SCHOOL RULES AND POLICIES

OVERVIEW: RULES AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

Listed below are the school rules that all students are expected to follow at Korean International School [KIS].  Each student will be given two copies of the rules, one for their own use, and a second that must be signed by the parent(s) and student and returned to the school.  Students and parents have the responsibility of knowing the rules which can be done by reading their copy and asking for any clarification of rules that is unclear.  With the signature of parent and student, the teachers and school administration will assume that parents and students know the rules and, most importantly, agree to follow them. 

1.0 ATTENDANCE

All students must be in regular attendance to be eligible for promotion and or graduation.  Regular attendance is defined as not being absent more than 10 school days.  Absences include both those excused and unexcused.  Regular attendance also is defined as not being excessively late coming to school or late for a subject class at the school during the day.  Records will be kept on absences and lates and students who are in danger of not being promoted or graduated will be informed and warned in writing.  Parents and students should feel free to ask the school secretary for their attendance status numbers.

On a day that the student is absent, parents are expected to contact the school secretary on 2569 5500 to inform her that the student will be absent and to give a reason for the absence.  This should be followed by a written note that is signed by the parent and brought to the homeroom teacher the next day the student returns to school.

In the case where parents know beforehand that a student will be missing time from school, a form requesting a leave of absence should be obtained from the school secretary, completed, and then passed to the principal for his approval.

2.0 DAILY SCHEDULE  

Once students arrive at school in the morning, they should follow this schedule: 

1. Do not go above the ground floor until the 8:10 bell. 

2. With the sounding of the 8:10 bell, all students should proceed to their lockers to store cell phones and other personal belongings under lock-and-key.  They should get the books for the first class and bring them into homeroom.  In this way they can go directly to the first class at 8:30.

3. By 8:15 students should be in their homeroom where they can hear announcements and get information for the day.  Over the course of the year, the homeroom period from 8:15 to 8:30 will be used to provide important information, promote reading as well as other activities.

4. During break time from 10:00 to 10:10, students must not go down to the ground floor to buy food from the canteen.  The canteen is also out-of-bounds to students in the 5 minute time between classes.  Students who know they will need food or liquid should bring these things in the school bag in the morning.

5. During lunch period from 12:40 to 1:15, students should remain on the ground floor or the library.  There should be no students in other areas of the school at this time as teachers are supervising only the ground levels and the library.

6. After school, students may stay behind to work with teachers or to go to the library, and they may play sports on the ground level if supervised by a teacher or an adult approved by the principal.  Students are not allowed to play sports on school grounds if they are not supervised.

Students who are not in their homeroom by 8:30 must report to the school general office and obtain a late slip.  They should then proceed quickly and quietly to their first class.

3.0 STUDENT BEHAVIOR

Students at KIS pay fees and thus have the right to expect to be able to hear the teacher and other classmates who are participating in the lesson.  Students must behave in classrooms in a way that promotes the learning of other students.  This means that there should be no disruptive behavior in class.  Specifically, if the teacher clearly asks a student to be quiet or to stay in a particular seat or to refrain from certain actions, then the student must follow this direction given by the teacher.  Students who do not follow clear and realistic instructions by their classroom teachers can expect the following sequence of discipline:  a first warning by the teacher; a final warning by the teacher; a detention issued by the classroom teacher; a dismissal from class and being sent to see the principal. 

Students taking physical education and science classes especially should be very careful in what they do and should never do anything that puts the safety of themselves or others at risk.  Students who violate this rule may be restricted from activities where they can endanger the health of others.

Abuse – in any form – towards others will not be tolerated in the school.  Any form of communication that insults another student personally or as a member of a minority will not be tolerated in the school.  In particular, students who bully others will be dealt with promptly and seriously.

4.0 INJURY AND ILLNESS

The school should be informed about student illness or injury.  This should be done by the parent in the form of a note that is given to the homeroom teacher.  If the student is ill and taking medication, the school should also be informed about the medicine and its effects on the learning of the student.

If the student feels sick while at school, the student should report the matter to the homeroom teacher and then proceed to the school nurse.  If it is necessary that the student leave the school, the nurse will inform the principal and teachers and parent and the student will be given a form that is to be signed by the classroom teacher before they can be released from the school.  No student is allowed to leave the school without having such a form completed and signed by the classroom teacher.

5.0 DEMERIT SYSTEM

In the 2007-2008 school year, teachers will follow a demerit system to assist students to follow school rules.  The specifics of the system will be posted in each room and on the internet early in the school year.  Generally, at first, for minor offences, a warning will be issued but this will be followed by a demerit point for the next repetition.  Records of demerits will be kept in a class register that is taken to class by a monitor. 

As more demerits are accumulated by a student, more serious disciplinary action will be taken including:  after-school detention, referral to the principal, Saturday detention, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and eventually discontinuation of studies.  Parents will be kept informed of any disciplinary action at first by the homeroom teacher but then through the principal’s office.  Parents should understand that they will be required to be active participants in establishing good student behaviour and that they may be required to come to school for interviews to discuss the ways in which they can work with the school.  Such meetings will be mandatory and students will not be allowed to return to studies if parent does not come to school as requested.

Parents should also understand that the demerit system is for minor, repeated behavioural problems and more serious offences, like fighting for example, will be dealt with the principal directly.

6.0 LANGUAGE POLICY

KIS is an English-only school meaning that students are required to speak English in classrooms at all times in the school.  Failure to meet this requirement will result in demerits and repeated violations, as outlined in the demerit system described above, can produce suspensions and with repeated violation, more serious consequences.  Parents and students need to understand that all students make a considerable investment when they come to KIS and that often the school is selected because it offers ‘real’ English-based education.  For this reason, the teachers will strictly enforce the language policy.

7.0 DISHONESTY

KIS places a high value on honesty and expects all students to be truthful.  Students found to be cheating, plagiarizing or being untruthful will be dealt with seriously, and students found to be repeatedly dishonest will find that serious disciplinary action will be taken.  Theft of school property or things belonging to other students is considered a serious violation of school rules.

Parents should clearly understand that the school provides lockers and advises students to keep these locked using a padlock and key.  The school will not be held responsible for the loss of valuables like cameras, PSPs, etc. In the event that a valuable item is brought to school the student may leave this at the principal’s office where it will be kept under lock and key.

Parents are advised not to give students large sums of money to bring to school as there are simply too many opportunities over the course of a school day when money can be stolen.

Students should be particularly careful when changing for PE class and valuables should be stored in locked lockers and never taken into a change room or left behind in the room while the student enjoys activity.

8.0 CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

KIS allows students to bring cell phones to school so that contact with the parent is enabled.  But the use of student cell phones during school hours is strictly restricted to the following times: before 8:15; at lunch time; and after school.  Use of cell phones at other times will result in confiscation by the teacher and return to the student by a time specified by the teacher.  At other times, the cell phone should be locker in the student locker.  No student should bring a cell phone into class.  Cell phones are to be used for important contacts and not for chatting.

There is a specific location where cell phones can be used as well, namely outside the homeroom by the lockers.  Students are expressly forbidden from using cell phones anywhere else in the school.

Other electronic devices like games, MP3 players and the like should not be brought to school.  If the student does bring these, they should be stored in locked lockers.  Parents and students should understand that failing to follow this rule will result in the confiscation of the electronic device by the teacher.  KIS is not responsible for property that is stolen from students though we take theft seriously and school staff will make a real effort to determine the student who is the thief.

9.0 DRESS POLICY

KIS has a school uniform that all students will be expected to purchase and wear.  On sports day, students should wear the school sports outfit.  All students will be expected to have pants and shirts cleaned and maintained regularly.  This year, students will be allowed to wear shoes of their choice as long as these are clean, safe, and bear no text or symbols that are offensive.  If students want to wear an undershirt it should be plain white and undershirts of different colours or with script on them are not acceptable as part of the uniform.

Students should have a clean and tidy appearance.  Hair should not be excessively long and boys should not wear jewelry.  Girls can wear simple jewelry and follow the directions of staff if what is worn by a student is deemed to be excessive.  Students are not allowed to wear hats in school.

10.0 SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Students at KIS are strictly prohibited from using alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs on school property or while on any school trips.  KIS has a zero tolerance for drugs:  This means that any student caught possessing or using drugs at school or away from school at any school event will be expelled from the school.

Students are not allowed to be in possession of cigarettes on school property, buildings or while on school activities.  Students are strictly prohibited from smoking on school property at any time.  Students found to be in possession of cigarettes or other products that are smoked, will have these confiscated and they will be destroyed.  Cigarette lighters and matches or other things used to enable smoking are also not allowed on school property and will be confiscated and will be returned only to a parent or guardian. 

In the event that the school suspects a student is taking illegal substances, the school reserves the right to demand that the student undergo a drug test with a school-designated doctor.  Failure to agree to undergo a drug test will result in immediate suspension until such time as the required test is taken.  Should the results of a test prove positive it is school policy to immediately expel the student.  Parents/Guardians should understand that under such circumstances there will be no refund of school fees.

11.0 Food

Students may eat or drink in classrooms at the teacher’s discretion.  Generally, students will be allowed to eat if they do not make a mess and put all rubbish in the garbage containers.  Students are not allowed to chew gum in the school as the school has had problems with students putting gum on school property and other related hygiene issues.