Conduct on Campus
Parent Conduct and Communicating Concerns
When faced with a potentially concerning situation, parents are asked to be proactive and communicate effectively. We recognize that not all parents will understand every policy or school rule, but ask that parents follow the appropriate channel of communication and ask questions or submit suggestions to AIS-R faculty and administration in an open, constructive and positive manner at the appropriate time and place.
Classroom concerns should first be directed to the teacher who is most closely involved with understanding and assisting with a parent concern.
When a concern has not been adequately resolved to a parent's satisfaction (see AIS-R’s communication flowchart), they may then be addressed with the respective principals, in the child's designated division. If a parent is seeking advice about a broader issue or concern, s/he may seek further counsel following the flowchart.
If a problem is not resolved to a parent's satisfaction, the issue may then be addressed to the Superintendent, but only after the parent has first gone through the appropriate channels of communication (i.e. addressed with the AIS-R employee most directly related to the concern, and the principal thereafter).
Concerns relating to School Board Policy may be addressed in written form to the Superintendent, who will review the concern, communicate the school’s stance on the issue and may share the issue with the Board of Trustees for review if warranted. No survey, petition, or questionnaire soliciting information or feedback from or about students, faculty, staff, parents, or school issues or programs shall be distributed or organized independently by association members without the prior written approval of the Superintendent.
AIS-R does not accept or respond to written and/or verbal feedback from community or association members who do not follow the established communication protocols implemented by the school, such as accepting anonymous letters/emails, hearsay, group or “group think” emails/responses, petitions, social media chats, online reviews, questionnaires/surveys, and/or vague authorship as these would contravene Board Policy and Saudi Arabian law.
Following the above “AIS-R Communication Flowchart,” parents may address concerns with AIS-R faculty members through email or a scheduled meeting. At no time should an AIS-R faculty member be approached to address concerns during instructional time with students or outside of school hours unless appropriately scheduled.
At all times, AIS-R parents are required to act in a respectful and positive partnership when solving a problem or issue. If a parent chooses to not act or react in a respectful manner, the teacher, principal or Superintendent will cease the interaction and/or meeting and reschedule to another date when the parent is able to act in a manner that is consistent with expectations of the core values of the organization. Positive, respectful communication is always the primary focus of all meetings between parents and AIS-R employees.
If a parent repeatedly chooses to behave in a manner that does not honor AIS-R's values and principles, and/or is not in line with Board policy, they will be subject to a Superintendent and Board of Trustees review, which could result in a written censure or termination of their child's enrollment at AIS-R. As a private, independent school, the AIS-R Board has the right to determine enrollment continuation or termination of any family who does not follow school expectations. Past instances of immediate action have included issues of slander (i.e. making false and damaging statements against an employee or community member), malicious gossip, and harmful acts and accusations that negatively impact the reputation of the school. As a matter of process, the Superintendent will review and assess the situation and inform the Board accordingly with details of the misconduct, to include a recommendation. In addition, should a parent at anytime demonstrate behavior that is not in accordance with this Handbook or Board Policy, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board is responsible for investigating and/or taking legal action for misconduct; harassment; dissemination of privileged information not deemed public; disrespectful, culturally insensitive, or defamatory comments and/or communication; inappropriate online activity; actions that may damage the reputation of any registered Association member and/or the School; or any activity that jeopardizes AIS-R’s status and/or licensure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Upon investigation and substantiation of misconduct, the Board shall reserve the right and final decision, by majority vote, to de-register a parent or group of parents (leading to a change of enrollment status for their child/ren).
Campus Access & Conduct
At AIS-R, we are committed to nurturing a dynamic community partnership. We believe that purposeful interaction, meaningful connection and an exchange of constructive ideas will enhance the AIS-R learning experience for all. As a result, AIS-R strongly encourages parents to attend events on campus, such as Back-to-School Nights, Parent-Teacher Conferences, assemblies, sporting events or performances.
For safety and security issues, the AIS-R campus, exclusive of shared facilities with Al-Bustan Village, cannot be accessed by students, or their families for any reason other than official AIS-R school business beyond school operating hours. Outside of school hours, AIS-R is not responsible for the safety of individuals on the AIS-R campus. AIS-R school hours are defined 8:10-4:30 from Sunday to Thursday, in addition to the scheduled hours of any AIS-R sponsored events.
When parents are on campus, AIS-R expects parents to be positive role models at all times, especially when in the presence of students. Furthermore, parents are expected to adhere to and support all AIS-R rules and policies as detailed by the AIS-R Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, and Student-Parent Handbooks. This includes adhering to the AIS-R dress code, campus visitation guidelines and operating hours.
Parental Access During the School Day
When entering campus, parents will be required to use their official AIS-R ID. While parents are encouraged to participate in organized events on campus, we kindly request that they not interrupt classroom activities, scheduled break times, or participate in student lunch time in any way.
Beyond organized events, parents must call ahead or report to the respective divisional office and schedule appointments to access AIS-R faculty and/or staff members. During school hours, parents may not access their child without notifying the divisional office and receiving permission from the divisional principals as this tends to be disruptive to the learning environment. This will allow AIS-R to maintain a high level of student safety, focused learning, and campus security.
In our continued efforts to provide a safe learning environment for all, parents will be asked to sign in and out and wear a lanyard when on campus at all times other than pick-up, drop-off, and scheduled school events.
Rules for Entering and Exiting Through Al Bustan Gate
Non-Al Bustan residents, including AIS-R students and parents who do not live at Al Bustan, may not pass through the AIS-R/Al Bustan internal gate at any time. Permission to enter Al Bustan via the AIS-R gate will not be issued by Al Bustan, AIS-R Administration or AIS-R Facilities & Security.
Should Al Bustan residents wish to invite non-Al Bustan guests to visit, they must complete the standard procedures to have guests arrive at, and pass through, the main Al Bustan gate. This means that non-Al Bustan residents must arrange transport from the AIS-R parking lot to travel around to the Al Bustan main gate and proceed through the standard guest and security protocol.
ES Attendance at Events in Another Division
In order to attend a sibling’s event in another division (Middle School or High School), the following guidelines must be followed:
The parent must contact the Elementary School Office and give permission for their child to attend the event.
All ES students must be accompanied by an adult.
At times, seating is limited therefore, the respective division must give permission for the sibling to attend the event. It is the expectation of the family to contact the division in which the event is taking place.
ES students must not miss more than 60 minutes of instructional time when attending a sibling’s event.
Filming events
Student assemblies, performances, and events may be recorded by AIS-R and a copy of this footage may be available on request. Adult guests for student assemblies and performances are permitted to take video recordings of the performance solely for their own use and enjoyment. We ask that video recordings of student performances not be posted on the Internet or video sharing and social networking sites.
Guests for AIS-R Events
Guests other than immediate family members can attend AIS-R events. However, one guest is permitted for each AIS-R student and all guests must complete the Visitor Partnership Agreement. Requests to bring a guest must be submitted to the divisional principal a minimum of three days before the event. The inviting family must attend with the guest and stay with the guest while on campus. All guests must have a valid photo ID.
Volunteers
We are pleased to welcome parent volunteers in our school. All volunteers must adhere to volunteer procedures, including clearing security, signing in at the ES Office, and collecting and wearing a “Volunteer” lanyard while on campus.
Prior to volunteering in a classroom, parents will need to make arrangements with the teacher and inform the ES Office, so as not to disrupt instructional time.
Volunteers are not permitted to use their cell phone when they are in a classroom. Volunteers are expected to follow all customs, laws and regulations as outlined in the Visitor Partnership Agreement, AIS-R Code of Conduct and AIS-R Community Child Safeguarding Handbook.
Child Safeguarding Policy and Mental Health Protocol
AIS-R supports child advocacy rights and protection. All reports of maltreatment will be taken seriously and investigated. When a claim is made by a child, that claim is followed-up upon either by the faculty or staff member who was witness to the claim and/or the divisional principals or counselor. Pending the outcome of that conversation, an Incident Report may be filed and AIS-R's Child Safeguarding process initiated. Documentation is required whether an Incident Report is filed or not.
Maltreatment is defined as physical, sexual, and verbal abuse or neglect. Local authorities and/or parent employers/sponsors will be notified if maltreatment is verified. Please be a responsible citizen and notify the school principal if you are aware of a child being mistreated. Early counseling, guidance, and intervention can stop child maltreatment. AIS-R has a child safeguarding policy that is strictly enforced.
The ES students will engage in the following lessons:
Personal Safety: Students will learn about safety and ways to help them decide when something is safe and when something is not safe such as never play with fire; never use a sharp tool; never touch a gun; never touch a dog without asking the person in charge; never cross the street without checking for all ways of traffic; never go in the water without an older person watching; never ride in a car without wearing a seatbelt; and never ride on wheels without wearing a helmet.
Touching Safety: Students will learn about safe, unsafe and unwanted touches and rules about touching private body parts. They’ll also learn about ways to say no to unsafe or unwanted touches and to tell an adult if someone breaks rules about touching private body parts.
Assertiveness: Students will learn and practice how to ask an adult for help, tell an adult about an unsafe situation and be assertive to get out of an unsafe situation.
When a child demonstrates a mental health concern (i.e. depression, psychosis, dissociation, suicide ideation, self-harm) or there is reasonable cause to believe that a child is of danger to themselves or others, the concerned adult/student will seek advice from the a teacher, counselor, or school administration. Any report or other action must be kept confidential.
In all cases, follow-up is conducted in a manner that ensures that information is documented factually and that strict confidentiality is maintained. The following procedure will be enacted by the counselor and/or administration:
Ensure the student of concern is safe. (This may require one-to-one adult supervision).
Interview adults and/or students as necessary and document relevant information.
Consult with school personnel to review the child’s history in school.
Report status of case to superintendent.
Depending on the level of concern as determined in collaboration with the counselor, principal, and superintendent, a required Educational Psychological Evaluation may be requested at any time to ensure the safety and well being of all Eagles. The requested Educational Psychological Evaluation may determine re-entry to AIS-R.
Harassment and Threats
Harassment and threats are written, verbal or physical conduct that adversely affects the ability of a member of our community to participate in or benefit from the school’s educational programs or activities because the conduct is so severe, persistent, pervasive, and/or dangerous. This includes conduct that is based on an actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion or any other distinguishing characteristics. This also includes association with a person or group with one or more of the above mentioned characteristics, whether actual or perceived.
Cases that fall within AIS-R’s Harassment and Threats clause follow the same guidelines as listed in our Child Safeguarding Handbook.
Harassment and/or threat against the school and/or an AIS-R teacher may be subject to the following consequences: an apology, counseling, compensation, disciplinary action, misconduct proceedings, suspension or expulsion. Such cases are managed by the divisional principal in consultation with the Superintendent. The Superintendent reserves the right of final decision.
A required Educational Psychological Evaluation may be requested at any time to ensure the safety and well being of all Eagles. The requested Educational Psychological Evaluation may determine re-entry to AIS-R.