Wellbeing

All students are expected to participate in physical education (PHE) as this is an essential component of a child’s holistic development. Primary School students use the facilities at The Institute for the Blind and Partially Sighted (Rymarksvej 1), a 7-minute walk from the school. The facilities are shared with other organisations including the Blind Institute.

Students must wear appropriate sports clothing (i.e. exercise shorts or pants, t-shirts or sports jerseys, etc.) and indoor shoes.

All children should have at least an hour of outside play every day, in all kinds of weather. It’s important that all students are prepared for outdoor play in Denmark, in the different seasons.

For Early Years students, please refer to our Danish Outerwear Guide (on the school website) for recommended seasonal outerwear. 

In order to reduce the risk of a life-threatening situation for ISH community members, the Hellerup Campus is now nut-free.

Key information:

• Allergic reactions can be life-threatening, and in rare cases deadly. 

• While emergency treatment is available for allergic reactions, there is currently no cure. 

• The only treatment for food allergies is strict avoidance of allergens. Sometimes a small amount of allergen can cause a reaction. Children eat in such close proximity at school, so the chance of an inadvertent reaction is much higher in the school setting than elsewhere.

• It is not possible to avoid all allergens entering the school. However, with nut-free classes, the risk reduces considerably.

How do all ISH families help keep all children safe?

These products are not brought to school:

• Packs of nuts 

• Peanut butter sandwiches

• Fruit and cereal bars that contain nuts

• Chocolate bars or sweets that contain nuts

• Sesame seed rolls (children allergic to nuts may also have a severe reaction to sesame)

• Cakes made with nuts

In addition to this:

• Remind your children not to share food or water-bottles with other children

• Make sure they wash their hands and brush their teeth before coming to school

If your child is in a class with another child with severe allergic reactions, you will be informed at the start of the school year, and given more specific information.

International School of Hellerup has a “no-nit” policy. Parents should routinely (weekly) check their own children, especially if their child is exposed to lice. If lice or nits are found in the student’s hair while at school, the family will be called so that they are aware and can take the child home if appropriate.

If the child has lice, the whole family needs to be checked, but only the people with lice need treatment. Treatment requires a specific type of shampoo that can be bought at a pharmacy.  Pillow and bed sheets, couches, and other materials which might contain lice should also be checked.

When the school gives notice about lice, all parents should check their children. The school helps with prevention by cleaning any materials which may be exposed to lice, communicating to parents each time lice occurs, and sending children with lice home.

At ISH we encourage healthy eating. A nutritious, well-balanced diet is essential for the day and learning - cakes, cookies and candy etc. are not allowed for snacks or lunches. We enjoy our mealtimes together and take this opportunity to talk about what helps our bodies grow healthy and strong.

You can find a help sheet here: ISH PYP Snack & Lunchtime Help Sheet

For birthdays, families can bring in something to share with the class (PYP1-PYP5 MYP?). It is preferred to bring pre-packaged snacks, and we discourage candy/sweets. You can find suggestions for alternative gifts and celebrations under the Birthdays sections in the Primary School and Middle School programme specific information. For all Early Years classes, there is no need to bring anything from home as each class provides what is needed to celebrate your child's birthday. 

Students leaving campuses (for example Middle School students during break time) must not bring junk food onto campus and should make healthy choices.

Here is a guide for students of families that observe fasting due to cultural beliefs and practices:

• International mindedness at ISH means appreciating and respect diverse cultural perspectives while reflecting on and balancing this with our own identity and culture

• Fasting  should only occur if a child has full health and no diagnosed medical conditions

• If a PYP student will fast or alter their diet in any way, families are required to notify the homeroom teacher and Ms. Laura (PE teacher) in advance, so they are aware and can provide accommodations in the classroom or PE within that location

• Families need to provide an emergency snack for their child

• In the rare circumstances of a child becoming distressed or unwell when he or she is fasting, the child will be sent to reception where the school will first contact the parents, and then with the parents' permission, the child would break their fast by eating their emergency snack and having a drink of water