WELFARE AND GUIDANCE

WELFARE & GUIDANCE 

An education at BIS consists of not only academic success but also character development and wellbeing. Key to helping our young people developing this balance is the ongoing support of parents and school working together. BIS HCMC is a school community that is characterised by positive student attitudes to peers and adults, to their learning and to the school environment.  This is underpinned by positive relationships between staff and students and the consistent application of school procedures.  At BIS we have a specialist team of experienced pastoral leaders, who each lead a team of Form Tutors. Together with the school counsellor and school nurse make up our welfare and guidance team.  

Our students know that support is available for any issue they face be it academic, social or personal. Equally if you as parents want to get in touch regarding any any aspect of school life please do not hesitate to contact your son/daughter's Form Tutor, Head of Year, or Gareth Wills, Deputy Head Welfare and Guidance (W&G) at Gareth.Wills@bisvietnam.com

Medical Centre

School Nurse Clinics 

To care for our school community each of our campuses has a designated health service.  Each of these clinics has a full time nurse who will attend to children who become ill or injure themselves during the school day. If a student becomes ill during the day and is unable to stay at school the nurse will contact parents to take their child home. If a student is seen by the nurse and has received medical attention the nurse will communicate this with parents via an email, SMS or treatment note informing the parents of the actions taken.

The school should be notified if a child has any serious medical conditions, anaphylaxis or asthma so that an action plan can be created in collaboration with parents and/or their medical provider. This will also raise staff awareness of the appropriate medical procedure to assist the student should they become unwell at school. Children with asthma should have their reliever medication and spacer kept in the nurse’s office for personal use. Children with known anaphylaxis must provide the school with at least 1 Adrenaline auto injector (EpiPen) for emergency use. However, for school trips 2 EpiPens may be requested depending on the trip location and access to emergency care. 

In order to ensure appropriate care is available in the school it is extremely important that a completed medical history is submitted before entry to the school and updated annually. Parents must inform the office immediately when there is a change in a child’s medical history, this includes immunisation history, allergies and known or new medical conditions.

Medical procedures

When a student becomes unwell at school they will be sent to the school nurse for assessment.  If a child has minor symptoms and it is deemed that they can stay in school, the nurse may administer medication to provide symptom relief (see medication administration policy below). If their illness or injury indicates they need to be sent home then parents will be contacted directly to collect the child from school.

Medical Emergencies

In the event of an accident or a sudden serious illness at school, we will make every effort to contact parents. Please keep the office informed of any changes in home, business, or emergency phone numbers. If a medical emergency situation arises, we will transport the child to the nearest appropriate medical clinic for support and treatment (this will be done even if parents cannot be contacted as student safety must be ensured).  A responsible adult from the school will accompany the child to the clinic and await the arrival of the parent.

Medicines in school 

The school health services maintain a supply of common over the counter medicines to provide symptom relief for minor injuries and illnesses. These medicines are only given when it is deemed necessary by the school nurse or delegated staff member, usually in consultation with the child’s parent/ carer where possible. In order to safeguard against accidental medication overdosing the nurse will not give any medication prior to 12pm unless they have discussed with the parent first or can confirm that the student has not had any medication in the preceding 6 hours. If a child is given medicine from the school clinic they will be given a clinic treatment note to bring home or you will receive an email or SMS message from the nurse indicating the type of medicine and the time at which it was given. A record will also be entered onto the SIMS database.

Children should not bring medication to school and take it without adult supervision. The school policy requires the nurse or delegated staff member in her absence to only give medicines where it is clear that they will provide relief of minor symptoms associated with common illnesses, pain or fever control. On the understanding that it is not always easy or necessary to contact parents or guardians, we will not always ask for permission before giving medication for pain relief or fever. However, if parents do not wish any medication to be administered to their child in this way, or there is a reason why your child should not be given a particular type of medicine (e.g. an allergy),  this should be indicated  on the medical update form that is completed on entry and updated annually.

Medicines Sent from home

If a student requires medicine from home during school, parents/guardians must complete a written authorisation to administer medications with the school nurse directly. Medicines from home will not be administered without a written authorisation from a parent or guardian. This authorisation form is available directly from the nurse.

The guidelines for administration of medicine from home are strictly followed by the school nurses. These guidelines are for the safety of students and staff within the school and are outlined below. 

For medicines from home the following guidelines apply;

●     Parent (guardian) brings medicine directly to the nurse.

●     Parent (guardian) completes and signs the authorisation with the following information;

• • • Name of medicine,

    • Reason for medicine,

    • Dose (amount to be given),

    • Time to be given,

    • Number of days needed.

Please note the following

▪      Medicines must be in the original packaging with a visible expiry date.

▪      Prescription medications must be in the student’s name.

▪      Over the counter medicines must be applicable to the condition being treated.

▪      All medicine must have instructions in English (translated is acceptable).

If the procedures are not followed then the nurses are not able to administer medicines from home to your child. 

Please note that administration of vitamins, some traditional medicines* or medication that cannot be clearly identified will not be carried out by the school nurse.  All medicine administration will be recorded onto the SIMS database.

*At the discretion of the nurse

When to keep your child home

For the wellbeing of our school community, if your child is unwell or sick overnight or when they wake in the morning they should be kept at home until they are rested and symptom free for at least 24 hours (48 hours for Diarrhoea and Vomiting).

Please keep your child at home if they exhibit any of the following symptoms;

• • A persistent cough, heavy cold symptoms, or another common but contagious illness.

  • Your child has had repeated instances of vomiting or diarrhoea in the previous 12-24 hours.

  • If kept off school for the symptoms above, they should remain at home for at least 24 hours from the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea, and at least 48 hours from the last episode of both symptoms.

  • If they have a temperature greater than 37.7°C (99.8°F) when they first wake up in the morning. They can return to school when they have been fever free (without fever relieving medications) for at least 24 hours.

Nurse Criteria for Sending a Child home

The school nurse will follow the guidelines below when making a decision to send a child home.  

Your child may be sent home from school at the discretion of the nurse if they;

●     Exhibit any signs or symptoms of contagious disease or illness (outlined below).

●     If they present with a temperature greater than 37.7°C (99.8°F) at rest.

●     Have on-going episodes of fever, diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

●     Any injury or illness that may require medical intervention.

Communicable diseases 

Generally speaking, a pupil with an infectious disease must be kept at home and present a medical certificate upon returning to school. As a guide, pupils are deemed contagious during the following periods and should not attend school:

Immunisation

On enrolment at The British International School it is required that an up-to-date immunisation history, in accordance with the child’s home country schedule of immunisations, be provided.  Immunisations help protect the health and well-being of our school community from the risks of preventable illness and disease and therefore the school encourages parents to ensure that their child’s immunisation schedule is kept up-to-date. 

If you would like further information on a recommended immunisation schedule, please contact the school nurse for advice.

Illness and School Swimming program

Generally speaking, if a child is fit to attend school then they are fit to swim. The school swimming program is a very important part of a child’s individual and social development and we strongly advocate a child’s participation in the program with their peers. If a child is unable to swim due to a medical condition, parents must provide school with an appropriate medical certificate. It should be noted that a blanket exclusion from all swimming lessons for the term/ year is not acceptable; this will be assessed on a case by case basis with the parents and Headteacher.  Children who are not swimming will accompany their class to the pool and observe the lesson.

If a child does not have their swimming kit and is fit to swim, the school may provide them with suitable kit in order for them to participate.

For further information on the school health services please contact the nurse at your child’s school.

Senior Nurse: Ms. Paola Llanora - Paola.llanora@bisvietnam.com 

Nurse: Ms Phuong Tran - Phuong.tran3@bisvietnam.com 

Keeping your child(ren) healthy - Mentally and Physically

The UK NHS has some excellent resources on the topics of:

• Nutrition

• Exercise

• Sleep

• Mental Health

This is complemented by other health related areas in an easy to access format via the site below:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/ 

Our Nurse Team are happy to support with any health related queries.  Our Advice, Support, and Counselling (ASC) are available for any Mental Health related queries.

We hope  that you can use these resources to help support your child(ren) in partnership with the school.

Safeguarding at school – it’s everyone’s responsibility

If, during your visit to school, you have any reason to be concerned about the safety of a young person, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Person.

Please note that CCTV cameras are in operation at all times across the campus.

Insurance (Medical and Travel)

Each of our campuses undertake strict audits throughout the year to ensure the highest standards of Health and Safety are adhered to; however, accidents or illnesses can happen, and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure an adequate local or international health insurance policy which will cover any medical needs. 

For our Vietnamese students, local health insurance is provided by the school when the parents registered with us, but due to Government regulations, this does not extend to students on an overseas passport. Any costs associated with injury or illness to any student will be the responsibility of parents. Therefore, all students are expected to be insured through their family’s health insurance plan. The school is not liable for medical bills resulting from an incident/accident at school. 

Please be aware that school trips carry basic insurance to cover accidents. Based on this information, it is recommended that parents take out year-round family travel insurance to cover for potential costs related to accidents.

Houses

Every student at BIS belongs to one of its four houses: 

Dalat – Green

Hanoi – Red

Hue – Yellow

Saigon – Blue

The BIS Houses play a central role in the life of our school. A huge range of House competitions and events punctuate the school year providing students the opportunity to participate in athletic, creative and academic challenges, and gain points for their house. Each event provides a means for students to work with House mates  from across the whole secondary age range. We believe this is crucial to developing confident individuals, broadening personal connections and thus  fostering a close knit school community The award of the annual House Trophy to the house with the most points gained over all events is one of the highlights of the school year, promoting collegiality and school spirit.

House Points and Certificates

A student is given a House Point which is recorded in their Student Diary, for excellence in class or for participation in extracurricular activities. The accumulation of House Points takes place throughout the academic year with Certificates awarded in assembly at the end of each term.

Student Leadership

At BIS, we seek to develop all our students as leaders. In addition to classroom and co-curricular leadership opportunities, we have in place a wide range of positions of responsibility through which students shape school life in formal leadership roles.

Student Council (SC) 

The Student Council SC is a key element of school democracy which links students from all Years to work together to continue improving the voice of the students, but offering insights, observations and ideas for school improvement. Each Form elects one SC member. The SC meetings are chaired by the Head Students.

The SC meets weekly. 

House Captains

Students can also be elected as House Captains, with one House Captain for each House in each Year. House Captains work to organise and motivate the students in their House in a variety of different activities, with the Senior (Year 12) House Captain being a member of the SC.

Prefects

Every year a team of prefects is selected from Year 12. The Prefect system aims to: 

●     Entrust students with responsibilities commensurate with their strengths and abilities

●     Increase students' leadership within the school

●     Provide positive role models for younger

●     Provide opportunities for students to develop relevant skills 

●     Provide a network of support covering all aspects of school life 

Prefects embody the aide memoire and promote the school mission in all of their interactions. Prefects are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour in keeping with the school ethos, including but not limited to high standards of uniform, punctuality and attendance, organisation and time-management. They are role models for the rest of the school in all aspects of school life, by being positively involved in and supporting school activities. 

Head Students

Four prefects are chosen annually by the Head Teacher to be Head Students

The role of the Head Students includes:

●     Leading and participating in assemblies

●     Running the Student Council

●     Attending regular meeting with the Deputy Head/Head Teacher

●     Contributing to school publications

●     Meeting and giving tours to guests

●     Organising Prefect teams for school functions and events.

School Uniform

Maintaining correct school uniform is a representation of the high standards we expect across all areas of school life. Students who present themselves well will earn respect for themselves and their school because they have shown respect for their school uniform and pride in their appearance. 

Girls

●      School issued blouse – plain white with badge. Should be recently pressed or ironed.

●      School issued skort – beige, school issue. 

●      Sweater (optional) – only school sweater may be worn.

●      Socks – plain white, grey or black "No socks" is also allowed.

●      Shoes – clean and polished black leather (no suede, trainers/sports shoes or thick soles – max 2cm)

●      Hair should be neat and of a natural colour.  No extremes are permitted.

●      Make-up and/or nail varnish are not allowed.

●    Jewellery: small items will be allowed within reason.  The W&G leaders will decide what is within the spirit of the rules. As a rule of thumb: one pair of plain earrings or studs (worn in the lobe of the ear); one plain ring; one plain necklace; bracelet-friendship bands within reason (2 maximum); no visible tattoos or body piercings. 

Boys

●    School issued shirt – plain white with badge – worn tucked-in. Should be recently pressed or ironed.

●     School issued trousers or shorts –trousers should be worn at the waist and tailored so that the bottoms just cover the tops of the shoes.  

●      Sweater (optional) – only school sweater may be worn.

●      Socks – plain white 

●      Shoes – clean and polished black leather (no suede, trainers/sports shoes or sandals)

●      Belt – black leather

●   Hair should be neat, not below the shirt collar and of a natural colour. No extremes are permitted.

●     Jewellery: small items will be allowed within reason - The W&G team will decide what is within the spirit of the rules. As a rule of thumb: no earrings or studs; one plain ring; one plain necklace; bracelet-friendship bands within reason (2 maximum); no visible tattoos or body piercings.

Sixth Form Girls

●      Pale blue school blouse. Should be recently pressed or ironed.

●      Skirt – navy blue, school issue only.

●      Trousers (Optional) - navy blue fitted trousers, school issue only.

●      Rest as above.

Sixth Form Boys

●      Pale blue school shirt – worn tucked-in. Should be recently pressed or ironed.

●      Trousers – navy blue trousers, worn at the waist and tailored so that the bottoms just cover the tops of the shoes (school issue only)

●      Rest as above.

Boots

We will also allow leather ankle boots (at or around ball of ankle height [+/- 2.5cm]) to be worn where an identified need is specified and confirmed by parents and/or guardians.  This need may relate to medical, specific podiatry related issues, purchasing and availability issues (due to size or width of feet).  The W&G leaders will decide what is within the spirit of the rules.  Parents and guardians should make contact with the Head of Year to enquire about suitability prior to purchase.

Specific Requirements:

• Plain black. 

• Leather 

• Black Laces - no other colours

• No Large Platforms (Max 2.5 cm)

• No High Heels

• No excessive or coloured stitching

• No Graphics

 PE and Drama

●      All students are provided with PE/House T-shirts, which will be worn for House activities and PE lessons during the year.

●      Only school PE kit may be worn in PE lessons.

●      PE/House T-shirts, FOBISIA kit or other appropriate clothing may be worn for sports activities during CCA time.

●      Only school PE kit may be worn for drama lessons.

Students should not wear a mix of school uniform, PE Kit or drama clothes or footwear at any time and should not change out of school uniform, including changing into trainers, before leaving school.

Adding Value to Student Identity Cards for Food and Drink Purchases at the Cafeteria and Bistro

Students can top up/add value to their Student Identity Cards for food and drink purchases at our various food service sites on the Secondary Campus.  This can be done manually with the Caterer's Cashiers or parents can add value via a Bank Transfer.  Details for Bank Transfers to the Caterers are shown below.

This can also be completed through the Parental Essentials link below:

https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/bis-hcmc/parent-essentials/school-menu 

Health and Safety

Grab Bikes and Taxis: It is highly recommended when taking these forms of transportation that your child should make sure that he/she is entering the correct vehicle by checking the license plate. Additionally, he/she should make sure that the vehicle looks safe and roadworthy. It is also very important that he/she wears a helmet if using GrabBikes or otherwise. 

Additionally, your child should make sure that the helmet is well-maintained and undamaged. Added to this, when taking vehicles, your child should inform parents/guardians when he/she enters the vehicle and consider updating his/her ‘live location’ using WhatsApp or another appropriate messaging system. 

Lastly, your child should ensure that he/she wears a seatbelt in cars. If riding Grab Bikes or otherwise, he/she should avoid using Mobile Phones and hold on tightly to avoid unnecessary danger. Additionally, he/she should only ride motorbikes with people of legal age, appropriately insured, licensed and experienced.

Traffic and Road Safety: Traffic in HCMC is extremely busy, and road accidents are sadly quite common. To help lessen the risks, we would recommend that your child should be aware of road safety guidance and advice. The following site has some good suggestions and ideas.  

When walking around and crossing streets, we strongly recommend that children should put away their mobile phones and avoid using headphones so that they can remain observant and aware of their surroundings. We strongly recommend that students should not operate or ride as a passenger on a motorcycle if underage or without the appropriate training and local license. 

Bike Safety and Helmets: Riding bicycles in HCMC can be risky due to the high volumes of road traffic. Traffic Accidents are prevalent throughout the city. Please be aware that when using bicycles, your child must wear a helmet at all times. Please note that your child will not be allowed to leave school on a bicycle unless your child is wearing a helmet. Additionally, your should avoid distractions such as mobile phone usage and listening to music as these can impair their ability to be observant and focused.

Motorcycles:  For Sixth Formers, although we do not recommend that students ride motorcycles to school, it is legally allowed as long as the student is 16 years or older and the motorcycle's engine capacity is under 50cc.  We never recommend or allow student motorcyclists to take passengers.  For Sixth Formers we require a proper motorcycle helmet to be worn when riding.

Students under 16 years of age or not in the Sixth Form are not allowed to ride a motorcycle to and from school.

Weather Alerts and Warnings

Here at BIS HCMC, we are committed to keeping each and every member of our school community safe at all times, and during severe weather incidents this is even more important. Pick up times can potentially be severely affected by lighting and heavy rain storms, and we want to thank all parents/carers for their speed in getting their children off campus in a safe and timely manner. 

On occasion wet weather and lightning storms can effect fixtures, CCAs, and other events.  Typically we will try to wait and see if the storms pass but on occasion events have to be postponed or rescheduled.  Please keep an eye on SchoolsBuddy for communications around cancellations in event of poor weather conditions.

To ensure safety during these seasonal events where lightning, heavy rain, and the potential for flooding which may cause disruption, we have a very strict policy in which we ask all members of our community to respect.  This extends to our staff, students and our parental community. 

This policy includes lightning warnings and heavy rain alerts which include procedures which we ask are followed fully as soon as any announcement warning of a severe weather event is made over the loudspeaker system, via our warning lights, or through our ‘Weather Warning Signage’ on the Secondary Campus.

Please see notes on our procedures below:

Amber Alert for Lightning/Heavy Rain: Movement around the campus and departing the campus is still possible with caution, but we ask all parents/carers to remain strictly under cover. When children have been collected, we urge you to head home as soon as is safely possible.  Care must be taken as surfaces may be slippery.

Red Alert for Lightning/Heavy Rain: When a red alert is called, this means that leaving the campus with students is not possible and we will ask the entire community to remain on campus until it is safe to revert back to an amber alert. We apologise for the inconvenience that this may cause, especially for waiting cars, but it is the safety of our students that we care about most. We try to limit calling a red alert unless absolutely necessary, but unfortunately we sometimes have no choice in order to keep our community safe. Thank you in advance for your understanding.