School Guide 2019-2020 Rivers International School Arnhem Parnassusstraat 20 6846RB Arnhem (026)3202822 website: www.riversarnhem.com email: [email protected] ​ ​ ​ Contents Preface Index 1. THE SCHOOL 2. THE DIS AND DE BASIS 3. DEVELOPMENTS 2018/ 2019PLANS FOR 2019-2020 4. SCHOOL TIMES 5. SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 6. SCHOOL FEES 7. ADMISSION 8. TESTING AND ASSESSMENT 9. SOCIAL CARE POLICY 10. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE 11. ABC 12. PARENTS AND CONTACT Preface Dear Parents, Rivers International School Arnhem (Primary Department) School Guide has been produced to give parents and guardians a description of our school, the education we offer, our vision, methodology and what you may expect to find in our school. In the School Guide, you will also find specific information concerning the school year 2019- 2020 e.g. staff composition, the holiday schedule; study days (calendar) curriculum and school times. The School Guide is annually adapted and made available to parents. The guide is also useful as an information source for new parents who are in the process of finding a school for their child. This School Guide has been approved by the School Parent Teacher Council (Medezeggenschapsraad, MR). We wish all children a successful academic year, in terms of both education and their personal and social development, in an environment of safety and respect. Gill Eaton, Head Rivers Primary 1 1. The school History of the School The Dutch International Schools have their roots in the Dutch Educational system. The ‘Arnhem International School’ ​ was established in 1986 on the initiative of local businesses and government to provide an English-based education, taught in English, for the children of international families within the area. Together with the Secondary International Department we form “Rivers International School Arnhem”. ​ ​ Rivers is one of 15 schools which make up the organisation the DIS http://www.dutchinternationalschools.nl ​ We are also part of the Arnhem Schools group De BasisFluvius http://www.debasisfluvius.com ​ ​ The Secondary department is part of the Quadraam schools. Rivers is not a private school, it is a Government subsidised, non profit Dutch International School. As there is an alignment of our school’s mission statement to that of the two other organisations; it is essential for us to maintain our individual identity whilst recognizing the significance of our connections. The connections strengthen our mission and our vision while clarifying our ambitions, goals and objectives. ​ We are a relatively small school In Arnhem (approx. 210 pupils). The Primary International Department has 11 class groups with an average class size of approximately 22 children. This gives a unique family, community feeling. The language of instruction is English. The Name “Rivers” Why Rivers? Rivers are the birthplaces of human civilisation. Rivers do not only supply water, food and energy but also fertile land and natural barriers against attacks, safety. At the same time, they allow for trade and cultural exchange connecting the local with the regional, even global; making a settlement part of something bigger. Three main rivers cross Gelderland – Ijssel, Rhine and Waal – connecting places and cities in Gelderland, Netherlands, parts of Europe - all the way to Asia and beyond. Rivers overcome isolation and connect the world. Life, purity, strength, fertility – many cultures and religions are unified in their views on rivers and water. Rivers have inspired humankind since the beginning of language: “A river is a river, always there, and yet the water flowing through it is never the same water and is never still. It’s always changing and is always on the move. And over time the river itself changes too. It widens and deepens as it rubs and scours, gnaws and kneads, eats and bores its way through the land.” We as a school play a major part in shaping our students into life-long learners – rivers like learning - flow. Rivers International School Arnhem makes you curious, allows for associations. It connects spontaneously and yet ​ distinguishes at the same time. It represents who we are, shows our uniqueness. At the same time, whilst highlighting the strong connection to our location Arnhem, we are creating space for the rest of Gelderland and beyond, to identify with. By making this visible not only via our name but also in a new logo and in the interior design of the building we arrive at a strong, compelling and coherent message for staff and students, prospective parents and investors. T​ ry this: place your finger on any major river in the world and try to get around the globe by following only rivers. You will be surprised how far you will get! ​ ​Adrian Chambers Mission: 2 This school aims to provide a wonderful atmosphere built around friendship, genuine happiness and inspired empowerment. The creation of a stimulating, caring and positive environment is an important element in the vision of our school. The children will share responsibility in the educational process and develop their own talents and abilities. The children will be encouraged, supported and inspired to reach their full potential. The children will develop respect for a healthy and purposeful life, rich in individuality, facing challenges with wisdom and perseverance. They will expand their international awareness and be reflective, caring and balanced in their out- look which will prepare them for a future role in a multicultural world. Our Vision: Our core values are: INTEGRITY, COMMUNITY, CREATIVITY. Each department ( Primary, Secondary, preschool) have their own interpretation of the core values We practice and cultivate Integrity through: Compassion: ​ ​ ​ ​ We are kind, courteous and caring We are respectful of others We are honest Responsibility: We all take responsibility for our learning We all take care of our environment. We take responsibility and learn from our mistakes Community Together we form a supportive community ​ We are communicators and take time to listen. Our school is the hub of the International community where families are welcomed We collaborate with others to achieve goals We keep an open mind and appreciate others contributions Creativity We try to think out of the box ​ We use our individual talents We ask questions to create our own learning opportunities We give inquisitive minds the freedom to explore We challenge ourselves Our Motto “Explore your worlds` incorporates the many different worlds the children will come to explore: world of the ​ ​ new classroom, the world of new community, world of new languages and experiences. General The teaching approach at Rivers is based on enquiry based learning and takes into consideration ​ ​ 3 the multiple intelligences of the children. The teaching staff are aware of the different learning styles of the children and strive to provide a multisensory approach, giving opportunities for all children to learn. The school uses the well bench-marked British Curriculum adapted to the needs of International Education. • Due to a very favourable pupil-teacher ratio, the staff is able to build up a close relationship with children and identify specific individual needs. • Specialist teachers for Gym, Dutch, P4C, EAL, Art and Music compliment the expertise and pupil ratio. • All the teachers are trained and qualified to university level in English. • The school has high quality educational materials mainly resourced from the UK and the Netherlands. • Within each class there are children from many different cultural, social and educational backgrounds, and children may arrive or leave at any time during the year. Some children will not speak English on arrival and many children have first languages other than English. • We aim to build on, encourage and develop each child’s abilities by adapting the program to meet individual needs. For example, Dutch lessons are taught by a native Dutch teacher to all pupils in small differentiated groups. This organization allows the class teacher to offer individual attention to the remaining class members. • Staff professional development is encouraged and strong in our school. The International Primary Department works in conjunction with 15 other Dutch International Primary and Secondary Schools in the Netherlands to provide “In Service Training” opportunities for staff. The school also cooperates in-house curriculum development and exchange experiences on educational methods and materials. • There is an extensive enrichment programme for pupils, of after school activities including musical instrument lessons. There are also language classes for parents in Dutch, English, French, Italian and Spanish We employ parents as volunteer classroom assistants to do non-teaching tasks (Volunteergeld). Our team of VCA`s support Rivers through the school. ​ ​ There are 11 International classrooms throughout the school building and a room for Dutch lessons. Four classrooms have direct access to their own early years playground. The school has an upgraded computer network for classroom computers, ipads, laptops/chrome books and interactive white boards. The building also contains, an assembly hall, a café ( catering for Primary students on request as well as being open for parents), a library, a very spacious music and dance studio and an art and design room. There are specialist rooms designated for Learning Support, and teaching Dutch Language. The spacious modern Sports Hall, is in-built within the school and is where physical education lessons take place. A number of