School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

1

Welcome Dear Parents, We are proud to present our school guide for Primary education at the European School The Hague (ESH). The information in this guide applies to all pupils and parents in the Primary cycle and provides an overview of the organisation of the school and the teaching. We are an officially accredited European School providing multilingual and multicultural education. In the Secondary school we prepare our students for the European Baccalaureate. We aim to keep this guide as up-to-date as possible but we recommend that you regularly check our website for the most recent version and for additional information not contained in this guide. We hope you find this guide informative and insightful but do not hesitate to give us feedback on it. On behalf of the staff of the ESH, I wish both pupils and parents a successful and pleasant school year. Frans van de Kerkhof MPA, MES Director European School The Hague

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

2

Contents

“Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in upon them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.” Jean Monnet

School Management

Director: Mr Frans van de Kerkhof Deputy Director Primary: Mr Eugene Voorneman Support Leader: Mr Jaap Marsman Facility Manager: Ms Danielle Eijkenbroek

Contact information Houtrustweg 2 2566 HA The Hague Tel: + 31 (0)70 700 1600

The ESH is part of the Foundation Het Rijnlands Lyceum. The Foundation stands for excellent education and supports its schools in realising the best education for its students.

1 Practical Information

5

2 Primary School Organisation

8

3 Primary School Curriculum

10

4 Support 5 Communication

12

6  Contact details external organisations Holiday Calendar

19 20

European National Days

21

7 Index

22

16

School website

www.europeanschoolthehague.nl

We are a part of the Stichting Het Rijnlands Lyceum Executive director: Dr. M.W. Knoester

Email Address

Contact information

[email protected]

Absences / Special Leave Requests [email protected]

Admissions Primary School

Ms. Claire Alcock, [email protected]

The ESH is affiliated with the European Schools by means of an Accreditation and Cooperation Agreement, we offer the European Curriculum and provide education for the European Baccalaureate.

P.O. Box 486, 2240 AL Wassenaar Backershagenlaan 3, 2243 AB Wassenaar

Email Address

[email protected]

Website

www.rijnlandslyceum.nl

Design: Studio Het Mes

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

3

ESH fosters a culture of learning, we guide and educate our students to become creative and critical thinkers who are able to transition to the next stage of education and be successful in their life.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

4

1  Practical Information School Hours

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

08:45 – 15:00 08:45 – 15:00 08:45 – 12:45 08:45 – 15:00 08:45 – 15:00

The school timetable includes a lunch break. All classes have a 15-minute break in the morning and a 45-minute lunch break. The Nursery school children have an extra 15-minute break in the afternoon. During these breaks, the children can eat fruit or a healthy snack that they have brought with them. At the beginning of the school year you will receive a more detailed timetable from your child’s class teacher.

Lunch & Snack Break Break Nursery A Nursery B Primary 1 & 2 Primary 3,4 & 5 Lunch break Nursery A Nursery B Primary 1 & 2 Primary 3,4 & 5

10:15 – 10:30 10:45 – 11:00 10:45 – 11:00 10:15 – 10:30

Absence – Reporting Sick

11:45 – 12:30 12:15 – 13:00 12:30 – 13:15 12:45 – 13:30

If your child is sick or is not able to come to school for other reasons, please report this to the reception before 9:00, either by email: [email protected] or by telephone: + 31 (0)70 700 1600. If a child is absent without any notification, we will contact the parents.

The lunch break is divided into two parts: there is lunchtime (30 minutes) and playtime (15 minutes). During lunch breaks pupils can eat their own packed lunch or the lunch served by the canteen. The canteen menu is posted on the school website every month. All children eat in the canteen with supervision from the lunchtime supervisors. We encourage healthy eating at ESH and ask you not to give your child any sweets, fizzy drinks or other unhealthy snacks. Unfortunately we do not have any facilities for storing packed lunches in a refrigerator or for heating them up. You can also collect your child for a lunch break at home.

In principle wherever possible, visits to the dentist, doctor, specialist, the embassy etc. should be scheduled outside school hours. In the case of school absence in connection with an appointment, please inform the reception and class teacher in advance and otherwise immediately upon arrival at school. If children are collected during school hours for an appointment, we ask that you report to the reception and indicate whether your child will return to school that day. Please also notify reception upon returning your child to school after the appointment. If your child will not return to school after an appointment, please don’t

forget to notify all other relevant organisations such as the bus company, after school activities provider or the after school care provider.

Absence – Special Leave Request

The ESH is bound by the Dutch Compulsory Education Act, which states that all children from the age of five must attend school every day that the school is open. A parent who keeps a child of 5 years old or older away from school without the necessary consent is committing a statutory offence. A school that does not report (assumed) unauthorised absence also commits a statutory offence. The Compulsory Education Act has a limited number of reasons, which allow for an exemption to the rules. These exceptions are: – Holiday leave for parents whose employer cannot grant any leave during school holidays. – Compelling circumstances. For example, passport application, doctor visits, relocation, marriage of family

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

5

and relatives, wedding or job anniversary, serious illness of family/relatives. – Fulfilment of religious duties. In addition, leave may also be granted for other reasons (i.e. passport renewal, funeral). Please refer to the school website for complete information about the special leave request procedure and for the Special Leave Request form.

Arrival at school – drop off procedure

The following procedure ensures the safety of all children and adults on the school site; – When arriving by car, please follow the instructions from the traffic supervisors. – Parents are requested to leave their bicycles in the designated areas. – Please note that the school doors will not be open for Nursery or primary before 08:30 at the earliest and parents are responsible for their child(ren) until then. – Children should be dressed appropriately in case of wet weather. – The Nursery entrance is located adjacent to the Nursery playground. – Primary parents and pupils enter school via the main reception area. – Nursery children who travel by bus will be collected by class assistants and taken to their respective classes. – Parents of Nursery children can accompany their children to the classroom from 08:30 to 08:40. – P1 pupils follow the same procedure as Nursery until 1.10.16 and then as P2 to P5. – P2-P5: Parents say goodbye to Primary pupils at the main reception door and the pupils walk independently to class. Children will be monitored inside the building. – 08:30: First bell rings (doors open). – 08:40: Second bell rings, the register is taken and pupils get ready to start lessons at 08:45 (Nursery parents are expected to leave before this time). – 08:45: Doors close and latecomers are required to report to reception.

If you need to contact a member of staff first thing in the morning please send an email to: [email protected].

Leaving school – pick-up procedure

– If parents have made an arrangement for someone else to collect their child/ren staff must be informed prior to collection. – Parents are requested to leave their bicycles in the designated areas. – Nursery children who go home by bus or who attend after-school care are collected from their classroom by a delegated adult prior to the bell. – 15.00: bell rings. – All Nursery children who are not taking part in after-school activities are supervised by their teacher until they are collected from their classroom. – Nursery parents must enter and exit via the Nursery entrance / playground only. – Primary children who go home by bus or who attend after-school care go independently to the delegated meeting area for their bus or after-school activity, where the adult(s) responsible will meet them. – Primary pupils not on the bus or taking part in afterschool activities assemble at the class line-up areas outside the main reception. They will wait with their teacher until they are collected by parents or a known adult. The teacher acknowledges parents and pupils shake their teacher’s hand before leaving. – All Primary parents wait outside the main reception area ready to meet their child/ren. – P4 and P5 pupils are able to travel to and from school independently with prior written permission from parents. They will be given a gate pass to show (security) staff at the gate before they leave the premises. – Late pick-ups will wait at the reception from 15:00 whilst parents are contacted.

Drop-off and Pick-up Procedure for After School Activities

– All Nursery children will be collected from their classroom by the relevant member of the after-school activity staff.

– Once dismissed by staff, Primary pupils go independently to the designated meeting area where the adult(s) responsible for their after-school activity will meet them. – At the end of after-school activities, children will be brought to the area outside the main reception. – Pupils who attend after-school care will be collected from their after-school activity by a member of after-school care staff. – Please note that for activities starting after 15:00 children will be collected from the Primary entrance / exit by the main reception area. – Parents waiting at school during after-school activities are asked to wait outside the building.

After-School Care

After-school care within the ESH is provided by ZEIN Childcare. You can contact them directly at: [email protected]. A few other after-school care agencies are also active at the ESH, including Villa Bloom.

Bikes

Bike parking for pupils is available on the school premises or outside the Nursery entrance. Cyclists should not cycle on school grounds, but walk their bicycles to and from the bicycle shed.

Bus Transport

The bus transport for our school is organised by Achttax. For registration and information, please use the following email address: [email protected]. For children who travel by school bus, we ask that you explain that safety on the bus is very important. Our pupils must listen to their bus driver, remain seated during the journey and keep their seat belts fastened. In the case of complaints, please contact our facility manager Ms. Danielle Eijkenbroek via: [email protected].

Canteen

We have a canteen in our school. For questions about prices or any comments about the canteen, please send an email to: [email protected]. You can find the Canteen Registration form on the school website.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

6

A yellow library bag is provided to all school pupils for their Nursery and Primary years. A new bag will cost the family 6 euro to replace. Contact: [email protected]

Lost Property

Lost property is collected by the concierges and displayed in the Atrium. At the end of the term any belongings not collected are donated to charity. Please label your child’s belongings clearly to avoid losing them.

Mobile Phones

As a rule, pupils’ mobile phones/devices are not allowed to be switched on during lesson time, or on the school premises in general. Pupils are only allowed to use their mobile phones in lesson time with the permission of the teacher. We request that parents limit the use of mobile phones in the school premises.

Personal Belongings Celebrations

Besides learning, we also make time for important celebrations such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, Easter and European National celebrations. On special occasions such as birthdays, treats may of course be brought to school for sharing. We strive to promote a healthy lifestyle and ask for your cooperation in this respect.

Clothing

Pupils bring their gym clothes to school on the days that they have PE lessons. An appropriate sports kit includes indoor sports shoes with non-marking soles. A school sports shirt can be ordered from gymspullen.nu

ICT

All classrooms have interactive whiteboards (SMART) or projectors with whiteboards and all teachers are proficient in their use. Laptops are available in each class for use by the children. Wifi is enabled around the school.

Insurance

The school has accident insurance for all pupils. This insurance is not only in effect when the children are at school, but also during bus transport from home to school and vice versa. The insurance also covers school trips and sports tournaments.

Library

The library is located at the second floor of the school. It offers a collection of more than 5000 books, magazines and audiobooks in the different languages taught at school. The books accomodate different reading levels and cover a wide range of scientific, daily life, historic, geographic and artistic topics. The library is run by a Library Assistant together with volunteer parent helpers. All classes enjoy one weekly visit to the library. Nursery pupils can take home one book per week and older pupils can borrow up to three books per week, all renewable once. Any books that are more than 4 weeks overdue, lost or damaged books must be replaced or reimbursed by the family.

There are occasions when children are allowed to bring toys to school. The ESH is not responsible for any lost or broken toys. Please evaluate the appropriateness of these toys before taking them to school. Children also have full responsibility for their mobile phones.

Recycling

At school empty cans, plastic bottles and paper are collected separately in the appropriate recycle bins. We also collect old batteries and used printer cartridges (contact the concierges).

School Holidays

For school holidays we refer you to the back of this School Guide, which lists all holidays in a useful overview.

Smoking Ban

Smoking is not permitted anywhere on or near the school premises.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

7

2  Primary School Organisation Nursery and Primary education at our school consists of two years of the Nursery cycle and five years of the Primary cycle. The ESH has five language sections: English, Dutch, Spanish, French and German. Our SWALS pupils (Students Without A Language Section) are placed in the language section of one of the official vehicular languages: English, German, French, or in the section of the host country language (Dutch). ESH also currently offers Italian, Greek and Finnish mother tongue education. Other mother tongue classes can be organised if the requirements are met. Beginning in Nursery all pupils in the non-Dutch language sections are taught 1,50 hours per week (Nursery and P1, P2) and 2,25 hours (P3,4,5) of Dutch as an additional foreign language per week. At the ESH, the youngest and oldest pupils in the Nursery classes work together in a mixed group. In this way, the pupils learn from each other and with one another. In the school, there are also combined classes in both the French section and Spanish section due to the limited number of pupils in a year group. The ESH aims to create classes of no more than 22 pupils, however; if there are more than 15 pupils in the Nursery classes then the class teacher is assisted every morning by a classroom assistant. If there are more than 22 pupils in a Nursery class, a classroom assistant is present for the entire day. If there are more than 22 pupils in the Primary classes the class teacher is assisted by a classroom assistant for part of the day.

School year 2016-2017

Language sections

Dutch

English

French

Spanish

German



Nursery 1 & Nursery 2 •

• •

•

•



Primary 1 •

• •

•

•



Primary 2 •

• •

•

•



Primary 3–5 •

• •

•

In the Nursery level, pupils have combined activities during Friendship Zone.

Differentiated Teaching

Differentiation forms the basis of all good and effective teaching. Differentiation is the responsibility of every teacher working in the school and takes place in the classroom; it is designed to meet the needs of all pupils. This should include meeting the needs of: – pupils with different learning styles. – pupils studying in a language section which does not correspond to their mother tongue. – pupils arriving late in the system who may have followed a different programme of study and may therefore have gaps in their knowledge or skills. – pupils with a mild learning difficulty. – pupils with a diagnosed special educational need. – gifted and talented pupils.

Pupils take the majority of the subjects in their own language section but to encourage playing and learning together and to facilitate the children in making friends with children from the other sections at a young age, a number of lessons are organised in mixed language groups. At Primary level, these mixed groups occur during PE, Music, Art and European Hours lessons.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

8

We educate our students in making healthy and responsible choices with regards to their own emotional development, their social connections and the environment.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

9

3  Primary School Curriculum The basis for our school curriculum is the established curriculum of the European Schools. All pupils in the English, French, German and Spanish language sections also receive lessons in Dutch as a foreign language. Within the European Schools system there is no official curriculum for Dutch as a foreign language however we have developed a curriculum which is available on our website. All curriculum documents can be found below and on the school website or on the official website of the European Schools (Nursery cycle or Primary cycle). The basis for education in the Nursery cycle is the Early Education Curriculum and the various syllabuses for mother tongue education (Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian and Spanish). Teaching is organised using themes based on the objectives of the Early Education Curriculum and those of the mother tongue syllabuses. Within a theme, attention is paid to the physical, mental, social, cognitive and emotional development of the children. The children’s different development levels are accommodated by offering a variety of activities. The Nursery class teachers jointly plan and elaborate a detailed programme on these themes. Parents are informed about the various topics. All language sections, as well as the mother tongue classes, start with the methodical acquisition of basic language, reading and writing skills when pupils are in the first year of the Primary cycle. The curriculum for Primary level covers the following subjects for all pupils: – Mother tongue / LI (Dutch, English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Finnish, Greek) – Second language L2 (English or German or French) – Discovery of the World (syllabus) – Art (syllabus) – Music (syllabus) – Physical Education (syllabus) – European Hours (P3-P5, syllabus)

Weekly timetable for P1 and P2

Weekly timetable for P3–P5



Subject



Subject



L I

5.5



L I

3.0



Mother Tongue

2.5



Mother Tongue

3.75

Mathematics

4.0

Mathematics

5.25



L II

2.5



L II

3.75

Dutch

1.5

Dutch

2.25



Discovery of the World

1.5



Discovery of the World

3.0

Art

2.0



Art (every second week)

0.75

Music

1.5



Music (every second week)

0.75

PE

1.5

PE

1.5



European Hours

1.5



Total hours to be timetabled

24.75



Hours Per Week

Total hours to be timetabled

22.5

Hours Per Week

These timetables above outline the amount of hours per subject area.

Mother Tongue

Mother tongue language lessons aim to develop a pupil’s mother tongue ability to express and interpret thoughts, feelings and facts in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing), and to interact linguistically in an appropriate way in the full range of societal and cultural contexts, education and training, work, home and leisure.

Language 1 (L1)

Language 1 lessons aim to develop the language of the section. This enables the pupil to be able to learn and develop within the language section they are placed. Through speaking, listening, reading & writing, ideas and information are expressed and communicated, aspirations,

attitudes and emotions are articulated, and imaginative possibilities are explored.

Second Language (L2)

The starting point for L2 lessons is the common curriculum for second language acquisition. The objectives are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Modern Foreign Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. When learning the second language, attention is paid to the following skills: listening/understanding, speaking, reading comprehension and writing. The classes offer a wide variety of language activities, covering themes related to pupils’ experiences. Wherever possible, these themes are aligned to Discovery of the World topics.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

10

The levels within one year can be very diverse and this will be taken into account within the themes. The teachers make use of a variety of resources and methods for these lessons.

Mathematics

Mathematics lessons enable pupils to develop mathematical knowledge and skills, and an understanding of how to use them appropriately in real life situations. There are five main topics: numbers and the number system, calculation, measures, shape and space and data handling. Within each topic, pupils will be able to: – Understand and learn facts, procedures, and concepts. – Interpret results and communicate information using mathematical language. – Make connections between mathematical concepts and procedures. – Use these skills in practical and meaningful problem solving situations. All language sections plan from the same Mathematics syllabus and the programs are supported by the Intermaths resource which is specially developed for and by the European Schools.

Discovery of the World

The Discovery of the World subject combines Geography, History, Biology and Technology. The teachers in each Year Group jointly plan topics to ensure all objectives are covered throughout the year. Parents are informed about these topics.

Music

An important goal of the music lessons is that pupils enjoy various aspects of music. The social and cultural dimension plays an important role and attention is paid to different musical styles. During the music lessons taught by a dedicated subject teacher, attention is paid to the development of musical skills aimed at making music, listening to music and composing music.

Art

Art education at ESH prioritises expression: the expression of feelings and emotions in the encounter of art, but also expression and practice in the use of different artistic media.

The school has an art room available to all Nursery and Primary classes. The hours are incorporated in the children’s timetable as they work on different topics of the European Schools syllabus.

Physical Education

ESH has a dedicated subject teacher for PE lessons for Nursery and Primary classes. In the first years, the emphasis is on practicing motor skills and developing basic techniques for different sports. With physical education it is also important for children to enjoy movement. In addition, attention is paid to the social aspects, such as consideration for others, cooperation, attention to safety and sportsmanship. Pupils receive two physical education lessons a week. The school has a well-equipped gymnasium and weather permitting, classes are also held outdoors. Starting in the second week of September, P2 pupils will start their swimming lessons every week on Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. Pupils will be taken to and from the swimming pool by bus. Further detailed information will be communicated to parents via the Swimming Coordinator.

Assessment

At the ESH we assess the progress of our pupils periodically. Assessment comes in different forms: informal and formal. For informal assessment we use a variety of tools specific to each language section. These include on-going assessment and self-assessment. For formal assessment we use tools available through official assessment agencies from the country of each language section. These results are recorded and then used to track the progress and development of our pupils throughout the years. Formative and summative assessment is reflected in our report cards, which we distribute twice a year (Nursery once a year). These report cards show the progression our pupils have made academically as well as socially and emotionally.

On-going Assessment

For on-going assessment each class and language section uses specific tools related to that language section. In the Nursery cycle we use the Nursery Portfolio as described in the Early Education Curriculum of the European Schools.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

11

4  Support As a multi-cultural environment, the European Schools are a true reflection of today’s society. Teachers use a variety of teaching styles in their lessons in order to meet the needs of individual pupils. Where differentiation in the classroom is not sufficient the school provides a range of support structures. Support is flexible and varies as pupils develop and their needs change. The support policy at ESH follows the European Schools’ regulations and the Dutch legislation concerning Passend Onderwijs (“suitable education”). Our school is a participating member in the support network Stichting Passend Primair Onderwijs Haaglanden (SPPOH). Through this network we are connected with all Primary schools in the area. A school advisor also visits the school on a weekly basis to help staff adapt their approach where needed.

Educational Support Provision

In some cases it is necessary to provide additional support, over and above the normal classroom differentiation. At ESH we approach support in the following way; – General support – Moderate support – Intensive support – Special arrangements

General Support

Pupils may have trouble in a particular aspect of a subject, may need to ‘catch up’ due to late arrival in school or illness or working in their non-mother tongue. Pupils may need additional help with acquiring effective learning strategies or study skills. Such support should preferably be given in or outside the classroom, to small groups and is short term. Groups are organised vertically, horizontally, within or across sections, by focusing on the needs of the pupils concerned. General support is planned and specific targets are set, including criteria for success and the information is included into the appropriate planning document.

Moderate Support

Moderate Support is an extension of General Support and is provided for pupils with a mild learning difficulty or in need of more targeted support. This could be appropriate for students who may be experiencing considerable difficulty in accessing the curriculum due to, for example, language issues, concentration problems or other reasons. It is provided for a longer period than General Support and each pupil has an individual plan. The plan includes specific learning objectives and criteria for evaluating pupil’s progress and the success of the support. A pupil receiving Moderate Support is usually following the standard curriculum and assessed according to the given criteria and learning objectives for his or her class.

Intensive Support

Intensive Support is given following an expert’s assessment of the pupil’s special individual needs. Intensive Support can be provided for pupils with special educational needs: learning, emotional, behavioural or physical needs. Support can be given in order to help the pupil develop his or her competences, subject knowledge, skills and attitudes. European Schools do not offer fully inclusive education. This means there may be occasions where despite the school’s best efforts; continuing education in the European School is not in the best interest of the child. This may become apparent either before admission or during the child’s school career. The school has to be able to make appropriate provision for pupil’s pedagogical and social integration. If this is not the case, the school follows the procedure as outlined by SPPOH.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

12

The Referral Index system links professionals by facilitating support provision whenever external organisations are involved; it allows professionals to easily contact each other and to coordinate their efforts. For example if a pupil is receiving psychological support from a registered health centre (e.g. De Jutters) the Referral Index exchanges contact details between ESH and De Jutters.

Disciplinary Measures

If a pupil shows extreme misbehaviour at school, the most severe measures are to suspend or expel a pupil. The ESH has a disciplinary procedure in place which involves consultation between school management and the Board of the School or informing the Inspectorate of Education.

Confidentiality Person

Special Arrangements

For certain diagnosed learning difficulties, there are special arrangements available and allowed by the board of inspectors for pupils within our school. For example, this includes pupils who have dyslexia, autism or dyscalculia. An overview of these arrangements is listed in the Support Plan, available on our school website.

Limitations

As a part of the support network Stichting Passend Primair Onderwijs Haaglanden (SPPOH), the Primary school at ESH is classifieded as a standard school. Within the Netherlands there is a number of Special Schools (SBO’s and SO’s) catering towards very specific needs. As a standard school, there are limitations to the provisions we can offer. In certain cases, the pupil is referred to a school where their needs can be met more adequately. The table listing these limitations is included in the Support Plan.

Child Abuse Policy

As a school we have the responsibility to monitor possible cases of child abuse. This can range from emotional neglect to physical abuse. If you wish to know more about the policy, please refer to the Support Plan.

Speech and Language Therapy

The ESH works with an international speech and language therapist. Children can be referred to her for difficulties with speech, expressive language, and understanding of language, voice or fluency (stammering). Please contact the support team for more information about speech and language therapy.

Referral Index

As our school is registered within the Dutch educational system we are included in the so called Verwijsindex (Referral Index). This digital database provides basic citizen data (name, date of birth, gender) and is linked to all municipalities in The Netherlands.

The school has appointed a confidentiality person (Mr. Jaap Marsman), who is available for pupils to talk to confidentially about issues that concern them. The confidentiality person can work together with the school social worker and alternative methods of counselling can be provided if needed.

Health & Safety

Children who are sick or who have a minor accident during school hours will first notify their teacher who can, if necessary, request the assistance of the in-house emergency response officers.

Sickness

Please report any cases of a (contagious) disease such as rubella, chicken pox, impetigo, etc., immediately. Pupils with fever, diarrhoea, eye infections and other infectious complaints, should be kept from school due to the risk of spreading. It is important that your child stays at home for one day without fever before they return to school. If any children show symptoms of infectious diseases, we will follow the advice contained in the Dutch Medical Service (Geneeskundige Dienst) handbook.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

13

Medical Details

On the application form there is a section about medical details. It is important that all parents supply us with the relevant information so we can act accordingly in case of an emergency. Please contact us whenever the medical situation of your child changes. No medication is administered at school. If a child needs medication occasionally or recurrently, a completed Medical Information form is essential. This form can be obtained by requesting a meeting with the support department. The form is signed by the (Deputy) Director, the teacher concerned and the parent(s). Parents remain responsible for the use of medicine by their child and for the personal supply of the relevant medicine, agreeing that the school administers the medicine as a service. School cannot be held liable for the administration of medicine.

Allergies

If your child has or develops an allergy or intolerance (for example nut allergy or lactose intolerance), the school should be informed about this in writing. The relevant medication should be mentioned in the Medical Information document. In consultation with the parents the school will take preventative measures.

Head Lice

Head lice are a common problem, particularly in school children aged 4–11 years and require prompt action. If they are found, all parents of that particular class will receive a letter from school to thoroughly inspect their child. In extreme cases of head lice a parent will be requested to pick up his or her child and immediately take effective measures. If your child is found to have head lice, it is important to treat your child before he/ she returns to school. Please begin treatment as soon as possible. Exclude your child from attendance at school until one day after their first treatment with a medicated head lice product. Management considers this necessary for hygienic reasons.

Centre for Youth and Families

The Centre for Youth and Families (Centrum Jeugd en Gezin) monitors children’s development, maintains preventative health care and stimulates a healthy lifestyle together with their parents. This programme is administered by The Hague’s Public Health Department (GGD). Health checks and vaccinations take place during a number of routine checks. Once a child has started Primary school, preventative health care will move from the Consultatiebureau to the so-called schoolarts (school doctor) system. Children are then seen at the ages of 5 or 6 and 10 or 11. You will be invited together with your child for their health check at school. These check-ups can include tests of height, weight, hearing or eating behaviour. In the Netherlands children are offered the State Vaccination Programme (RIVM). The school doctors and nurses of the CJG take care of these vaccinations. Your child will receive an invitation for the vaccination in the year of their 9th birthday. Girls will also receive an invitation for a vaccination against cervical cancer in their 13th year. The CJG uses contact information from our pupil registration database. If you object to this you can notify the school. The CJG will contact you by telephone if you do not participate in the appointment and if they cannot reach you by phone they will contact the school to ask about the child, unless you object to this.

Safety

We take great care to ensure the safety of our pupils, the school and the environment: – Every year, all electrical appliances and play equipment at school are checked for safety. – Every year a fire drill with everyone’s participation is held. – The school has a First Aid team and an Emergency Response team (BHV), trained to act in emergencies.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

14

Being educated side by side, students receive a unique insight and appreciation of different European cultures which fosters the unity of the school and encourages genuine multicultural education.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

15

5  Communication The ESH is committed to open communication with parents. The school also aims to communicate in a manner that is as focused and as clear as possible. To this end, the school has a number of channels of communication with parents:   Who to contact? –  If you would like to discuss your child’s development or any other class related matter please contact your child’s classroom teacher or subject teacher. – If you would like to discuss any section related matter please contact your child’s Section Leader. – The Management Team is available for important matters. They can be contacted by phone through the school reception line or by email.

Middle Management Team

The ESH Middle Management Team assists the Director and Deputy Directors to manage the school. They facilitate the organisation of each section in the school, work closely with the section teachers and are the contact person after the classroom teacher.

Communication from teachers to parents Email

Important information that needs to be communicated at short notice will be sent to parents by email.

Class News and Subject News

Newsletters are communicated regularly by the classroom teachers. These newsletters contain information about current topics and future activities both in and outside of school. Language newsletters will also be published, written by the Mother Tongue and Second Language teachers.

Information Evening

At the beginning of the school year, an information evening is organised with the aim of informing parents about the educational system and general issues related to the education in their child’s group. Parents will be informed by the school nearer to the date.

Reports and Progress Discussions

Parents will be invited for individual meetings with teachers regarding the progress and development of their child. These meetings take place three times a year: in November, February and July (if necessary). These meetings will focus on the school report as is usual for the European Schools but it is also an opportunity to see your child’s work. The children receive a school report in February and at the end of the school year. Parents of children who are at risk of repeating a year group will be informed by a letter sent out in March. The final decision on whether to progress a pupil to the next class or to repeat a class lies with the school management

Educational Report

When a pupil leaves school during the course of a school year (i.e. due to a move), parents receive a written report from the teacher, co-signed by the director of the school. This report shows the developments and achievements of the child during the years he or she was a pupil at the school.

P5-S1 Transition Middle Management Team Section Dutch Section

Name Email Nel van Silfhout [email protected]

English Section

Moira O’Hare

[email protected]

French Section

Vicky Vrontos

[email protected]

Spanish/German Section

Montse Florez

[email protected]

Nursery Section

Lynne Byatt 

[email protected]

L2 Coordinator

Guillaume Roux

[email protected]

Curriculum/Mother Tongue Coordinator

Carma de Groot

[email protected]

A transition program has been developed to match our specific circumstances and tailored to the particular needs of our P5 pupils. The programme has been formulated following the Transition Guidelines of the European Schools in conjunction with the class teachers of P5, the director of the school, the Primary deputy director, the Secondary Deputy Director, the Secondary level coordinator, the support coordinator and the Language 1 and 2 teachers of your children. The transition programme usually runs over the course of a year and covers: – An information evening for parents during which subjects such as curriculum, language choices and organisation of studies are explained by the school management and teachers. – Individual appointments with parents and pupils to discuss specific options choices.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

16

– Secondary trial lessons at the ESH, in order to prepare pupils for the different teaching and learning styles at Secondary level. – A parent evening where teachers will individually discuss each child’s potential at Secondary level and suggestions in order to prepare the pupil to the fullest.

School information for parents Information Screens

Inside the school on every floor there are several information screens. These screens show important information as well as photos of school events and school trips.

ESH Newsletter

Every month there will be a school newsletter with updates about issues regarding school life and school developments in general. The newsletter publishing dates are approximate, depending on school holidays and communication of important issues.

Website and Parent Portal

The ESH has a user-friendly website europeanschoolthehague.nl. We aim to keep this website as up-to-date as possible. Minutes of PTA and PC meetings and photo galleries can be found on the parent portal of the school website. Parents can access these with a username and password which is issued on request.

Parents’ Participation

A school cannot function properly without the involvement and support of parents. Besides participation in formal consultative bodies, such as the participation council, parents are also be approached to sit on other committees, such as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), playground committee, the canteen committee, or to get involved in school activities. Every class chooses two parents as a class representative who helps the teacher with the organisation of particular activities and is a point of contact for the parents of that class. The (Deputy) Director holds consultations with the PTA several times a year. These consultations mainly focus on practical issues.

Parent Teacher Association

Our school also has a Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Every parent who has a child at ESH is automatically a member of the PTA with full voting privileges, as is every teacher working at ESH. Every other year a new PTA board will be elected. Elections of class representatives and PTA representatives will be communicated by the PTA Chair. The PTA meets (bi)monthly in order to organise social events, such as Cake Bake and Book Fairs, Coffee Mornings, The Summer Fair, etc and to help organise certain school events, such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, the school photographer, etc. The PTA can best be reached at the following email address: [email protected].

Participation Council

The Participation Council is the formal consultative body for parents and teachers, in accordance with the Education Participation Act (Wet Medezeggenschap op Scholen). This council is made up of three parents and three members of staff from the school. The council elects a chair from its members. A member of the participation council has

a term of three years and may be re-elected for 1 period. After three years, an election takes place in which all the school’s parents can stand as candidates. After the elections, the three people with the most votes will serve on the council for a new period. The Participation Council is the body for discussing school issues and asking questions to the management. If you have a question about educational content or questions on school policy in general, the Participation Council will represent you and you can submit your question to it. Email: [email protected]. Parent section: Mr G. O’Shea, Chair Mr. F. Lina Ms. B. Westphal Staff section: Ms L. Byatt Mr K. de Jong, Secretary Ms M. Bosman

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

17

Joint Participation Council

The Elementary Education Joint Participation Council is the umbrella participation council for the schools for Elementary education of the Rijnlands Lyceum foundation. Each school is represented by a member of the parent section and a member of the staff section. Mr O’Shea represents the parent section. The representative of the staff section is Ms. L. Byatt

Advisory Board

The management holds regular consultations with the Advisory Board within our school. The following European Institutions are represented within this consultative body: Europol, Eurojust, EPO and ESA-ESTEC.

Complaints

Parents, pupils and staff who wish to make a complaint may approach the appointed officials in the school organisation, such as coordinators, deputy directors and finally the director of the school. In general, complaints regarding a teacher or a member of staff will, in the first instance, be reported to the person concerned, so that he/she can address the problem or clarify things. If this does not work, or if there are other reasons why this is not the best or appropriate approach, the pupil, member of staff, or parent can report the complaint to the Contact Person Complaints in the school: Mr. J. Marsman ( [email protected]). The Contact Person decides who is best suited to deal with the complaint and monitors whether the complaint is dealt with on time. At each school there is an internal confidentiality person to whom pupils, parents and members of staff may report matters requiring strict confidentiality. This would concern matters like abuse of power, both from (fellow) pupils and teachers, support staff and school leadership, and other forms of undesirable behaviour. A pupil may be teased, psychologically and/or physically maltreated or intimidated, or a parent may not feel taken seriously by the school leadership. Confidentiality persons can give advice in such

matters, can offer (initial) care, support and guidance towards external support organisations, the external confidential counsellor, the executive director of the foundation or the national complaints committee. The role of external confidential counsellor for the schools of the Rijnlands Lyceum foundation lies with Centrum Vertrouwenspersonen Plus. Please see the appendix for contact details. Before approaching the external confidential counsellor, it is advised that parents, pupils and staff contact the internal confidentialy person first. The external confidential counsellor focus exclusively on serious forms of undesirable behaviour (such as sexual harassment, intimidation, abuse of power, bullying and discrimination) and integrity issues (see whistle-blower regulations). Parents, pupils and staff can also turn to the executive director (the board) of the Rijnlands Foundation, Dr. M.W. Knoester, Postbus 486, 2240 AL Wassenaar. He can decide to investigate matters himself or submit them to the National Complaints Committee. He can also refer parents or pupils directly to the National Complaints Committee. Staff who wish to make a complaint do so in principle with the principal of the school. The complaints committee of the schools of the Rijnlands Foundation is the National Complaints Committee. Please find the regulations and address of the committee on the Rijnlands website. The National Complains Committee gives an advice to the board. The board subsequently takes a decision. For addresses, please see the appendix.

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

18

6  Contact details external organisations Internal Confidentiality Person

The internal confidentiality person is Mr Jaap Marsman. Telephone: 070 700 1600 Email: [email protected]

External Confidential Counsellor: Centrum Vertrouwenspersonen Plus

Parent Teacher Association

Email Address: [email protected]

Participation Council

Email Address: [email protected]

Telephone 06 81 31 69 36 Website: www.cvp-plus.nl

School Social Work

Xtra-Plus Telephone: 070 205 2000

Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin (Centre for Children and Families)

For all questions about children’s development and education, child care and the school doctor. Hanenburglaan 339a, 2565 GP The Hague. Telephone: 0800 28 540

The Dutch Inspectorate of Education [email protected] or www.onderwijsinspectie.nl Questions about education: 0800 8051 Inspectors hotline: 0900 111 3111

Compulsory Education Office

Municipality of The Hague school attendance officer: Telephone: 070 353 5500

National Complaints Committee

You can find the complaints regulations and address and contact information of the complaints committee here: rijnlandslyceum.nl/stichting/organisatie/klachtenregelingen

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

19

Holiday Calendar August 2016 M 1 8 15 22 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

W 3 10 17 24 31

September 2016 T 4 11 18 25

F 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

S 7 14 21 28

January 2017 T

W

T

F

S

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

S 1 8 15 22 29

June 2017 T

W

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

T

W

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

T 1 8 15 22 29

F 2 9 16 23 30

S 3 10 17 24

S 4 11 18 25

February 2017

M

M

M

October 2016

M

T

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

W 1 8 15 22

T 2 9 16 23

F 2 9 16 23 30

S 3 10 17 24

S 4 11 18 25

M

T

W

T

F

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

S 1 8 15 22 29

S 2 9 16 23 30

March 2017 F 3 10 17 24

S 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

July 2017 T 1 8 15 22 29

November 2016

M

T

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

W 1 8 15 22 29

M 7 14 21 28

T 1 8 15 22 29

W 2 9 16 23 30

T 3 10 17 24

December 2016 F 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

April 2017 T 2 9 16 23 30

F 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

T 3 10 17 24 31

F 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

M

T

W

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

T 1 8 15 22 29

F 2 9 16 23 30

S 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

T 4 11 18 25

F 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

S 7 14 21 28

May 2017

M

T

W

T

F

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

S 1 8 15 22 29

S 2 9 16 23 30

M 1 8 15 22 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

W 3 10 17 24 31

August 2017

M

T

W

T

F

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

S 1 8 15 22 29

S 2 9 16 23 30

M 7 14 21 28

T 1 8 15 22 29

W 2 9 16 23 30

School Closed / Holidays Teacher in-Service Day (school closed for all students) Teacher in-Service Day (school closed for Primary pupils)

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

20

European National Days At our school we pay attention to the European National days. Please note that these are regular school days (with the exception of Koningsdag).

Country

Date

Austria

Name of the day

Country

Date

Name of the day

26-Oct Nationalfeiertag

Italy

2-Jun

Proclamazione della

Belgium

21-Jul

National day



Repubblica

Bulgaria

3-Mar

Liberation Day

Latvia

18-Nov

National day

Croatia

25-Jun

Dan državnosti

Lithuania

16-Feb

Independence day

Cyprus

1-Oct

Independence day

Luxembourg

23-Jun

National Day

Czech Republic

28-Oct

Independence day

Malta

21-Sep

Independence day

Denmark

5-Jun Grundlovsdag

The Netherlands 27-Apr

Koningsdag

Estonia

24-Feb

Independence day

Poland

11-Nov

Święto Niepodleglości

Europe

9-May

European Union Day

Portugal

10-Jun dia de Portugal, de Camoes

Finland

6-Dec

Independence day

France

14-Jul

National day

Romania

1-Dec

Ziua naţională a României

Germany

3-Oct

Tag der deutschen Einheit

Slovakia

1-Sep

Constitution day

Greece

25-Mar

National day

Slovenia

25-Jun

National day

Hungary

15-Mar

National Day

Spain

12-Oct

La fiesta de la Hispanidad

Ireland

17-Mar

St Patrick’s Day

Sweden

6-Jun

Sveriges nationaldag

e das Comunidades

United Kingdom 21-Apr

The Queen’s birthday

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

21

7  Index 1

Practical information

5 School hours 5 Lunch & snack break 5 Absence-reporting sick 5 Absence- special leave request 5 Arrival at school – drop-off procedure 6 Leaving school – pick-up procedure 6 Drop-off and pick-up procedure for After School 6 Activities 6 After –School Care 6 Bikes 6 Bus transport 6 Canteen 6 Celebrations 7 Clothing 7 ICT 7 Insurance 7 Library 7 Lost Property 7 Mobile Phone 7 Personal Belongings 7 Recycling 7 School Holidays 7 Smoking Ban 7

2

3

Primary school organisation

8 8

Primary School Curriculum

10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

Differentiated Teaching

Language 1 (L1) Mother Tongue Second Language (L2) Mathematics Discovery of the World Music Art Physical Education Assessment On-going Assessment

4 Support

12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14

5 Communication

16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18

Educational Support Provision General Support Moderate Support Intensive Support Special Arrangements Limitations Child Abuse Policy Speech and Language Therapy Referral Index Disciplinary Measures Confidentiality Person Health & Safety Sickness Medical Details Allergies Head Lice Centre for Youth and Families Safety Communication from teachers to parents Middle Management Team Email Class News and Subject news Information Evening Reports and Progress Discussions Educational report P5-S1 Transition School information for parents Information Screens ESH Newsletter Website and Parent Portal Parents’ Participation Parent Teacher Association Participation Council (PC or MR) Joint Participation Council Advisory Board Complaints

6

Contact details external organisations

Holiday calendar European National Days

School Guide Primary School 2016-2017

19 20 21

22