Policies

The primary goal of Arbor’s attendance policy is to ensure a positive and effective learning environment for all students. 

Regular attendance is crucial for academic success, as it directly impacts a student’s ability to participate in and benefit from the learning process. It is essential for academic success, social development, and the overall well-being of each student.

Attendance Expectations:

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and other educational activities.

Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly and punctually.

Reporting Absences:

Parents/guardians must notify the school as soon as possible in the event of a student’s absence. This notification should include the reason for the absence.

Absences can be reported via a phone call to the office, a message to the teacher or an email to the school. 

Excused and Unexcused Absences:

Excused absences include illness, medical appointments, family emergencies, and other circumstances deemed acceptable by the school administration.

Unexcused absences include truancy and any absence not covered by a valid excuse. Consequences may apply for unexcused absences.

Consequences for Absences:

Excessive absences may result in academic consequences, such as missed assignments, reduced grades, or the inability to make up certain assessments.

Chronic absenteeism may lead to a meeting with parents/guardians to address the issue and explore solutions.

Make-Up Work:

It is the students’ responsibility to catch up on any missed assignments in case of absences. Parents can use the Edupage portal to review the work  if their child misses a school day, or they may contact another parent to obtain the assignments from a fellow student. 

We kindly request that parents refrain from calling or messaging teachers for homework-related inquiries, as teachers prioritize their family time after school hours. 

Rest assured, teachers will offer reasonable opportunities for students to fulfill their assignments and assessments.

Parents planning to pull their child out of class to take a vacation during the term are required to submit a formal notification to the school via email. An overview of the missed coursework will be provided. Nevertheless, it is not the teacher’s obligation to furnish comprehensive work plans and assignments for the period of absence. 

The ongoing assignments and materials can be accessed on Edupage, and it is the student’s responsibility to complete the work. In case of any confusion, parents are encouraged to contact a fellow classmate for clarification. Kindly refrain from calling or messaging the teacher for this purpose.

Tardiness: 

Punctuality plays a crucial role in the seamless operation of classes. Students who arrive late not only disturb the learning atmosphere for themselves and their peers but also miss crucial instructions and educational content. 

 It’s not always feasible for the teacher to halt the class to reiterate the material, as this would disadvantage the entire class. Tardiness has a negative impact on a student’s learning, potentially causing them to lag behind in their educational progress.

Consequences for tardiness and repeated absences may include verbal warnings, parental notification, and in some cases, if the student is struggling due to a lot of missed content, may cause the student to repeat the level

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the appropriate use of cell phones and electronic devices within Arbor in order to maintain a safe and focused learning environment.

1. General Guidelines:

– Cell phones and electronic devices are not permitted to be used during class hours, including instructional time, unless explicitly authorized by the teacher for educational purposes.

 – Cell phones should be turned off or set to silent mode and stored in backpacks, lockers, or designated areas during school hours.

– In case of emergency, students may use their cell phones with the permission and supervision of school staff.

– Smart watches are not to be worn at school. Students can wear analoge or digital watches

2. Educational Use:

– Teacher Authorization: – Teachers may allow the use of electronic devices for educational purposes during class, under their supervision.

–  BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): – Students may be allowed to bring their own devices for specific educational activities, following teacher and school guidelines.

3. Social Media and Communication:

– Social media usage and personal communication via cell phones are strictly prohibited during school hours.

– The use of cell phones for bullying, harassment, or any form of inappropriate communication is strictly prohibited, and violators will face disciplinary actions.

4. Consequences for Violations:

– First Offense: – Warning and confiscation of the device, to be returned at the end of the school day.

– Repeated Offenses: – Progressive disciplinary actions, including parental involvement, detention, or temporary suspension of device privileges.

5. Lost or Stolen Devices:

Students must report any lost or stolen devices to the school administration immediately.

The school is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged electronic devices.

6. Review and Updates:

The school will review and update the Cell Phone and Devices Policy annually, taking into consideration changes in technology and educational needs.

7. Parental Cooperation:

Parents are encouraged to support the school’s Cell Phone and Devices Policy and communicate with teachers and administrators regarding any concerns or issues.

Note: This policy is subject to change, and all students, parents, and staff are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the most current version of the policy.

At Arbor, our goal is to foster and educate our students, guiding them towards a life of virtue. From an early age, we aim to shape them into upright, honest, and exceptional individuals who love and serve both the Lord and their fellow citizens. 

The creation of our Code of Conduct reflects these principles.

1. Respect and Kindness:

• Treat everyone with respect, kindness, and empathy.
• Use polite language and good manners.
• Be considerate of others’ feelings and personal space.

2. Responsibility:

• Take responsibility for your actions and choices.
• Complete assigned tasks and homework on time.
• Care for school property and the belongings of others.

3. Safety:

• Follow safety rules and guidelines.
• Report any unsafe behavior or conditions to a teacher or staff member.
• Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself to ensure a safe environment.

4. Inclusivity:

• Embrace diversity and be inclusive of all classmates.
• Avoid teasing, bullying, or excluding others.
• Be a positive bystander by standing up against unkind behavior.

5. Honesty:

• Be honest and truthful in all interactions.
• Admit mistakes and learn from them.
• Encourage a culture of integrity within the school community.

6. Cooperation:

• Work collaboratively with classmates and teachers.
• Share resources and take turns.
• Resolve conflicts peacefully and seek help when needed.

7. Punctuality:

• Arrive at school and classes on time.
• Be prepared for lessons with necessary materials.
• Notify teachers or the school if you are going to be absent.

8. Dress Code:

• Follow the school’s dress code guidelines.
• Dress modestly and appropriately for a learning environment.

9. Technology Use:

• Use technology responsibly and for educational purposes.
• Follow the school’s guidelines for internet safety.
• Respect the privacy and property of others when using electronic devices.

10. Environmental Awareness: – Conserve resources and reduce waste. – Keep the school environment clean and litter-free. – Participate in initiatives that promote sustainability.

Consequences for Violations:

Consequences for not adhering to the Code of Conduct may include verbal warnings, written reflections, parent-teacher meetings, and, if necessary, more severe disciplinary actions.

Emergency policies in schools are designed to ensure the safety and well-being of students, staff, and visitors in the event of various emergencies. These policies typically cover a range of situations, including natural disasters, medical emergencies, security threats, and other unforeseen events. 

At Arbor, we take emergencies very seriously and aim to ensure our children can remain safe while under our care

1. Fire
   • All of our classes are equipped with Fire Extinguishers should their be a need for them.
   • We have installed a fire alarm that can be pulled to sound the alarm throughout the school.
   • Each class has a picture of their designated exit route to avoid crowding different exits.
   • We practice our fire drills once a term to ensure the children are familiar with their designated route.
   • Our Muster Point is outside by our playground, away from the building.
   • Teachers would have their attendance log and will ensure that all the children are accounted for.
   • Administrative staff would take a final walk through the building to ensure all students and staff are safely evacuated.
   • Parents would be contacted depending on the severity to collect children as the building would be inspected for damages. An email would be sent, alongside a message on EduPage and a message via WhatsApp.
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2. Earthquake
   • As per guideline, our protocol during an earthquake would be for children to go under their desks for the duration of the active earthquake.  
   • Once the shaking has stopped, the teacher will guide the children outside using their designated exit route to our Muster Point.
   • Teachers would have their attendance logs to account for all the children at school.
   • Administrative staff would take a final walk through the building to ensure all students and staff are safely evacuated.
   • Parents would be contacted depending on the severity to collect children as there are often aftershocks to be considered and the building would be inspected for damages. An email would be sent, alongside a message on EduPage and a message via WhatsApp.
3. Intruder 
   • Our protocol for an intruder entering the building is alerting classes via an alarm. 
   • Once teachers hear the alarm, they will lock doors, turn off lights, block windows on the door and hide in one corner of the class.
   • Only once a special sound is heard, would teachers open up doors and explain to the children that the threat has gone.
   • Parents would be contacted so that they can ensure that you can discuss what happened with the children as well.
4. Medical Emergency 
   • We do have teachers trained in First Aid on our staff for more basic emergencies.
   • Should a child require special intervention, we would call the hospital to pick up the child and take them to the hospital OR take the child straight, after contacting the parent, depending on the emergency.
   • As part of our registration process, parents would have filled out what hospitals they would want their child sent to. We would use that as a guide to our next steps.
   • Children with allergies should walk with their medication every day, or leave some in school should they need to take it.
5. Parent Communication
   • Arbor has many outlets to communicate with parents. 
     • Email – An email would be sent out to all parents identifying an emergence and advising what is required
     • Edupage – This is our portal the we use to send school updates, assignments and teacher/parent communication. A message would go out here with the same information from the email.
     • WhatsApp Chats – All classes have WhatsApp group chats. Each class has a representative to take information from the email to send into the class chats. In emergencies, the principal is in all groups and will send out emergency correspondences here.
6. Training and Drills:
   • Regular training sessions and emergency drills help familiarize students and staff with the emergency procedures. This will be done once a term. 
   • Mock drills for fire evacuations, lockdowns, and other scenarios help ensure a quick and organized response during a real emergency.
7. Emergency Contacts:
   • Maintaining up-to-date emergency contact information for students and staff is essential. All teachers have access to parents contact information. If you have any changes to your contact information at any point, it is important to let the school know.
8. Reunification Procedures:
   • In the aftermath of an emergency, parents would have received communication on the next steps. Whether it is a time to collect the children, or a secondary location based on the severity of the emergency. Class teachers would stay with children in their class until all children have been collected.
9. Review and Revision:
   • On an annual basis, we will review our procedures and update them where required.