3.1 General Information

Effective communication plays a vital role in the smooth operation of a school. At ISB, we are committed to keeping parents well-informed about school events through various channels, including the Dragon Dispatch (our weekly e-newsletter), PTSA and School Board meetings, and the Moze system. Additionally, our school's website serves as a comprehensive resource for parents seeking detailed information about ISB.

In our Primary School, every grade level utilizes the online platform SeeSaw as their primary communication tool and a means to document student learning. Parents have direct access to their child's class page, and the login information will be provided by the class teacher.   

Homeroom teachers send a weekly newsletter to parents via Seesaw.   This newsletter contains important information about the learning that is happening (or will happen) in classrooms, field trips and other class/grade specific events such as field trips. 

We begin the school with Hopes and Dreams conferences.  These are conversations between teachers and parents that happen within the first week of school.  The purpose of these conversations is for the teachers to learn about their students from their parents.   These meetings are approximately 10 minutes long and the role of the teacher is to ask questions and listen.   Hopes and Dreams conferences take place throughout the year with newly admitted students/families. 

Following Hopes and Dreams conferences, we invite parents to attend Open House presentations within the first 2 weeks of the school year. This event allows parents to gain valuable insights into learning expectations and key instructional practices. Details regarding the time, date, and location of this event will be sent to you at the beginning of the school year.

Furthermore, we regularly organize parent information sessions, often once a month.  We call these, Parent Coffee Mornings. The topics for these sessions are chosen based on parent feedback and school needs. These sessions enjoy high attendance and offer an excellent opportunity to enhance communication between home and school.

To ensure ongoing effective communication, we encourage parents to keep us informed of any changes to their personal details and circumstances.

3.2. Home and School Communication

Open, thoughtful and timely communication is vital and therefore, our teachers are happy to meet with parents at any time during the  year. If you would like to speak with a teacher, please email them directly to arrange a suitable time.  

As well as this, we have several other avenues of communication: 

• Each grade level has a Seesaw website where parents can see work that is happening in classes and get  information regarding the class programme. There will be a summary of learning each week.  

• A message from the Primary School Principal will be shared in the Dragon Dispatch on a Friday. This will contain  reminders of up-coming events, highlight celebrations of learning, and share interesting educational articles. 

• Parent-Teacher-Student conferences will be held in October and Student Led Conferences will be held in March.  Written reports will be given at the end of each semester, in January and June. Area of Concern official emails are sent in  October and March.  

• Teachers will contact you in any situation where there is a concern, either academically, socially or emotionally.  Similarly, if you have a concern about your child, please do not hesitate to contact us.

3.3. Protocol for Inquiries and Concerns

Whenever a question, issue or problem arises it is best to go to the person directly involved whenever possible.   Go to the source is our motto. 

Teachers 

If parents have a question or concern about their child’s experience in a particular class, they are encouraged to contact the teacher directly.  

Curriculum Questions 

If parents have a question or concern about issues related to curriculum, assessment or general learning, you can contact  Ms Chanda Pinsent the PYP curriculum coordinator directly on cpinsent@isb.rs or our school Principal, Dr. Jimena Zalba jzalba@isb.rs.

Counselor 

Parents may contact the Primary School counselor if they feel that their child would benefit from greater social-emotional  support. Students receive social-emotional mentoring and learning in their classes and questions about the homeroom  program can be discussed with the counselor, Ms. Sara Oliviera soliveira@isb.rs

Class Teacher or School Secretary

If you are unsure of who to contact, your child’s homeroom teacher or our school secretary can guide you.  

Principal 

If more information is required or if a situation is not resolved with a teacher, coordinator or counselor, parents are  encouraged to contact the Principal directly to arrange an appointment.  

For concerns that go beyond these outlined measures, please refer to the Board of Trustees Policy Manual Section 601.3  and 601.4. 

3.4. Email 

Email is the easiest and fastest way to communicate. Staff will respond within 24- 48 hours of receiving an email enquiry.  However, there may be instances where this is not possible. In instances of importance, parents are encouraged to phone  the Primary School receptionist who will contact the teacher. 

The email address for each teacher is the initial of their first name and the family name. For example, Mr John Smith, would  be jsmith@isb.rs. Students from Grade 3 and older have an email account which is monitored by the teacher in order to  teach online safety, email etiquette and digital citizenship.

3.5. Use of Student Images 

During the school year, students may be photographed or filmed while participating in school activities. These images may  be used in a variety of school communications, including but not limited to the school newsletter and website, as per  parents’ consents.   Consent is provided by parents in Moze.