Parent Handbook - IAK

1 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 Parent Handbook September 2012 Box 8236 | Salmiya 22053 | Kuwait | Maidan Hawalli | Haroon Al-Rasheed Street TEL: +965 2561 9043 | 2564 5760 | 2564 569 FAX +965 2563 2372 Website: International Academy Kuwait Page 2 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 Dear parents , It is my honour and privilege to welcome you to the International Academy of Kuwait. This will be your first step in understanding our school and making an informed decision if you are considering joining our community. We have an absolutely lovely community of students at the school and a Parent body who are passionate about their children s education. The business managers of the school are forward thinking. They continuously seek to improve the opportunities available for our students and know how important it is to provide the best possible education for our students.

2 Enclosed in this booklet is information related to the school year 2012-2013. We hope this will clarify routines for our existing parents and encourage potentially new parents to apply to the school. We are very interested in welcoming students who will thrive in our particular school environment and who can make a positive contribution to our student body. If you would like to visit the school, our office is open from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm and then 2:45pm until 3:30pm each school day. We usually arrange school tours from 2:45pm 3:30pm each school day, and 9:00am 12:00pm on Saturdays. Yours faithfully, Ayaz Iqbal Principal IAK International Academy Kuwait Page 3 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 MISSION STATEMENT The International Academy of Kuwait is committed to academic excellence through personalized learning for every student and careful attention is given to student s individual learning styles and learning needs.

3 The International Academy of Kuwait is a school where rigorous goal setting is linked to quality assessment of learning outcomes and a school where lessons are enjoyed and students are supported beyond the classroom in their journey to adulthood. The International Academy of Kuwait is a school where students, staff, parents and the wider community share a close connection, are happy, challenged and rewarded. The International Academy of Kuwait is a school where we develop a deep respect for Kuwait s religious and cultural norms. The International Academy of Kuwait is a school where we all have a voice within a culture that recognises each person s individual ability. The International Academy of Kuwait is a school where we all have a strong sense of personal worth and where under achievement is not accepted. The International Academy of Kuwait is a school where we all aspire to excel. VISION To be one of Kuwait s leading and most inspiring co-educational international schools, providing a well-resourced, strongly academic, British style education.

4 PHILOSOPHY Our philosophy is to provide an education which seeks excellence from all excellence for all. We believe that: Students should be educated in a stimulating, safe and happy environment. Education should balance the intellectual, physical, social, moral and emotional in order to develop well-rounded, caring individuals who can make a positive contribution to society. Young people should be given the opportunity to become confident, self-disciplined and independent individuals who take responsibility for their own learning and seek to develop their own talents and interests. All members of the school community - students, teachers and non-teaching staff should have an equal opportunity to succeed regardless of race, gender, ability or cultural and religious background. We should celebrate and respect the diversity of languages, cultures and traditions within our school and the wider world.

5 International Academy Kuwait Page 4 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 With honest and open communication between all members of the school community, including parents , we will build a mutually supportive and successful school. STUDENT AIMS By the time our students leave IAK they will be able to: Seek knowledge and become lifelong learners. Have a positive work ethic. Have social and interpersonal skills by involvement in all aspects of school life. Be articulate, analytical, expressive and receptive communicators. Value the importance of achieving their optimum physical and intellectual potential Be responsible, contributing members of society. The School Day Foundation 7:35-7:55 8:00-8:25 8:25-8:50 8:55-9:20 9:20-9:45 9:45-10:10 1015:-10:35 10:35-11:05 11:10-11:35 11:35-12:00 12:00-12:25 12:25-12:55 Assembly 1 2 Break 3 4 5 6 Break 7 8 9 Primary 7:35-7:55 8:00-8:25 8:25-8:50 8:55-9:20 9:20-9:45 9:45-10:10 1015:-10:35 10:35-11:05 11:10-11:35 11:35-12:00 12:00-12:25 12:25-12:55 12:55-1:20 1:25-1:50 1:50-2:15 Assembly 1 2 3 Break 4 5 6 7 Break 8 9 10 11 12 Secondary 7:35-7:55 8:00-8:50 8:55-9:45 9:45-10:10 1015:-11:05 11:10-12:00 12:00-12:25 12:25-1:20 1:25-2:15 Assembly 1 2 Break 3 4 Break 5 6 All gates will be open to drop children off in the mornings.

6 Foundation playgrounds will be supervised from 7:15 am. At the end of the school day, all students will be taken to the foundation playground to be collected by parents using the new gate (gate 4). All other gates will be closed. We have separated the buses and bus students from the rest of the school to improve safety at the school. At 1:00 pm after parents have collected their foundation children, they are not allowed to stay at the school to wait for primary or secondary children to finish. They must leave the school around 1:00 pm and then return at 2:15 pm if they wish to collect older children. At 2:15, parents should enter the school through gate 4. parents should collect their children from the foundation playground only and must not enter other areas of the school. parents should leave the school premises as soon as possible. International Academy Kuwait Page 5 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 IAK 2012/2013 ACADEMIC YEAR TERM 1 Week No.

7 Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sept 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 Sept: Teachers Start; 5 Sept: Term 1 starts for Years 7-11 6 Sept: Term 1 starts for Year 1-6 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 9 Sept: Term 1 starts for Foundation Yr12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 18th Sept: Foundation open evening; 19th Sept Primary open evening; 20th Sept: Secondary open evening. All 4pm - 6pm 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Oct 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 Oct 11 Oct: Humanities week 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 25 Oct: Islam week; 25 Oct: Interim reports go home 28 29 30 31 26 -29 Oct: Eid Al Adha; 28 Oct 1 Nov: Holiday Nov 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4 Nov: parents meeting 8:00 3:30 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 Nov: Hijri New Year 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18 Nov: Teacher Only Day; 19 22 Nov: Math week 20 Nov: Universal Children s day; Young Entrepreneurs 25 26 27 28 29 30 Dec 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 13 Dec: Examinations 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 Dec: Last day Term 1 (66 days) 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Jan 1 2 3 4 5 TERM 2 Week No.

8 Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Jan 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 6 Jan: Staff only; 7 Jan: Term 2 starts 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 13 - 17 Jan: School Photos and Art and Calligraphy week 17 Jan: Report cards go home 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 23 Jan: parents meeting 8:00 3:30 27 28 29 30 31 24 Jan: Prophets Birthday (PBUH) Feb 1 2 3 28 Feb: Science Fair competitions 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 20-28 Feb: Sports days 24 25 26 27 28 24 28 Feb: Arabic Week 25 Feb: National Day, 26 Feb: Liberation Day March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 6 March: Y9 parents meeting, 2:30 4:00 7 March: Science Fair Finals 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17 28 March: Y11 / Y12 Mock Exams 28 March: Reports go home 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 March: Last day Term 2 (56 days) 31 April 1 2 3 4 5 6 International Academy Kuwait Page 6 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 TERM 3 Events will be confirmed closer to their dates KEY School holidays and weekends Public and Islamic holidays (not confirmed) Teacher only days Term start and end days for students Week No.

9 Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat April 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 April: Staff only 8 April: Term 3 begins 11 April: Parent Meetings 8:00 3:30 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 25 April: English and Media week 22 April: Earth Day, 23 April: World book day 25 April: English and Arabic Poetry night 28 29 30 28 April: Y11 Graduation, last day for Y11 and Y12 28 Apr 2 May: Certificate assemblies May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 26 May 6 June: Internal Examinations June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 June: Israa and Miraj 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 9 13 June: Y3-Y10 Exam feedback opportunity (for students only) 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 18 June: Term 3 ends + report cards go home 30 20 June: Last day for teachers (51 days) International Academy Kuwait Page 7 Parent Information Handbook 2012 - 2013 KEY PEOPLE Name Title Mr.

10 Ayaz Iqbal Principal Mr. Paul Adams Head of Secondary Ms. Davina McCarty Head of Primary Mr. Mark Jones Assistant Head (Pastoral) Ms. Inas El Shawa Head of Foundation Ms. Lamia Al Birjawi Year 1 Dean Ms. Oslem Yuksel Year 2 Dean Ms. Maysaa Sioufi Year 3 Dean Ms. Sandra Jorge Year 4 Dean Ms. Fatima Husain Year 5 Dean Ms. Evadne Vanlouw Year 6 Dean Mr. Ihab Hafez Year 7 Dean Ms. Dina Mostafa Year 8 Dean Ms. Shwikar Shawky Year 9 Dean Mr. Amin Bilal Year 10 Dean Mr. Omar Al-Rawi Year 11 Dean Mr. Mark Jones Year 12 Dean Mr. Tariq Younas Head of English + Technology Leader Mr. Sameer Massouh Head of Mathematics Mr. Ahmad Osman Head of Science Mr. Azar G. Aftimos Head of Bus/Humanities + Examinations Mr. Howard Gilmour Head of ICT Ms. Ruth Jones Head of PE/Art Head of Arabic Mr. Ibrahim Tahhan Head of Islamic Studies Ms. Dana Shakhasheer Acting office manager Ms. Amani Al Rayes Admin and school Buses Ms. Dalia Murad Admin Ms.