Important – Morning Supervision of All Elementary Students

There is no staff supervision of school students before 7:15 a.m. Please remember, if you drop your student off at school prior to 7:15 a.m. whether they are in KG1 or grade 5, there is no adult supervision of the students.

Back to School Night for Pre-K KG1 and KG2 this Wednsday

Who is to attend?  Parents and Students in grades Pre-K, KG1 and KG2

Location? Student classrooms

Time? 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

What will occur? 

• Classroom teachers will discuss routines and provide practical information that will help get the school year off to a good start.
• Specialist teachers will visit the classrooms they teach to introduce themselves.
• Elementary Administration, Guidance Counselor and the PYP Coordinator will be present to respond to any questions you may have.  You will find them specifically in the school library from 6:45 - 7:00 p.m. 

KG Arrival and Departure Procedures

Arrival Procedures:

1. KG gate will open at 7:15 a.m.
2. Parents/maids/drivers will be allowed to accompany children for the first 2 weeks only.
3. Children will be dropped off at the gate. Pre K children will be allowed to be accompanied by their caregivers, as long as caregivers leave school premises immediately after drop off.
4. Parents of KG1 and KG2 children will be encouraged to drop off their kids at the gate and not to accompany them inside the school gate.   Maids and drivers will not be allowed on school premises after the first 2 weeks. They will be asked to drop off the children at the gate.
5. KG gate will close at 7:50 sharp.
6. Children will be in the classrooms at 7:50 (Bellwill ring)

Dismissal Procedures:

1.  KG gate will open at 2:30 sharp.
2. Parents that have arrived early are not permitted in the school hallways prior to the dismissal bell.  Please wait in the front school lobby, the playground or our elementary school library. 
3. Security guards at the main gate will be instructed not to allow maids and drivers in before 2:30.
4. Children picked up by their caregivers are expected to leave school premises immediately.
5. Maids/drivers/children will not be allowed in the KG playground after 2:55.
6. KG gate will close at 3:00 sharp

Office Passes:

1.  Tardy children (arriving after 8:00) will not be admitted to class without a tardy pass from the elementary office.
2. Teachers and assistants should not allow tardy children into the classrooms without a pass.
3. Care-givers who need to collect children anytime during the day before (1:00 for Pre k and 2:30 for KG1 and KG2), are required to get a pass from the elementary office. No child is to be dismissed without that note.

What is the PYP?

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. Students are encouraged to be curious, be inquisitive, ask questions and explore and interact with the environment physically, socially and intellectually.

In the PYP we teach our curriculum expectations within six units of inquiry. These units of inquiry are the framework of HOW we teach; our curriculum expectations are WHAT we teach. When planning these units of inquiry, we explore six transdisciplinary themes: Who We Are; Where We Are in Place and Time; How We Organize Ourselves; How We Express Ourselves; How the World Works; and Sharing the Planet. Transdisciplinary simply means across all subject areas. These themes are taught each year in every grade level but focus on different globally significant issues.
For example, in a unit of inquiry about the transdisciplinary theme “Who We Are” students learn about the self, values, health and human interactions. To teach this theme in KG2, students learn about our school community whereas in Grade Five, students learn about our body systems.

To support these inquiries, students develop knowledge and acquire skills from science, social studies, arts, literacy, math and personal, social and physical education. In addition, students develop skills such as decision-making, listening, collecting data and working collaboratively.

All students know that a unit of inquiry involves in-depth exploration of an important idea, and that the teacher will be collecting evidence of how well they understand that idea. Students are expected to work in a variety of ways, including on their own and in groups, to allow them to learn to their best advantage. A PYP classroom is an intelligent place, where success is highly valued.

Kind regards,

Erika van Vogt
IB PYP Coordinator
American International School of Kuwait
an IBO World School

…distinguished in educating and nurturing unique and self-reliant world citizens.

Parents to remain outside at dismissal

The hallways are congested areas at entrance and dismissal times.  Parents are to remain outside the school at dismissal time; the students are brought as a group to meet you in the grade identified entrance and dismissal area.

All Students to Leave School Grounds at Dismissal

All elementary students with the exception of those attending club activities are required to leave our AIS school grounds at dismissal time, 2:30 p.m.

Students are not permitted to remain on school presmises once the school day is complete.  This applies to all school divisions.

I’m a parent and I have a problem, what do I do?

If you have a problem and it involves your child these are the steps to follow:

1. Contact your child’s teacher and explain the problem. 
2. If that doesn’t bring resolution to your problem set an appointment with elementary administration.
3. If resolution is still not found, see the superintendent.

A great resource for parents is always the guidance counselor, a professional trained to work through problems related to children and other issues affecting the family.  Our guidance counselor, Donna Lawrence, is always open for a chat; however, her day is very busy and it is best that you book an appointment through our elementary office.

Elementary Office:  22255156 – ext. 302/303