Last updated: January 2024
Communication Overview
The establishment and implementation of communication guidelines fosters mutual respect within the community and creates common expectations between the home and school.
FIS will strive to communicate relevant and critical information in an effective and timely manner to meet the needs and expectations of the school community.
FIS will use current technologies to communicate information, using its website as the principal channel for communicating and archiving information.
FIS will primarily use English to communicate with its constituents in electronic and printed media.
Every effort will be made to replace printed material with electronic communication in areas that will not diminish the school’s ability to meet its mission.
FIS Communication Channels
Meetings
Face-to-face meetings, whether in-person or virtual, are the best way to communicate information that is of a sensitive or personal nature, or where a dialogue or immediate feedback is warranted, such as parent conferences, the proposal for major campus changes, or parent seminars.
Web/Electronic
The school’s website communicates general school information and news to the community. The website is also a portal to school-wide and divisional Learning Management and Student Information Systems (Veracross, Seesaw, Powerschool, Canvas, etc.)
Email should be used for personalized communication to individuals, to share regular e-publications (eg Calendar Highlights) and for information of an urgent nature. Every effort should be made to group information together in a single email and avoid its over-use.
Posters/Banners
The school and parent groups should only use posters and banners to promote school spirit and events such as school performances, festivals and athletic events.
Choosing a Publication Format
Information should only be considered for print if it is related to marketing the school or is required for legal purposes. Exceptions may be made for programs for special public events or other unusual needs deemed appropriate by a division administrator. It is recommended that informational materials only be printed if they:
1. Are necessary to market FIS to prospective families
2. Are of a legal nature that requires a signature
3. Are deemed vital by the appropriate divisional administrator to support the needs of a student, family or member of the faculty/staff.
4. Are needed as an information item that is distributed during a meeting, event, or performance
Email Use Guidelines
1. Emails sent by the school should include the prefix FIS in the subject line to allow the recipient to clearly identify its origin and prevent it from being identified as “spam” email.
2. Emails sent to a group of parents should always use the BCC function for email addresses.
3. Whenever possible, a division, grade level or classroom should attempt to send parents no more than one group email per week in order to consolidate information and reduce email traffic.
4. Parents and students can expect to receive a response to an email sent to the school within two working-days to allow issues to be addressed in a prompt fashion. (Telephone contact should be used for more urgent matters.)
5. To be in compliance with German law and school policy, under no circumstances is FIS email to be used to solicit parents for commercial purposes
Presentation Guidelines
1. Whenever possible, notices of a parent presentation will be included in Calendar Highlights at least two weeks prior to the event, in addition to being placed on the FIS web calendar.
2. Whenever possible, the outline/agenda/description of a presentation will be shared when the meeting is announced to inform parents of key topics to be discussed.
3. Given the transient nature of the FIS community, presentations will always begin with the introduction of the presenter(s).
4. All-school or divisional media presentations will use the FIS logo on the first and last slides (at a minimum) and, when appropriate, use one of the templates available on the website in the FIS Communication Toolbox.
5. Whenever possible, minutes/slides/handouts from key community meetings will be made available on the website after the meeting to inform those who were unable to attend.
Guidelines for Frequency of Communication
While school is in session, community members can expect the following regular communications:
1. A weekly round-up of calendar events will be sent via email.
2. The Head of school will issue a newsletter each month of the school year.
3. Division principals will issue a parent newsletter each month of the school year.
4. Teachers will be available for direct meetings with parents throughout the school year, with two specific meetings to review a student’s academic progress in the Lower Schools and one such meeting in the Upper School.