It is important that you do go to the clinic if you are not feeling well, as it not only provides a quiet place to rest and get better, but also prevents your roommates from catching whatever you may have.

After School/At The Weekend/During A Holiday

Let a houseparent know (duty phone or in person) and then go to the clinic. There is always nurse on duty (though in the middle of the night, you will need to ring the doorbell to get in) who will ask you some questions, do some basic checks and then decide if you need to see a doctor.  If the nurse requests it, one of the houseparents will accompany you to a 24 hour clinic or hospital for urgent matters. If you don't need to see a doctor, the nurse can dispense some basic medications such as pain-killers and cold medicines and do dressings for minor injuries. 

During The School Day

You may not, for whatever reason, excuse yourself from school commitments by staying in bed or returning to your room during the school day; you must inform a Dayparent or Houseparent if you are not feeling well, and then go to the College Clinic:

If you feel that you are unfit to go to school in the morning, you must inform the Dayparent by 7.50 am, before going to the College Clinic. Your Dayparent will let your School Secretary know of your absence.

If the nurse thinks you need to see a doctor, there is a doctor's clinic every school morning, and you might be asked to rest in the clinic or to return to

If you fall ill during the school day, you need to get a note from the teacher (during lessons) or the relevant School Centre (any other time) before you go to the College Clinic.

When we live away from our friends and family, it is natural to miss them. This will be more noticeable at first while you are still getting to know people in school and in the boarding house. It does become easier with time and there are a few things that you can do that will make it easier. When you are feeling a bit homesick try the following:

• Talk to your friends, roommates or buddy about how you feeling

• You can also talk to your Houseparent or another member of boarding staff

• Try something constructive like going for a swim or playing football, or even having a coffee with someone in the kitchen

• Go and talk to someone new who you haven't met before

• Decorate your room area

• Get your homework out of the way

• Ask someone if they want to watch a movie/go for a jog/play cards with you

• All prescribed medication must be checked and stored in the college clinic

• You can access your medication with the nurses who will support your schedule of when and how much to take.  

• Do not store medication in your room as it is will be confiscated. 

• You are allowed to leave the boarding house as per your curfews.

• You can Sign In & Sign Out (SISO)to local locations, such as the National University of Singapore (NUS) behind our school, or travel further away. Rules depend on your grade. 

• You must make a leave request (or SISO, if the place you want to go to appears on your SISO options)

• For G8,9 10: Ensure you give your Houseparents time to approve the leave request, plan in advance and give at 24 hours notice where possible

• You should also inform an adult if you are going out on a leave, whilst signing out in the office.

• If you leave without signing out, you will be asked to come back to campus.

• YES, within reason: Overnights are evenings when you are given permission to stay away from the boarding houses overnight with friends or family. If the Houseparents have any concerns about overnights they will contact your parents.

• Friday or Saturday nights with a registered host on Reach

• 3 nights permitted with a parent or close relative - special permission granted for this

• A ratio of 1 in 3 overnights is requested in your planning of free time: you should not spend every weekend out of boarding if you wish to settle in and also become self-sufficient and independent in this environment.

• (Note: If for any reason you need to stay out of your Boarding house, but also from school (e.g. weekdays during term time) you will also require permission from your Head of Grade and Principal. You will need to inform them in advance and your parents will need to contact the College to explain the reasons for your absence and to ask for permission)

• Create an Overnight leave Request on Reach with at least 24 hours notice, or latest by 4:30 pm on Thursday for all weekend overnights. 

• No overnight will be granted if the request/information is later than 4:30pm and or if the host cannot be verified

• Your parents and the host must have time to approve the overnight via an email link sent to them - without this your Houseparent/Dayparent cannot approve it for you.

• Don’t forget to sign out to your Overnight using the Kiosk or preferably with an adult in the office. 

• If you leave without signing out, you will be asked to come back to campus.

•  Parent or student gives the host contact details to Dayparent or Houseparent

• Declaration form will be sent to potential host by email

• Host returns the completed and signed form

• Form  will be checked by Dayparent or Houseparent

• Copy of form sent to parent for confirmation that they are happy for their child to visit that host

• When parental confirmation is received, Dayparent or Houseparent will call the host to verify and explain how authorisation for individual nights will work and their details will added to system as authorised host

•  All houses have a system for keeping money safe. Please reach out to your dayparent/houseparent for more information.

Contingency Account

• All of you are required to open a contingency account with the College to pay for expenses such as musical lessons, uniforms, house outings, fax and telephone bills, and airfares.

• If you require a large amount from your contingency account you must inform your Dayparent at least three working days in advance to allow the Dayparent to give the Finance office the necessary notification. 

• If you wish to withdraw money, you have to get permission from your parents, which should be sent to the relevant dayparent. This can be via email. 

• You do not need permission from your parents when it is an official College course.

• Only your dayparents/houseparents can authorize withdrawal of money from this account. 

• When the contingency account runs low, the Finance Department may contact your parents to request for a top-up by cash, cheque, bank draft or telegraphic transfer. All charges for any transaction will be deducted from the sum before it is credited to your account.

Pocket Money

• The College considers it essential for every boarder to have an appropriate sum of pocket money every week.

• G8:  SGD 50-60  per week

• G9 - 12: SGD 50-90  per week 

• This amount will be transferred to your bank account/cash collection on a bi-weekly/weekly basis respectively.

Anything that is illegal, hazardous or socially unacceptable in a shared living environment: 

• alcohol, cigarettes or vaping devices, 

• non-prescription drugs, 

• candles, lighters or matches

• Excessive amounts of personal belongings that will not fit into your own space! 

If in doubt, please get in touch.

Call the duty phone(s):

• NMH +65 9786 8065

• MAH  +65 8112 9345

• KHH +65 8112 9346

You should always have a working phone number that is accessible without wifi

Most boarders appreciate the relevance of the common rules and expectations but sometimes, as teens, your judgement or decision making may lapse! Here are some common things to avoid as they hold a consequence:

• Being late for curfews: campus, tech (for G8-10)

• Not communicating effectively with staff: not signing out or back in from leave, leaving campus without leave or permission

• Being out of bed past curfew (G8-10) (or inappropriate times for G11/12)

• Keeping technology in your possession past tech curfew 

• Missing study time or being late unnecessarily

• Ordering in food deliveries

Serious incidents that would raise concern:

• Entering the floor of the opposite gender

• Bringing *illegal substances into boarding

• Returning to the boarding house under the influence of alcohol or other illegal substances

• Inappropriate use of sexual conduct

• Inappropriate sexual conduct

• Theft or destruction of another’s property

• Offensive or disrespectful behaviour: foul language, racism, sexism, homophobia etc.

*Note that regardless of age, alcohol is a banned substance on campus.

Normally people in rooms get along well together, even though they often come from very different backgrounds. Every single boarder has been through a challenging selection process involving applications, assessments and interviews which determine their commitment to the college's values and to living in an international community. Even so, you will often come from different cultures and have different expectations of what is "normal" in terms of noise levels, sleep times, personal space, tidiness and hygiene. The best thing to do when getting to know your roommates is to be honest and open, but sensitive to these cultural differences. Setting rules for your room together is important at the beginning of the year, and sticking to them will avoid most problems. 

If something one of your roommates is doing is upsetting or disturbing you, it is almost certainly by accident, and if you can find a way to talk to them about it, you can almost always sort things out between you. However, if it doesn't, you should talk to your Houseparent and they will help you find a solution.

• I don't know where i'm supposed to be:

The key thing here is to use your planner to write down any meetings or appointments when you find out about them, and check each morning to make sure you know what you have that day. You can get all the notices for the school sent to your email or your facebook, but you need to set this up. You can ask how to do this in your tutor group.

• I'm lost and can't find my classroom/meeting/ECA:

Until you know your way around confidently, which will happen sooner than you think, check out the campus map by the entrance to each boarding house as you head out, which tells you where the different buildings are. You can also ask someone. Whether it's another boarder, a day student or a member of staff, they will be happy to send you in the right direction.

• I don't understand something in class

Talk to your teacher either during the class or straight after. They will often be able to offer extra support. It is important that they know if you don't get something or don't know what a particular term means. It can also be useful to keep a list of key vocabulary for each subject - some teachers may have this already and it is worth asking them for one if the terms are different to the language you have studied in before. You can also ask one of the houseparents - if they teach that subject or know something about it, they can help you in the evening when you are doing your homework.

• Organising it

Being away from home and managing your work independently for the first time can be quite challenging for some students. The most important thing is to record everything that needs doing accurately and then plan your work schedule carefully to match. Good use of prep time will help, and your teachers and tutors in school will always be able to offer advice. If you find that you are having problems meeting deadlines, are working too late, or are finding it difficult to balance your activities and your homework, talk to your Houseparent and they will sit down with you and help you find a structure that works.

• I don't get it!

You are very lucky to be a boarder as your "parents" are also teachers of many different subjects. You can check the Resident Houseparent and Assistant Houseparents details to see if one of them teaches the subject you need help with and no matter which house they are in, you are welcome to ask them for help with your work when they are on duty.

Use may our Contact Us Page to find the method of communication suited for you - email/phone call/whatsapp message

Do contact your child’s house and dayparent if you feel there is new information that could affect their wellbeing, mood, behaviour etc. This could range from extremes, such as a family bereavement or a change of personal circumstances relating to residence, to an upcoming family event that would require them to miss time from school. 

If you have any concerns about changes you note in you child, do get in touch. It is common for busy UWCSEA students to go quiet for periods where their focus lies elsewhere, but it’s better to talk if you are feeling you need an update on how they are doing. 

https://dover.reachboarding.com.au/#

If you need further help with REACH, visit our REACH help page or get in touch.

There is a ‘holiday leave’ function on Reach when applying for a leave request. For a video tutorial to guide you or your child to complete this, please click here.

We recommend that parents complete and submit holiday leave, unless students are arranging their own flight and transport details through Diana (NC’s) or themselves. 

Once the details are complete and the request submitted, the details will be checked by your child’s dayparent and the request approved or rejected for amendments. You will also receive an email asking you to ‘approve’ the leave.

Please bear in mind that:

Leave and arrival times should not be disruptive and arranged for when a member of staff is present:

• Up to 00:30 on Fridays and Saturdays before school begins

• Be back in the house by Saturday night at the latest, ahead of school commencing on Monday

• Students are to arrange their own transport but are solely responsible for this e.g. taxi

• They are also responsible for collecting their passport from the office and signing out with a member of staff

Boarders are encouraged to remain in the house as much as possible to create a sense of belonging in and for the community. The standard amount of leave is normally one or two nights. With family, this can be extended to 3 nights. For periods of time longer than 3 nights, please see the box below on ‘leave of absence’. We also advise and encourage boarder to adhere to a 1:3 ration of weekend overnights. Having 2 overnights in consecutive weekends is usually not permitted. 

There are common situations where leave from boarding is encouraged and permitted:

• When family are in town and wish to stay with their child/relative 

• Staying with a guardian or local contact, such as a host family 

• Having a sleepover at a friend’s house, with an adult approved as the registered ‘host’

It is important to keep all parties informed and updated of the whereabouts of your child, if circumstances change temporarily. This does not include standard overnights on weekends.  If Leave is during the school week, you need to write to the Director of Boarding, your child’s Principal and Head of Grade. It is also strongly encouraged  to include your child’s house and day parents on the email, as well as their academic mentor and grade secretary. The Principal and Head of Grade will decide on the authorisation of the leave if it involves time away from school. The Director of Boarding will determine exceptional leave that could take your child out of boarding but remain in school.

Please click here to get to the REACH support page. If in doubt, please contact your child’s dayparent or ask your child to help - they usually know exactly what to do!

Generally, no. They are welcome to remain in Singapore with a guardian, but encourage all boarders to reconnect with  their families and spend quality time at home.

As such, we do not offer a level of staffing in the holidays to facilitate an occupied boarding house, which also makes it impractical and unsafe with regards to supervision. 

Exceptions:

• National Committee students who are unable to fund it facilitate travel home

• Students who would travel further than a 7 hour time zone for a period of less than 1 week

If there are exceptional circumstances to the above, do get in touch and contact your child’s houseparent. Permission will be required from the Director of Boarding for all exceptional leave. 

You or your child are welcome to arrange a Leave Request on REACH in advance. If you would like to meet with their Houseparent to check in, please contact them via email.

If you would like to check in with any of their support at school, including Academic Mentor, Head of Grade or a specific teacher, please get in touch with the Grade Secretary for your child. 

General issues - as needed by the Day and Houseparents

Boarding reports - issued home in Early Term 2

If there are ongoing behavioural issues, you will also be linked in to any ‘gatings’ your child is given

NOTE: a gating is restricted leave from campus, such as being ‘grounded’.

You can find all information about curfews (regular, public holidays, campus, bedtime and technology hand ins) on the Resources Page.

Where your child is will be determined by their use of the REACH system. It is an expectation that for anyone leaving the boarding house, whether it be to go for a run or take a trip down to Orchard Road, they must Sign Out on the REACH platform in the following ways:

• On their phones

• In the office with an adult

You should also be able to get in touch with your child via their mobile phone as it is a boarding requirement that all students have an active mobile number to be contacted at all times. 

A homesick child is difficult for many parents to cope with. It usually takes time to build a support network and where some children have experience moving schools or being away from home, adapting quicker to life in boarding, others take more time. The boarding staff appreciate each child’s individual differences and will work with them to find a solution. Often the solution is to give them the time, space and tools to develop social support and resilience to learn they can and will be ok.

There are phases of time where this is more common for those who find it difficult to leave home and families:

• When they first join the boarding house and are settling in

• During orientation week when everything is brand new and is a lot to take in

• With younger students in Grade 8 or 9

• When they return from their first holiday break (October)

• After significant holidays or occasions e.g. Christmas Holidays, a family wedding, sibling’s graduation.

The best way we encourage you to support your child in these times is to 

1. Keep in touch with their Houseparent - let us know what’s going on as your child may be more open with you than new adults in the early days.

2. Avoid excessive amounts of communication with them, especially in the evenings - this means they are avoiding socialising with their peers and potentially becoming more upset or focussed on home.

3.  Avoid frequent visits to Singapore and overnights - the more time spent in new surroundings, the quicker our boarders tend to adapt. With frequent disruption to their schedules, they struggle to find a routine and get used to distance between family being a manageable thing in life.

4. Give it time - everybody is different but many boarders would estimate around a month for the settling in period. Life is so busy that once school starts, there is much to focus on and life becomes exciting if not demanding!

Do not fear if you experience ‘the drop off’ in communication - this is also a natural step when students start to settle in and get busy with their weekly schedules. 

However, we do encourage all boarders to keep in regular contact with their families and we encourage you to get in touch if you are not hearing anything from your child.

For further reading:

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20070103/14-ways-to-prevent-kids-homesickness 

Call the duty phone(s):

• NMH +65 9786 8065

• MAH  +65 8112 9345

• KHH +65 8112 9346

A dayparent/houseparent will accompany and bring your child  to the Hospital. Before leaving the campus,  College Clinic Nurse will brief dayparent/houseparent about your child’s current medical condition, any pre-existing medical condition, medication, allergies, etc. Upon arrival at the hospital, dayparent/houseparent will register your child, report relevant details to the doctor in-charge  and stay with him/her throughout all consultations, and in any required  tests. Dayparent/Houseparent will update you as necessary and obtain consent from you for any investigation e.g. MRI/ultrasound. In the event of a more serious medical situation e.g. surgery/procedure, dayparent/houseparent will ask the doctor to speak to you.

Boarders are insured for accident and hospitalisation under the College’s Group Hospital and Surgical Schemes (GHS) and College’s Group Personal Accident (GPA). The medical bills claimable by the College are those relating to an accident, surgery, surgical procedures or hospitalisation in Singapore.

General consultation (e.g. outpatient consultation) and medical bills are not claimable unless they are related to the categories mentioned above. Dental treatment and optical are not covered in this scheme and the same also applies for treatment of a cosmetic nature. Please refer to the exclusions listed in the GHS schedule of benefits.

In the case of emergency treatment not covered by the College insurance, we would advise parents to have their own medical insurance as the College policies do not cover all medical bills and any excess medical bills after the claim limit has been reached.