents should contact teachers directly if they are interested in helping in the classroom.

ROOM PARENTSRoom Parents are organized by Parent Link. The primary role of a Room Parent is to support the teacher and their main objective is to enhance communication between teachers and parents. The role of a Room Parent will vary considerably between grades and Room Parents and teachers will build relationships that will meet individual classroom needs. Room Parents should assist parents to identify the right staff member to approach to answer any questions.

Room Parents also have a Parent Link support function and will be called on from time to time to be the Parent Link or school “spokesperson” where effective lines of communication are required. A good example is end-of-year celebrations where Room Parents may be asked to coordinate food or activities. Room Parents are also invaluable in helping and enlisting help from other parents with the annual Parent Link Fun Fair.

CYBERSAFETYThe wireless network service at WAB provides Internet access anytime, anywhere. A certain amount of responsibility and management must be taken to use such services in a safe and acceptable manner.

To maintain a safe environment, WAB monitors Internet usage and employs filters to manage inappropriate content and sites. Although filtering software is provided to restrict access to certain sites, such resources are never complete safeguards to the mass volumes of information stored on the Internet. At times, some students may accidentally encounter inappropriate website content. Where instances like this arise filters will be checked and updated accordingly.

To enable students to use technology appropriately and critically, WAB provides an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to which students must agree. The AUP describes appropriate and acceptable use for technologies, including internet, email, print and copier services, file sharing, managing personal information and intellectual property.

All students at WAB are expected to use technology resources and services in a manner appropriate to a school setting and in keeping with WAB expectations and values.

At all times, WAB students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is cognizant of the rights, feelings, and freedoms of others as well as themselves.

All students from Senior Grade 1 to Grade 5 must complete and submit the Acceptable Use Policy agreement.


CLASS PLACEMENTS We seek teachers’ professional judgment in placing students in classes for each academic school year. We consider as many perspectives as possible when placing students in classes. We also consider comments from single-subject teachers, students and parents.

Parents are invited to submit any relevant information to the Elementary Principal regarding their child’s placement for the following school year.

Members of our teaching staff have an international perspective and are selected for their professionalism, high qualifications, skills, and creativity. As all teachers at WAB are highly competent, parental requests for a specific teacher based on a personal preference will not be considered.

EMERGENCY EVACUATIONEstablished procedures exist for staff and students to follow in the event of fire, earthquake, or unauthorized intrusion. In such circumstances, student safety is of paramount importance.

In emergency situations, access for emergency vehicles is vital, so we ask parents to ensure the school entry areas remain clear of vehicles at all times. If it is necessary to evacuate the school campus, students and staff will be directed to the park at the rear of the Obelisco Restaurant near the school.

In the event that students must return home, parents will be notified through the school’s emergency contact procedures including SMS, email, WeChat, and/or phone calls.

Periodically, WAB conducts evacuation or lock-down drills to practice safe and efficient evacuation or lock-down procedures. Students are reminded that evacuation and lock down procedures must be conducted in an orderly and quiet manner. Should a crisis ever occur, it is vital that the communication of information be accurate and quickly available. Teachers will review procedures with students at the start of the year. Students are also advised to familiarize themselves with the designated evacuation routes from classrooms. Signs with evacuation routes are posted in every classroom.



SECURITY WAB provides a comprehensive 24-hour security service. All vehicles are required to have a WAB vehicle sticker. Staff and parents are required to show their WAB ID (Smart Card) to enter the school campus. All visitors must register at the front gate and be issued with a Visitor’s Pass. The campus is equipped with closed circuit television and a state-of-the-art Fire Command Center.

HOUSEKEEPING STAFF Housekeeping staff (ayis) are employed at WAB to carry out specific roles in relation to maintaining and keeping a clean and tidy environment. To help support students to develop independence and take responsibility for their own items, ayis are encouraged to not pick up after students or to do things that students can do themselves.

In the ECC, the ayis also work in classrooms for periods of time where they may be involved in mixing paints, setting out materials, playing with children, escorting students to the toilets, and other similar tasks as instructed by the teacher.

SUPPORTING STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAt WAB, our goal is to encourage students to become active, compassionate, and life-long learners who strive to exemplify the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Everyone in the school works to model the IB Learner Profile attributes, which are that students become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective.

WAB has always been a school that has placed great importance on providing a caring and supportive school environment and promoting a sense of well-being for all students. Each school section is designed to provide a friendly community environment that is welcoming, promotes positive social exchange, and supports teaching and learning. A range of support staff, counselors, and administrators provide support services to our student and school community.


At WAB students learn to follow these three expectations:

• Respect yourself WAB provides a supportive learning environment that encourages all members to be successful and confident learners.

• Respect others WAB emphasizes care, effective communication, and high-quality relationships based on respect for others and their differences.

• Respect the environment WAB provides a stimulating and positive learning environment that allows all members to feel safe.

WAB is committed to maintaining a bully- free learning environment. WAB takes a whole-school approach in addressing bullying behaviors by increasing awareness through community education, being proactive and responsive to reported bullying incidents, and increasing teacher understanding and competencies in the use of effective behavior-management strategies.

If students’ behavior is not in-line with the above expectations, then conversations with the student and adults involved will involve reflections and natural consequences adopted.


INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS AND CONSEQUENCES TO SUPPORT BEHAVIOR CHANGE

LEVEL 1- Low-level, minor, infrequent behaviors that do not significantly interrupt the teaching and learning of others.

• Off task

• Not finishing work

• Non-compliance

• Inappropriate moving around the school

• Using inappropriate language

• Chewing gum

• Littering

• Spitting

• Bringing inappropriate items to school

• Being late

• Being in an inappropriate area

CONSEQUENCES LEVEL 1- Logical and planned interventions. Least to most intrusive.

• Clear direction

• Safe and supportive environment guidelines reminder

• Choice

LEVEL 2- Persistent behaviors that disrupt the teaching and learning, or repeated LEVEL 1 behaviors.

• Non-compliance

• Defiance or disrespect

• Swearing or other verbal abuse

• Sexual or racial harassment

• Teasing or bullying

• Bullying

• Physical abuse, fighting

• Unsafe play • Theft

• Vandalism or graffiti

• Leaving school without permission, truancy

• Inappropriate use of computers

• Cheating

CONSEQUENCES LEVEL 2 – Planned team support, which may involve teachers, parents, counselors, administration. May include:

• Time out

• Suspension of privileges

• Buddy classroom

• Contracts

• Family conference

• Solution space

• Individual behavior plan

• Counseling

LEVEL 3 – Repeated Level 2 behaviors, extreme violence, dangerous or illegal behaviors while under school jurisdiction.

• Extreme violence towards self, others, or property

• Using, possessing, or distributing tobacco, alcohol, or other chemical products

• Possessing dangerous items or weapons

• Possessing or accessing pornographic material

• Computer hacking, trashing, or interfering in any way with another persons’ work or intellectual property

CONSEQUENCES LEVEL 3 – Planned team support which will involve parents, teachers, counselor, administrators, and other support agencies as appropriate.

• Solution space

• Family conference

• In-school suspension

• Drug testing (urine testing)

• Suspension

• Exclusion


• Logical consequence

• Time out


ROLE OF COUNSELORS AND THE PRINCIPAL/VICE PRINCIPALThe counselors, principal, and assistant principal work very closely as a team. ES counselors are selected for their professionalism, high qualifications, skills, and ability to work with students and families in times of transition and need. Counselors’ roles are diverse, and their ultimate aim is to promote a safe, supportive environment for all students.

The principal and assistant principal play a vital role in ensuring that WAB has a safe and supportive environment. They are readily available to deal with serious student behavioral issues, manage emergency and crisis situations, while also working toward being proactive in preventative programs.

Terms used:Logical consequence – e.g. Drop litter, help tidy an area.

Time out – Student moves to a seat or a place away from the activity until they are ready to follow rules.

Thinking time – A time for a student to reflect on their behavior.

Partner classroom – Student is sent to another classroom with work.

Contract – A written or verbal agreement between a teacher and student outlining behavior or learning expectations. Parents receive a copy.

In-school suspension – Student attends school but not regular classes or activities. An Individual Behavior Plan (IBP) is written and implemented.

Suspension - Student is asked to remain at home for a period of time. Re-entry to WAB is negotiated with the student, parents, and relevant school staff. This is recorded in an IBP.

Exclusion – A student’s enrollment at WAB will be permanently withdrawn.


45


• WABX Program

• WABX - ES After-school Activities Grades 1-5

• WABX - ES Lunchtime Programs

• WABX - ES TigerSharks Swim Team

• Band & String Ensembles

• ES Instrumental Music Program

• Cultural Celebrations

• Class Parties


WABX PROGRAMWAB provides extensive extracurricular activities through its WABX program. A large range of high-quality activities is available to cater to the interests and needs of students. These may be conducted during lunchtimes, after school, and on weekends.

The recreation program focuses on the social needs of expatriate students in Beijing and endeavors to provide a range of interesting activities that promote an active lifestyle and provide support for students making positive lifestyle choices. In addition, activities aim to provide opportunity for the development of leadership skills. Encouraging meaningful interaction with students from local Chinese schools is an integral part of the WABX program.

Elementary School students may choose to participate in the following:• Choir and Band (full-year commitment)

• Swim team (TigerSharks)

• After-school Activity program (one eight-week block commitment per term)

• Mother Tongue Language Classes

• Library until 5:00pm daily for Grades 3, 4, 5

• Social activities, including movie nights

• Instrumental music lessons in strings, woodwind, brass (full-year commitment).

We send information home regularly outlining activities. Parents may also contact relevant school personnel for specific information.

WABX-ES AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES GRADES SENIOR GRADE 1-5Our After-school Activities (ASA) program runs three days a week for three sessions per year and offers an opportunity for students from Senior Grade 1 to Grade 5 to select activities. Students have the opportunity to choose from more than 75 activities falling under these main categories: arts, information communication technology, environment, dance, sports, chinese cultural activities, and languages.

A full ASA program will be electronically sent to all families in late August via SchoolsBuddy online system. Parents will need to sign up for this service to access the descriptions of all activities. Then for each session SchoolsBuddy will send a sign-up notice for each new session throughout the year. .


WAB Elementary School Handbook for Parents and Students 47 47

WABX-ES LUNCHTIME SPORTS PROGRAMSOlympic Dream Series (ODS)The Olympic Dream Series is a series of sporting events run at lunchtime throughout the year. It is designed to provide students from Grade 2–5 with the opportunity to be active and experience a variety of sports during their lunchtime. Depending on the grade level, students are able to participate in sports such as the biathlon, cross-country, badminton, table tennis, handball, swimming, track and field, and benchball.

Lunchtime Sports Program/Interschool Sportsn addition to the Olympic Dream Series, WAB Elementary School students have the opportunity to participate in a lunchtime sports program that exposes students to the sports WAB participates in at a representative level. The International Schools Athletic Conference (ISAC) provides the Elementary students from Grades 2-5 with opportunities to represent WAB in soccer, cross-country, handball, table tennis, track and field, badminton, and benchball. Exposure to these sports and training for interschool events happens during the lunchtimes.

WABX-ES TIGERSHARKS SWIM TEAMThe WAB TigerSharks competitive swim team is open to those Elementary students who can complete 25 meters of at least three competitive strokes. The season will run in three parts from August to May. Tryouts will be held for each of the seasons. There will be competitions offered throughout the year that all participants are expected to attend. The majority of these will be in the Beijing area, though we will have a few outside of Beijing and China.

BAND AND STRINGS ENSEMBLEShe Beginner Band and Beginner Strings are instrumental ensembles that give students the opportunity to play their instrument in a group setting, even if they have just begun learning. Students from Grade 3 to Grade 5 can join Beginner Band, and students from Grade 2 to Grade 5 can join Beginner Strings. Students within the ES Instrumental Music Program are encouraged to take part in the ensembles when they begin private lessons. Ensembles allow students to develop their skills further and to give their lessons greater purpose and direction. Great opportunities exist for strings, wind, and brass students! These ensembles are year-long commitments. The Beginner Band and Strings perform at assemblies as well as perform mid-year and end-of-year concerts for parents. If your child has been playing longer and is confident in playing and reading music, opportunities exist in the Development Band and Intermediate Strings. Placements in these ensembles are at the music director’s discretion.

ES INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAMWAB offers weekly instrumental instruction on a wide variety of instruments. We also offer lessons after school. There is an additional fee for the Instrumental Program. All lessons are individual, as we believe that students benefit most from a 1:1 teaching-and-learning situation. Once a student’s place in the program is confirmed, all fees must be paid in full prior to the first lesson. Lesson books are included.

This program requires a full-year commitment and includes a performance component through recitals or ensemble performances, such as the band or string concerts. Students are encouraged to make a commitment to perform in order to give their learning a purpose.

We suggest parents not wishing or unable to



the significant celebrations and traditions of Chinese culture, WAB also aims to acknowledge cultural events that are significant in the lives of our community members in an inclusive way. In striving to be sensitive to the diversity of our community, WAB takes great care to plan school-wide events around celebrations and events that do not exclude or offend members of our community.

CLASS PARTIESFrom time to time, individual classes will hold ‘class parties’ to celebrate a special event, farewell a student or celebrate the end of the semester. Teachers will ask for food or drinks to be sent along to be shared for events like these. Parents are often invited to join in the celebrations.

follow through on these commitments seek out private instruction as a more suitable alternative for the needs of their child and family. The ES Instrumental Coordinator can help with these arrangements.

All students will need to have (or purchase) their own instrument to practice during the week. The ES Instrumental Coordinator can assist in the selection and purchase of any instrument if you need help.

CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS WAB is a diverse community with over 50 nationalities, with a wide range of languages and cultures represented within staff, students, and parents.

WAB values this mosaic of diversity and believes that it is important to educate the community so that everyone understands the uniqueness of their own culture and their interconnectedness with the culture of others. While taking the opportunity to involve the WAB community in


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The School Day• Bell Times

• Assemblies

• Play Times - Indoor & Outdoor Options

• Playgrounds and Supervision

• Clothing Recommendations

• Arrival at School

• Absence from School or Late Arrival

• Early Departure

• Attendance and Punctuality

• Field Trips

• Use of School Facilities After School Hours

• Overseas or Alumni Student Visitors

• Student Use of Telephones


BELL TIMES 8:10am Supervision begins on the playground,

8:20am Students may enter classrooms

8:30am Classes commence

10:15-10:35am Morning Break

11:55am-12:25pm Grade 1-2 eat while Grade 3-Grade 5 play

12:25-12:55pm Grade 3-5 eat while Grade 1-Grade 2 play

3:20pm Dismissal from school

BELL TIMES (EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER)8:10am Supervision begins in the playground, Piazza, and classrooms

8:30am Classes commence

10:15-10:35am Morning Break

12:00pm 3-year-old half day: Dismissal from school

12:00pm 3- and 4-year-old full day: Dismissal from school on Wednesdays only

11:55am-12:55pm Students eat

3:20pm Dismissal from school

ASSEMBLIESWAB encourages everyone to be a part of the WAB community but also to value the many communities that exist within the school. Assemblies occur at different times throughout the school year. Elementary Assemblies are divided into two categories: Grade-Level Assemblies and Elementary School Assemblies.

Grade-Level Assemblies Two Elementary Grade-Level Assemblies occur on alternate Fridays in the Founders’ Theatre – Junior Grade 1 and Senior Grade 1 alternate with Grades 2 and 3. Grades 4 and 5 Assemblies take place on Fridays in the Founders’ Theatre approximately every 2 weeks.

The focus of these assemblies is a celebration and sharing of students’ learning and an opportunity for students, teachers, and parents

to enjoy being together as a group. These assemblies usually feature one or more classes that prepare and perform items that reflect ongoing learning in the classroom. Very often, students from various classes will lead the assemblies. These assemblies are also a forum to disseminate information from the administration and WAB community about events that may be happening in and around WAB.

In the Early Years, students gather in the Piazza for singing and celebrations every Friday morning.

Elementary Assemblies and Whole School Assemblies Elementary School Assemblies (Early Years-Grade 5) and Whole School Assemblies (Early Years-Grade 12) occur usually at the end of most semesters and include farewells, leaving certificates, and the WAB band and choir. These assemblies are usually held in the Elementary gymnasium.

Special Event Assemblies Special Event Assemblies are scheduled at various times throughout the school year to feature guest artists and performers who provide entertainment, education, and cultural exchange.

Parents are always welcome to attend Elementary and Whole School Assemblies, but because of the number of families at WAB, space at Whole School Assemblies is very limited.

PLAY TIMES – INDOOR AND OUTDOORAll students are encouraged to be outside at break times unless they are participating in an indoor activity or the Inclement Weather Bell has rung. Students who do not wish to go outside can participate in a range of activities indoors, including library (which is open at all break times), as well as the gymnasium, the music suites, and art rooms, which are open as advertised. Students may also be indoors if they are using the toilets, are visiting the school nurse, or meeting with one of our counselors.

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PLAYGROUNDS AND SUPERVISIONWAB prides itself on giving choice of spaces for students to spend their free time during breaks. Playground areas for student use:

Area A: Lower Elementary Playground Junior and Senior Grade 1

Area B:Upper Elementary Playground Grade 2-Grade 5

Area C: Secret Garden All ES students

Area D: Tiger Field, Library, Visual and Performing Arts Rooms Junior/Senior Grade 1 – 5 students

An Elementary Staff Supervision Schedule is in operation at all times in all playground areas. The Early Years Courtyard and Tiger L’Air are also supervised play areas.

The Founders’ Theatre and Tiger L’Air are used as spaces for students to play during inclement weather.

Inclement WeatherWAB has a world-class air filtration system inside all buildings with air quality ranging between 1-5. The ES reception publishes the AQI reading on WAB’s Parent Portal hourly and will use the reading to determine when to implement our inclement weather procedures.

When the air quality reaches unacceptable levels, bells will sound instructing students to

remain indoors. The following procedures and spaces are allocated:

Early Years• Between 0-180 AQI - All outside areas open.

• Between 181-299 AQI – Outside areas are closed, and inside areas, including classrooms, are open. Students continue to move between the ECC and ES Building for PE, swimming, and library.

• 300+ AQI - The students will remain in the ECC building and not access the main building.

Junior/Senior Grade 1 - Grade 5• Between 0-199 AQI - All outside areas are open for students.

• Between 200-299 AQI - All outside areas are closed. The Founders’ Theatre and Tiger L’Air are open for student use.

• 300+ AQI - All outside areas are closed. Students may not leave the building. The Tiger L’Air is closed. The Founders’ Theatre, studio rooms, and KG community area are open.

CLOTHING RECOMMENDATIONSWAB does not require a school uniform, however many Elementary students find it comfortable to wear the WAB physical education (PE) kit. As our students are highly physically active during the day, we ask parents to send students to school in shoes that are appropriate for running and ball games, even on non-PE days. For this reason, students should not come to school wearing crocs or flip-flops. For students playing soccer/football, closed toed shoes are essential. Please also ensure that open-toed shoes or sandals are not worn on a

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Personal-Social-Physical Education (PSPE) day unless your child has swimming.

WAB recommends the following clothing choices for single subject-lessons:

Physical EducationWe recommend that they wear the PE kit to school, which is popular with many students who often wear it throughout the week as well. Specific sports shoes for PE should be sent or worn to school on these days. Open sandals, boots, and jewelry are not suitable for PE lessons. Additional items of PE clothing, such as tracksuit tops and pants, long sleeved tops, and swimwear are available to purchase through the Parent Link outlet known as the Tiger’s Den in the Elementary School. All PSPE clothing should be clearly marked with child’s name for quick return if lost.

SwimmingSwimming is a part of the educational program at WAB, and all students are expected to participate. When swimming is scheduled, students need to bring a towel and swimwear. Goggles are optional. Generally, if students are not feeling well enough to swim we recommend they not attend school that day. If a student cannot swim, a note is required from the parent on that day.

Visual ArtsAll students wear supplied art smocks or aprons during visual arts lessons. However, students are encouraged not to wear ‘good’ clothes on art days, as accidents can and often do happen.

ARRIVAL AT SCHOOLStudents should not arrive at school before 8:00am. We supervise indoor and outdoor areas after 8am. When the bell rings at 8:30am, students go to their homerooms.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL OR LATE ARRIVALParents are asked to notify the school via the Parent Portal, telephone, email, or send a note of explanation to the homeroom teacher if their child is absent for any reason.

If arriving late (after 8:30am bell) students are to report to the Elementary Reception to sign in. Administrative staff will adjust the official school records accordingly.

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EARLY DEPARTURE Occasionally, a student may need to leave campus before the end of the school day. Elementary students can leave when prior communication has been received from a parent. Prior to departure, the parent and student are asked to report to Elementary Reception and sign-out with the receptionist. Elementary students are not permitted to leave the campus during the school day without being accompanied by a parent (or nominated adult) and an exit/sign-out pass.

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITYTo ensure students optimize learning and achievement, attendance and punctuality at school is essential. WAB is committed to maximizing school attendance. Students are expected to attend school every day unless they are sick or have extenuating circumstances explaining their absence.

Expectations of parentsWhile we appreciate that some school absence is inevitable, we ask families to support us by:

• Ensuring that your children attend school and arrive punctually every school day.

• Providing the school with notification in the event that your child will be absent or late. This can be done via the WAB Parent Portal.

• Communicating with your children about the importance of daily attendance and punctuality and their effects on learning and achievement.

• Informing the school principal or assistant principal of any special circumstances that may have an effect on their child’s attendance.

Extended AbsenceParents are requested to advise homeroom and single-subject teachers if their child will be absent from school for an extended period of time (more than three consecutive days).

The nature of the PYP and learning at WAB is inquiry-based. As such, class activities and assignments are organized in such a way that they cannot always be replicated at a later date. Because it is not possible to replicate the school’s learning environment, teachers are unable to provide schoolwork for a student who is absent from class except in the case of a student who has a documented acute or chronic medical condition requiring extended time away from school. Regular daily attendance, therefore, is necessary and expected.

We urge parents to exercise discretion and avoid absences due to convenience, travel, or vacation during regularly scheduled school days, including days adjacent to weekends and school holidays.

FIELD TRIPS China is considered a key platform for learning, providing opportunities for real-life investigations, and experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

Field trips and in-school visits are woven through transdisciplinary and single-subject Units of Inquiry with an emphasis on students developing connections to people and issues in a richer and more meaningful way than they might do as tourists. These opportunities are planned to be developmentally appropriate and responsive to the needs identified through students’ inquiries.

When students go on WAB field trips:

• Parents receive written communication about the field trip which outlines the date, mode of

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transport, student’s needs, a description and reason for field trip, and permission slip for parents to sign.

• At least one Chinese-speaking adult will attend.

• Written permission from the parent/guardian must be given, otherwise the student cannot attend.

• Students not attending the field trip will be placed in another class for the duration of the field trip.

WAB uses recommended adult/student ratios when going on field trips. Teachers may request parental help for field trips, depending on the field trip.

USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES AFTER SCHOOL HOURSElementary students must be supervised by an adult when using the outdoor facilities after school hours. Elementary students in Grades 3-5 can independently use the library after school for home learning, research, and recreational reading until 5:00pm. Early Years-Grade 2 students must be accompanied by an adult.

Parents are welcome to use public areas after school hours, however some of these spaces may not be available if they are being used for After-school Activities. Please refrain from using these areas during After-school Activities.

OVERSEAS OR ALUMNI STUDENT VISITORS Requests should be made to the homeroom teacher and a member of the ES Administrative Team.

The following procedures should be followed:

• The family should make the request to the homeroom teacher who has the right to decline if it will adversely interrupt their teaching for that day.

• The guest should be approximately the same age as the student attending WAB.

• The homeroom teacher will inform all single- subject teachers if the guest will be attending school for the day.

All visitors to the school must report to the Main Gate. Each visitor will be given a visitor’s badge and be asked to sign the Visitor’s Registration Form. Visitors may then proceed to their destination if the visit has been prearranged. If unsure, please proceed to Elementary Reception..

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