International School Het Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest Information for new families School Year 2015-16
You re coming to Rijnlands. we look forward to meeting you! Dear Students, Parents and Guardians, On behalf of our staff and pupils welcome to the 2015-16 academic year of the International School Het Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest (ISRLO), this will be our 32 nd year of offering international education. We hope your son(s) and/or daughter(s) will have a fantastic time at our school. Whether you have been able to visit the school before, or have had to do the entire application process from abroad, you will probably still have many questions about the school, how it functions, what to do when, how to communicate with the school, who to speak to for what, etc. This newsletter is aimed at answering a few of the most frequently asked questions we have experienced although it is by no means exhaustive. Moving school is an important transition to get right, not just for the students but also for you as parents. I wish you a smooth transition and we look forward to welcoming you on Monday 24th August at 10:30 at our Opening Ceremony. Let us know if we can assist you further. Best regards, Mathijs Hekkelman Head International School
Educational Programmes The international school consists of two sections offering the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Students in the age range of 11-16 years study in the Middle Years Programme in years 1-5, these classes are called MP1- MP5 ; and students aged 16-19 study in the Diploma Programme, these classes are called DP1 and DP2. International School Management The management of the International School comprises the following people: Mr. Mathijs Hekkelman, Head of International School (office N124) m.hekkelman@rijnlandslyceum-rlo.nl Mr. Jonathan Symmons, DP Team leader (office N125) j.symmons@rijnlandslyceum-rlo.nl Ms. Leonore Kromhout, MYP Team Leader (office N125) l.kromhout@rijnlandslyceum-rlo.nl The school administrator is Cheryl Embleton. Cheryl is the point of contact for general queries from students and parents. She is also responsible for student admission administration, finance, Managebac, school events and public relations matters. Mrs Embleton s office is situated in the North Wing (N108). Office availability from 08.15 13.15. Contact: 071-5193555 and c.embleton@rijnlandslyceum-rlo.nl Page 3
Year calendar The school year has four terms of nine or ten weeks each. During the teaching term students will take at least one test per subject. A test schedule is made for the final week of each term; mid-term tests take place during subject lessons. School holidays 2015-16 For your own agenda s, attached is a printable school holiday calendar one year in one view style. At the end of this newsletter are the important dates and events until Christmas. Daily timetable The daily time table is the following: period 1 08.30-09.45 period 2 09.50-11.05 break 1 11.05-11.30 period 3 11.30-12.45 break 2 12.45-13.15 period 4 13.15-14.30 period 5 14.35-15.50 period 6 15.55-17.10 The students are permitted 5 minutes walking time between classes. Schedules Schedules for students, teachers and classes can be seen online on the school website (www.isrlo.nl) using the student identification log-in. Students can also check their own schedule using the computers at the central reception. Page 4
Managebac The main school information portal is called ManageBac. ManageBac is the leading online learning platform for IB world schools. ManageBac enables efficient curriculum planning, assessment and reporting, while eliminating paperwork and enhancing communication to parents and students. ManageBac is a web-based application that is hosted by servers. All you need is an internet connection and a modern web browser with JavaScript enabled. We would recommend using Google Chrome for the best experience, but Safari 5, Internet Explorer 9 or Firefox 12 all work fine on Macs & PCs. During the first week, you will receive a welcome email from Managebac with a hyperlink for you to create a password and explore the portal. It is also possible to download the MB app onto most smart phones. During the information evenings we will provide information and guidance on the use of Managebac Lockers Lockers are available for all students, the tutor will inform the students when they can collect an electronic locker pass during the first week. The charge for a locker is 25 per year, this will be invoiced during the first term. Bring your own device (BYOD) As the school moves ever-closer to a paperless environment, students are encouraged to use their own laptops/ipads/tablets in class for note taking, assignments, project work and research. As you have seen, Managebac will be a major part of students life, it is essential that every student has access to a computer. Please note that the school accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to devices, this is entirely the responsibility of the student; our suggestion is that they use their lockers for safe storage when they are not being used. Page 5
ID cards During the first week the official photographer will take photographs of students for their school pass. Students will be handed passes as soon as they are ready by their tutor. This ID card is an essential part of Rijnlands life and should be brought to school everyday. Refreshments/snacks at school The school has two canteens located within the school for the students to purchase filled rolls and other savoury items during the break times. Vending machines are located throughout the school where students can purchase a variety of hot and cold drinks. Opening of the school year All students are required at school on Monday 24 August 2015 for the opening ceremony earlier if you need to collect your books earlier ie: MP1 students. Student ambassadors will be available at the entrance of school to assist new students in finding their way look out for them, they ll be wearing name badges and a huge smile; they are always happy to be back at school! The opening ceremony begins at 10.30 promptly, parents are encouraged to attend so they can meet their son/daughter s tutor and the international school team. The ceremony usually takes an hour and the students will join their tutor afterwards for a short time. Students are free by 1pm and free to leave. During the first week there will be plenty of opportunity to get to know other students with activities and class events. Full details will be available via Managebac and from the tutors. Change of details form Tutors will hand out a change of detail form to all students on their first day, please would you kindly ensure that your son or daughter has your new home address, email address (we need this for Managebac, otherwise you will not receive your welcome hyperlink), home telephone and your mobile numbers ready to fill out for our student database. Any subsequent changes can be made by parents in Managebac. Page 6
Stationery requirements A personal agenda A scientific calculator see information specific to the math department below. A Compass for drawing circles A Student World Atlas Collins Student World Atlas: this can be purchased from Amazon, Bol.com or a good bookshop. Notebooks lined A4 or A5 books for Geography, History and Science and squared for Mathematics this can be of any design. A4 binder and suitable lined paper for the size of the folder including at least 3 sub-dividers A memory (USB) stick labelled with the students name - +/- 10gb. General items - Ruler, scissors, pencils, multi-coloured pencils, erasers, highlighters and writing pens or ink pens. Important information about calculators MYP1-4 A scientific calculator: It doesn t have to be a top of the range model, but it should be a scientific version with the following functions: square roots, cube roots, trigonometry etc. MYP5 In MP5, we recommend the use of a Graphics Display Calculator (GDC). For students who are intending to do the Diploma Programme after their final MYP year, for the Diploma Programme (DP) a GDC is compulsory and from school year 2012-2013 onwards the GDC that we will be using and is used in our textbooks is the Texas Instruments TI Nspire CX. DP In the Diploma Programme, a Graphics Display Calculator is compulsory. The calculator that we will be using is the Texas Instruments TI Nspire CX. The text books that we use in the Diploma Programme Mathematics courses are also using this calculator. ***Take care: Don t buy the TI Nspire CAS, as this is not permitted in the Diploma Programme Page 7
Academic textbooks A schedule for the collection of academic textbooks at the beginning of the new year is as follows: Monday 24 August in the back gym MP1 9:00-10:30 MP5 11:00-13:00 MP3-13:30-14:30 Tuesday 25 August in the back gym, except DP1 MP2 9:00-10:30 MP4 11:00-13:30 DP1 13:00-15:00 in the OLC Students will require at least one large (and strong) backpack for their books please do NOT under estimate the need for several strong bags! All text and workbooks are issued free of charge; however, please kindly ensure that the book fund deposit has been paid this deposit will be returned to you at the end of your time at Rijnlands providing books have not been lost or damaged. Students in the Diploma programme may receive, depending on their subject packages books which teachers have deemed that they should write or annotate in; where this is the case, it will be made clear what books are to be purchased and an invoice sent from the finance department. Lesson free days for students Organisation days Throughout the academic year we hold organisation or lesson-free days. During 2015-16 they are as follows: Tuesday 10 November Tuesday 26 January Tuesday 12 April from Monday 4 July Thursday 7 July. On these dates students are not required to come into school. However, staff will be hard at work conducting report meetings, curriculum planning, professional development etc. Page 8
Parent Council The parent council have representatives across all of the tutor classes and meet bi-monthly with Mathijs Hekkelman, head of the international school. This group of parents organises activities for parents and students during within the school year of a more social content, ie: information evenings, quiz nights etc. In addition these parents have a wealth of local knowledge, sporting clubs and activities and of course they are parents who have experienced the transition into the Rijnlands community. Look out for information from them during the first few weeks. We will be looking for new members. Questions? If you have any questions in the meantime, you can email Cheryl; her details are on the second page, she is in school until Friday 10 July and then from Wednesday 19 August when the international team return to prepare for the school re-opening. And finally At the beginning of the school year information boards will be located in the reception area with the first weeks programme of activities, class information and sign-up sheets, please ensure that you take sometime on the first day to familiarise yourself with these. The Parent Council will be available with tea, coffee and an encouraging smile before the opening ceremony and to answer any questions or quell and fears you may have. Enjoy your Summer! We look forward to meeting you all at the opening ceremony and hope that you will quickly feel at home within our international community. International team Page 9
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2015-2016 September 2015 Monday 24 August back to school Opening Ceremony at 10:30 Monday 24 August book fund collection MP1, MP3, MP5 Tuesday 25 August book fund collection MP2, MP4, DP1 Thursday 27 August Ice cream social all international students Friday 28 August All classes team building and activities day Monday 31 August MP1-MP3 Parent evening and Managbac information Wednesday 2 September DP1 Parent evening and Managbac information Tuesday 8 September DP2 Managebac information evening Thursday 10 September MP4+5 Parent evening and Managbac and E-assessment information evening Friday 11 September Diploma Ceremony for the students of Class 2015 Thursday 24 September DP1 core curriculum information evening October 2015 Thursday 15 October - Poetry Evening Monday 19 Friday 23 October Autumn holiday November 2015 3 9 November Test week 1 Tuesday 10 November lesson free day no students in school Thursday 19 November DP1 careers information evening Thursday 26 November 10 minute parents evening December 2015 Thursday 17 December 50 minute timetable and Horsepower action day, students are released early Friday 18 December Students hand in money raised for Horsepower action Monday 21 December Monday 4 January 2016 Christmas Holiday For the most up to date information, please see our website: www.isrlo.nl To report a student absent from school; student.absent@rijnlandslyceum-rlo.nl Page 10