year of giving 100 days of positivity parent...

ALITQAN AMERICAN SCHOOL Al Azra, Sharjah UAE

YEAR OF GIVING

100 Days of Positivity

PARENT HANDBOOK

AY 2017 -2018

“Positivity is a way of thinking and happiness is a life style”

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

-Where children love to learn –

AIAS Parent Handbook

-Where children love to learn -

P R E F A C E

This handbook is prepared to give guidance to our parents on the general policy of

the school to better create an atmosphere of an academic excellence within the context and

values of Islam. It is expected that our parents will read the provisions of this handbook

and abide by the policy and conditions stated herein.


ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATE

Al Itqan American School – Sharjah UAE is a Candidate for

accreditation with the North Central Association Commission on

Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). NCA CASI is an

accreditation division of AdvancED.

SUSIE EISA

Advanced Director, Global services


SECTION A. VISION-MISSION STATEMENT

Vision Statement

Al Itqan American School aims at providing a stimulating learning environment

with technological guidance and orientation across the whole curriculum, which maximizes

individual potential and ensures that students of different abilities are well equipped to meet

the challenges of education, career and life.

Mission Statement

Al Itqan American School is obliged to developing a community of learners in

which all students acquire the skills, knowledge and dependability to meet the challenges at

a variable society.

The school shall provide every possible chance and conditions to foster:

A functional institution, responsive to student needs.

An effective curriculum, bounded by the values of our culture.

High standards of expectation of student success balanced by learner ability.

A stimulating environment to enhance and encourage research and exploration.

Diversity of learning styles and strategies in order to promote personal, intellectual

and social development of each student.

School Philosophy

Al Itqan American School aims to re-enforce a high level of quality starting from

kindergarten level and ending with upper levels. Our American curriculum is based on the

international schools system following the American National Common Core Curriculum

Guidelines.

In order to realize the international standards; the school has set a well balanced

curriculum in which the students shall acquire a wide range of knowledge in agreement

with our Islamic and Arabic society in the U.A.E.

The school strongly believes that student should be prepared to meet the challenges

and demands beyond the evolving world. Within our program, our students will learn

enduring love of knowledge and sense of improvement, as well as responsibility to make

positive differences for themselves and others.

The school dedicates efforts in all aspects of learning areas to provide creative and

challenging methods of developing the potential of each individual. We believe that in

order to associate in life, children must develop spiritually, morally, emotionally and

physically.


We endeavor to provide an atmosphere of mutual respect, awareness and

appreciation of one’s self and other. Democracy, Understanding and tolerance are practiced

throughout the school program. The School commits itself to cooperatively work with the

families towards maintaining proper guidance, by applying more responsible learning

techniques.

AIAS AIMS

Al Itqan American School is a K-12 school institution of learning which strives for

the complete formation of the children ready to meet the challenges of career, work and

life.

As an International school, the school shall inculcate the Islamic values of

humanity in all aspects of the students and staff school lives with greater

emphasis on moral responsibilities, protection of life and education.

As a school in Sharjah UAE, the school shall ensure greater understanding of

the emirates identity and the role of the emirate in the pursuit for cultural and

global competitiveness.

As an International School, the school shall provide a highly challenging and

competitive curriculum that meet the challenges of the 21st Century with greater

focus on the development of the 21st Century skills and themes for success in

career, work and life.

AIAS GOALS

In the context of the school’s vision and mission including its commitment towards

the development of the 21st Century Skills, AIAS shall:

1. acquire essential knowledge, positive attitude, cognitive, motor coordination,

sensory-perceptual and personal-related skills for meaningful lifelong learning

experiences in the context of an authentic mission-centric curriculum;

2. engage in discourses that will encourage active participation in critical reflections,

problem solving and sound decision making that is reflected in their personal

lifestyles and moral righteousness;

3. develop intra- and interpersonal skills that will make them effective communicators

of both verbal and non-verbal messages through varied communication medium that

foster personal, social and academic successes in the context of cultural respect.

4. utilize learning experiences as means to preserve the Emirates traditions and

cultural heritage, develop respect for human rights, become agents in the

preservation of the environment and be functional members of the society through

critical choice of career congruent to his potential and interests.

5. protect and preserve the Islamic values and practices with greater emphasis on the

Islamic values of humanities.


6. prepare students for higher education and in the world of work based on interest,

ability and their learning profile.

SCHOOL VALUES

Respectful. Treating other people with good manners and right conduct

inregardless of religion, nationalities, age, hierarchical position, edecational

accomplishments and others.

Responsible. Taking one’s tasks expected of him in the classroom and in school

seriously until completion. It also means understanding the given tasks or

assignments and sticking to the delegated tasks until it is completed. Accepts risks

related to the given tasks.

Honest . Remaining consistent, fair and truthful. It means not to lie, cheat, steal or

deceive in anyway.

Good Citizen. Being aware of his/her role in the community and becoming good

followers of the laws of the school, community and the entore national at large.

Mindful. Being considerate to others, paying attention to what you do and paying

attention with the people around you. Being careful with ones action and ensuring

that actions are done within the school and country’s norms.

Team Worker. Being cooperative with other people; Showing leadership and

followership to ensure the tasks of the group is done; working in a collective unit

towards a common goal.

C

ritical Thinker. Ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar ideas,

opinions and situations. Seeing things in an open-minded way and examining an

idea or concept from many angles as possible.

Tolerant. Showing respect inspite of difference of points of view or in any other

forms of difference. This is shown when something is disagreeable. This does not

mean to accept or embrace words, actions or ideas that are against his or her values

or beliefs. It simply means that each person agrees to respect the other’s right to his

or her feelings on the matter.

Creative. Showing the ability to generate new ideas or projects. It is also the act of

turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. It is characterized by the ability to


perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections

between seemingly unrelated ideas and to generate solutions.

AIAS IDENTITY

As we breakdown the school’s mission and vision, we contextualize our teaching and

learning principles into 4A’s and 4C’s.

4A’s of Teaching: AIAS teachers believe that enable us to bring out the best of our

students, teachers should:

Apprehend the standards. This means that teachers should have good understanding

of the standards of teaching and learning. Their understanding of all the angles of

the standards will help in articulating theoretical understanding to practical setting

in the classroom.

Assemble the plan according to standards. Teachers should have a concrete

knowledge on how to plan lessons to meet the needs and the standards of the

lessons within the grade level.

Apply the plan in the classroom according to the standard. Teachers should have

the competency to execute accurately the plan and be able to engage every student

in the lesson. Likewise, teacher should have the technical knowledge on how to

adjust the plan to ensure that every student in the class are meeting the standards

based on their level of performance and interest.

Assess student learning according to the standard. AIAS teachers have knowledge

and skills to assess the students using variety of assessment strategies based on the

standards of the lessons. The teacher prepares valid and reliable assessment tools

and implements them accurately to obtain accurate results. Moreover, teachers give

sound evaluation judgment based on true performance of the students in accordance

to the standards of their grade level.


4C’s of Learning. AIAS teachers believe that the success of teaching lies on their abilities

to make each student capable to manifest the 21st century skills. Particularly,

Critical thinking. At Itqan learners use various types of reasoning as appropriate to

the situation, analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce

overall outcomes in a complex system; effectively analyze and evaluate evidence,

arguments, claims and beliefs; synthesize and make connections between

information and arguments; interpret information and draw conclusions based on

the best analysis; reflect critically on learning experiences and processes.

Communication. Al Itqan can articulate and listen to thoughts effectively in a

diverse environment. They use communication in various purposes, utilize

multimedia and technology to access information and assess their impact.

Collaboration. Al Itqan can demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully

with diverse people, exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful and assume

shared responsibility and accountability for collaborative work.

Creativity. Al Itqan learners can use a wide range of idea creation techniques;

create new and worthwhile ideas; develop, implement and communicate new ideas

to others effectively; be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives;

demonstrate originality and inventiveness; view failure as an opportunity to learn

and act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in

which innovation will occur.

SECTION B: SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

The school implements a top-down hierarchical organizational order divided into

four sections operating to help and support the promotion of student learning and growth. A

Principal/ Director manages the school with her three Operation Managers for academics,

administration and finance.


Mr. Ali Al Shamsi Mrs. Jessica Griffin

Chief Executive Officer Principal / Director

Senior Management Team of Alitqan American School is responsible to promulgate

policies of the school within the framework of the overall educational policies of the

Sharjah Educational Zone and the AdvancEd.

NAME POSITION

Mr. Ali Al Shamsi CEO

Mrs. Jessica Griffin Principal / School Director

Mr. Zeyad Saadi Operation Manager – Finance

Dr. Rommel Pelayo Operation Manager – Academics

Mrs. Titty Mohan Operation Manager - Administration

SECTION C:

GENERAL SCHOOL POLICIES, GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

GENERAL SCHOOL RULES, REGULATION & CONSEQUENCES


1. Students must wear the correct uniform with the school emblem (logo) whilst on the

school premises. Sweaters or sweatshirts may only be worn if they bear the school

logo. Students are not permitted to wear caps on the school premises. All the

students must wear the school ID when they are in the school premises.

2. Long hair is to be tied back for girls, make up or jewelry is not permitted, black

shoes only are allowed.

3. Parents are supposed to enter only through Gate 2 inside the school premises and

must enter their names in the register which is there with the security and get the

visitors tag from him. While leaving parents must return the tag and sign in the

register.

4. Gate 7will be opened from 7:00 am to 7:30 am for grade (1-3) and grade (4–11 )

Girls. Gate (4) will be open for grade (4 – 11) boys from 7.00 am till 7.30 am. Gate

7 will be open only for KG students from 7:00 am to 8:20 am. Late comers will

enter only through gate 2 with pass slip.

5. During dismissal time, car users can pick up their children from Gate 7 (grade 1, 2,

3 & Grade 4 to 10 Girls), and Gate 4 (Grades 4 to 10 Boys). These gates will be

opened for car users at 2:20 PM only. All the parents of the junior and primary

sections are expected to pick their students at 2:20 pm and the KG students must be

picked at 2:00 pm sharp. If there is any inconvenience in picking up your child at

the time mentioned above you must avail the school transport.

6. Parents are not allowed to accompany their children to the classrooms, only if need

arises.

7. Parents should refer to the reception and take prior appointment to meet teachers or

coordinators.

8. Students missing fifteen lessons at any subject for an unacceptable reason in one

term will fail the subject and have no marks. The school will strictly deal with this

matter.

9. Students must be at the agreed pick up point and at the correct time, if they are

using the school bus service. Any violation may lead to the bus service being

suspended for a student.

10. Students comply with the homework policy of the school. Students must complete

all homework. Students are set at least one piece of homework (in each subject)

11. Students are liable to appropriate corrective measures from subject teacher and / or

class homeroom teacher if a homework task is not fully completed. These corrective

measures may take the form of a missing break, extra homework or lines other than

what is stipulated in the behavior system. If students show no sign of improvement,

then he/she will not be allowed to participate in the school activities such as P.E,

Art, Music, field trips, school events/activities etc.

12. A merit and demerit procedure is applied to the students’ performance and behavior.

(Refer to Student Discipline Policy).

13. Students show their parents their homework diary everyday as teachers use the diary

to communicate with parents. The diary may contain messages regarding student’s

behavior or non-completion of homework. Parents are encouraged to use the

student’s diary and hand book to communicate with teachers. It is preferable for

parents to sign the diaries on a daily basis.


14. Students must keep a file of the returned exam papers, test, quizzes signed by their

parents/guardian. This will be used as part of the revision papers in preparation for

the end of the term exam.

15. Students must keep books, copybooks or any property neat, tidy and clearly labeled.

16. Students must not bring unnecessary materials for the school day and should not

come with items that are banned from school. This includes mobile phone,

fireworks, CDs, Ipads, tablets, large amounts of money, beepers, playing cards, and

any toys. These items will be confiscated and held until the end of the term or until

guardians collect them.

17. Students must provide written permission or a request by parents by phone to depart

from school during the school day and a sick note in case of absence.

18. Students must be friendly to staff and fellow students at all times. Students must

cooperate with teaching staff at all times. For example, students must be quiet when

a teacher is speaking or when a teacher has asked for silence or given any

instruction.

19. Students should abide by exam rules and regulations.

20. On the school bus students must remain seated at all times until dismissed. Students

causing problems will be reported by the bus assistant or bus driver. Students on the

bus should not consume food or drink. The school has the right to stop bus services

in case of any unacceptable behavior.

21. Students must behave appropriately whilst on the school campus, premises. Rude or

antisocial behavior will not be tolerated.

22. Students must complete all tasks set during a class or be liable to detention.

23. Students must attend all classes on the time table, including extra study classes.

There are no exceptions to this rule. Students are not allowed to leave lessons

without teacher’s permission and corridor passes.

24. Students must not litter the classroom, playground or any other places in the school

premises.

25. Students must not take snacks and drinks in the classroom, library or labs. Chewing

gum/candy is not allowed on school premises.

26. Students must speak English in all relevant classes. Use of any other language

during these lessons is strictly forbidden. Speaking English is also expected between

classes and at break and trips.

27. No fighting of any kind, including play fighting is not allowed at school or during

school activities. Infractions may result in suspension.

28. In case of damage of any school property, the student is to pay or repair the damage.

29. Any students, who misplace his or her locker key or School ID, have to pay.

30. Once the child has been placed in one class, no parent is allowed to come and

change his/her class.

31. The school administration is exclusively responsible to observe the school rules and

has the right to observe consequences without influence or effect from any person:

parents or any other outsiders.

32. No parents should come and ask to see their child in action in their classroom or see

any video.

33. CCTV recordings are not permitted/allowed for parents due to confidentiality.

34. Parents are not allowed to shout or use any abusive language to any staff member.


35. Students are expected to be digitally friendly at school and at home.

36. We educate the students using online resources and expect them to study at home in

the same manner.

SCHOOL EVENTS ATTENDANCE

I. Participation of the students in school event: AIAS SPORTS DAY.

Sports Day is an annual event of the school and it is a cross-curriculum event related to

Physical Education, the school values and social development of the students. The rules and

regulations of the event reflect the school community’s expectations and all students must follow

them:

a. The participation of all AIAS students in the event is a must.

b. The parents and the students shall consider the effect on participating and the

consequences of being absent during this event as it will affect their marks.

c. The process of applying for leave of a student during this event is for

parents/guardians to write to the Principal well in advance, notifying dates and the

reason for absence. Each application is considered fully by the Principal before

being granted.

d. In case if there is no approved Leave Form and a student is absent during the event,

the demerit procedure will be applied to the student’s Physical Education results.

II. Participation of the students in school event: AIAS KNOWLEDGE FAIR.

Knowledge Fair is a culmination school event which highlights the academic

achievements of the students and shows the results of their learning progress as well as the

development of the communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

As it is an academic event, the accurate marking system according to the

Knowledge Fair Project Grading Rubric will be applied to each student’s Report Card

Results by the end of the second term.

The following Performance Indicators will be considered: Project Completion,

Effort, Skill and Thoroughness of content, Scientific Thought, Data Collection, Creativity,

Team Work and Problem-solving.

The parents shall support their children in preparation of the projects according to

student’s assignments and the teacher’s requirements.

INTERNET USAGE POLICY

An internet usage policy provides students with rules and guidelines about the

appropriate use of school equipment, network and Internet access; having such a policy in

place helps to protect the rights of the school and each student.

https://www.gfi.com/pages/internet-usage-policy


A student will be aware that browsing certain sites or downloading files is

prohibited and that the policy must be adhered to or there could be serious repercussions.

The Internet Usage Policy is an important document that must be signed by all students

upon starting the new academic year.

This Internet Usage Policy applies to the students of Grades 9, 10 and 11 of Al Itqan

American School who have access to computers, tables and the Internet to be used in the

performance of their academic activities. Use of the Internet by a student of Al Itqan

American School is permitted and encouraged where such use supports the goals and

objectives of the academic curriculum. However, access to the Internet through the school

server is a special service to support the digital learning and all students must adhere to the

policies concerning Computer, Email and Internet usage. Violation of these policies could

result in disciplinary and/or legal action according to the Behavior Policy of the school. The

students may also be held personally liable for damages caused by any violations of this

policy. All students are required to acknowledge receipt and confirm that they have

understood and agree to abide by the rules hereunder.

Computer, tablet, email and internet usage

a. The students of Grade 9, 10 and 11 are expected to use the Internet responsibly and

productively. Internet access is limited to learning-related activities only and

personal use is not permitted.

b. Learning-related activities include access to E-books, research and educational tasks

that may be found via the Internet that would help a student to complete his/her

tasks.

c. The equipment, services and technology used to access the Internet (except of a

device/tablet) are the property of Al Itqan American School and the school reserves

the right to monitor Internet traffic and monitor and access data that is composed,

sent or received through its online connections.

d. Any information sent / submitted via the school’s internet system (e-mails,

worksheets, etc.) should not contain content that is deemed to be offensive. This

includes, though is not restricted to, the use of vulgar or harassing language/images.

e. All sites and downloads may be monitored and/or blocked by the school if they are

deemed to be harmful and/or not productive to the academic standards and learning

requirements.

f. The installation of software such as instant messaging technology is strictly

prohibited.

Unacceptable use of the internet by employees includes, but is not limited to:

a. Sending or posting discriminatory, harassing, or threatening messages or images on

the Internet or via the school’s email service.

b. Using computers/tables to perpetrate any form of fraud, and/or software, film or

music piracy.

c. Stealing, using, or disclosing someone else's password without authorization.

d. Downloading, copying or pirating software and electronic files that are copyrighted

or without authorization.

e. Hacking into unauthorized websites.


f. Sending or posting information that is defamatory to the school, other students and

school employees.

g. Introducing malicious software onto the school network.

If a student is unsure about what constituted acceptable Internet usage, then he/she

should ask his/her Section Coordinator for further guidance and clarification.

All terms and conditions as stated in this document are applicable to all users of Al

Itqan American School network and Internet connection.

All terms and conditions as stated in this document reflect an agreement of all parties and

should be governed and interpreted in accordance with the policies and procedures

mentioned above. Any user violating these policies is subject to disciplinary actions

deemed appropriate by Al Itqan American School Behavior Policies.

User compliance

I _______________________________________ , the student of Grade _________ of Al

Itqan American School, understand and will abide by this Internet Usage Policy. I further

understand that should I commit any violation of this policy, my access privileges may be

revoked, disciplinary action and/or appropriate legal action may be taken.

Student’s Signature ___________________ Date: _____________

Bring Your Own Device Policy

The focus of the BYOD program (Bring Your Own Device) at AIAS is to provide tools and

resources to the 21st Century Learners. Excellence in education requires that technology is

seamlessly integrated throughout the educational program. Increasing access to technology is

essential for the future, and one of the learning tools of these 21st Century students is a tablet.

The individual use of tablets is a way to empower students to maximize their full potential

and to prepare them for further studies and the workplace. Effective teaching and learning

with tablets integrates technology into the curriculum anytime, anyplace. The policies,

procedures and information within this document apply to all tablets used at AIAS, including

any other device considered by the administration to come under this policy:

a) BYOD program applies to the students of Grades 9, 10 and 11 of Al Itqan American

School who have access to computers, tables and the Internet to be used in the

performance of their academic activities

b) All students should fully charge their tablets at home.

c) All students will keep their tablets in their lockers till the instructions given by the

teacher to start using them. Immediate action will be taken against the failure in

following the instructions.

d) Use of the device in lesson time is entirely at the discretion of the teacher. If the

teacher asks you not to use your device then you must follow those instructions.


e) The use of a personal device is not to be a distraction in any way. Personal devices

must not disrupt class or Private Study areas in any way. Playing games or other

non-school work-related activities are not permitted.

f) The school administration has the right to take an action against anyone involved in

incidents of inappropriate Behaviour, examples would be cyber-bullying, use of

images or personal information.

g) Students must check their device daily for basic Health and Safety compliance to

ensure it is free from defects. Any personal device that has obvious Health and

Safety defects should not be brought into school.

h) Approved devices must be in silent mode while on school campus, unless allowed

by a teacher. Headphones may be used with teacher permission.

i) Devices may not be used to cheat on assignments, quizzes, or tests or for non-

instructional purposes (such as making personal phone calls and text messaging).

j) Students may not use devices to record, transmit, or post photographic images or

video of a person or persons on campus during school hours or during school

activities, unless otherwise allowed by a teacher.

PROCEDURES AND ROUTINES

Part A: Entrance and Dispersal of Students

1. All the students must reach the school campus sharp at 7.30 am and must participate

in the activities for the morning assembly. Students who will come later than 7:30,

they will be considered late and demerit points will be noted as indicated in the

AIAS Student Discipline policy.

2. At 7:00 in the morning from Sunday to Thursday; the gate number shall be used as

indicated below. These gates will be closed by 7:30 AM.

3. Late comers can use Gate 2.

Gate 7 – Grades 1 to 3, Grades 4 to 11 Girls

Gate 4 – Grades 4 to 11 Boys

4. In case the students who will come later than 7:30 AM, they must enter through

Gate 2 and the lateness will be marked in the Student Diary / Handbook.

Disciplinary procedures will be taken if the child comes late for more than three

times in a month.

5. In the afternoon, car users and car lift takers can pick up their children as indicated

below:

Grades Gate

Number

Days Timings

From To

KG Students 7 Sundays to Wednesday 12:30 pm 1:20 pm

7 Thursdays 12:00 pm 1:00 pm

Grades 1 to

3

6 Sundays to Wednesday 2:20 pm 3:00 pm


Grades 4 to

11 Girls



Grades 4 to

11 Boys




6. After the timings, parents of car lift / car users can go to gate 2 to pick up

your children. However, frequent lateness will oblige the parents to take the

school transport service. We cannot accommodate the car lift students later

than 3.00 pm because the teachers and the concerned staff will be leaving

the school campus.

Part B: Absences:

1. If your child is absent from school, please notify the school reception by phone or

email on the day of the absence and send a note to the teacher on return in their

diary and handbook explaining the reason for absence.

2. If letter is approved, then the absence will be considered EXCUSED. Unapproved

letter will be considered as UNEXCUSED absence in the school attendance record.

3. We expect our students to attend the classes regularly in proper uniform and to be

on time to school. This will help them to be more organized and they will grow to

be better citizens in the future. Please see that your child is not absent from school

unless it is an emergency.

4. Parents shall receive an SMS after 9:00 AM if the student is absent. In case there

are some inquiries regarding this matter, please feel free to contact us by phone or

email to [email protected].

Part C: Early Release:

1. Parents are not allowed inside the school premises without approval from the school

administration. This will ensure safety of the school.

2. If in exceptional cases or emergency, you need to collect your child early from the

school, please come to the reception in gate 2 and fill the excuse slip before 1.00 pm

so that we will get ample time to inform the Transport coordinator if he/she is a bus

student. The nanny will bring the child to the reception. However, the school will

not be held responsible for the academic lessons that will be missed by the students.

You will be permitted to complete a form that will be recorded.

Part C: School Uniforms

All students must come in proper uniform. The rules are provided

below

School Uniform for Boys

1. Must wear the correct uniform with school emblem


2. Must wear only school jackets with the school logo

3. Black leather formal shoes and white socks

4. PE uniforms according to the schedule with black colored or white athletic shoes.

5. Boys must come to school in Army cut only.

6. Undershirts should be plain with no prints

7. Hair should always be neat, clean and cut short.

School Uniform for Girls

1. Must wear the correct uniform with school emblem

2. Must wear only school jackets with the school logo

3. Black leather formal shoes and white socks

4. PE uniforms according to the schedule with black or white

Athletic shoes

5. Hair must be neatly tied with Black or White Hair band

6. Only the school head scarf available in our store is allowed to be worn.

7. Girls are not allowed to use hair color, cosmetics, nail color and jewelries in school.

Part D: Library

Students are encouraged to become regular users of the library for both study and

relaxation purposes. We encourage and promote a love of reading and our fiction collection

aims to meet all interests and reading levels.

Library Rules

1. Keep the library tidy and clean.

2. Leave your bag in your class before coming to the library.

3. Drink and food is not allowed in the library.

4. Take one book at a time from the shelf (don`t leave the books on the floor!).

5. Keep the book on the table when you finish reading.

6. Bring back the books you borrowed so you can borrow new ones.

7. Replace your chair back before you leave.

8. Remain silent in the library!

9. Students must return the book within three days.

10. Students will have to pay in case of loss or damage of library books.

Part E: Canteen

Our school provides healthy and nutritious food for the students. The food provided

suits the students of all age groups. We do offer them a package for their break time for

which the parents must pay monthly. In case interested, please notify us by email or phone

calls.

Canteen Rules

The purpose of the canteen is to provide healthy food to the students and staff during

the school day. The following guidelines are to be followed:

1. When you have your lunch, sit quietly at a table.

2. If you purchase food from the counter, queue quietly and without pushing.


3. Remember good manners say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’.

4. If you wish to bring your own pack lunch to school, bring only healthy food,

NOT crisps, whole chocolate bars, sweets, fizzy drinks, etc.

5. If you cannot finish your snack, keep it in a plastic bag or in your lunch box and

take it back (do not waste food) put empty packets in the bin!

6. Do not do excessive running after eating food. Let your food digest first.

Part F: Clinic

The Health Clinic is equipped to deal with all minor and initial emergency

concerns that arise at school. We comply with all local Health Authorities requirements

and work to evidence based health care practices.

Health screening resources are available to monitor children’s growth and

development. This information is held in each child’s individual school health record held

within the school clinic. All our nurses and support staff are IT proficient to allow for

computer-generated medical records. All medical data remains confidential and stored in

a secure manner as legislated.

We also have a quiet room attached to the Junior Clinic to allow meetings with

families and provide respect and support for students when required. In the event of any

medical emergency; we have protocols in place to ensure that this will be dealt with safely

and professionally, to allow the best possible care for each child. We have two fully

trained nurses along with a doctor visiting three days per week to help our children. We

have the transport facility to take the students to the hospital in case of an emergency.

Within the school we promote first aid training for all our teachers and non-teaching staff.

Part G: Buses

We provide buses that collect and drop off children to Ajman and Sharjah. Given below are

the timings of dispersal for the bus riders.

Grades Days Dispersal Timings

KG Sundays to Wednesdays 12:20 pm

Thursdays 11:50 pm

Grades 1 to 11 Sundays to Wednesdays 2:00 pm

Thursdays 1:20 pm

Please find below some of the points, which the parents must be aware of according to our

policy.

1. Parents are responsible to take their children to the school bus or to the stop on time.

In case of any delay on their part, the parents shall take their children to the school

without any responsibility on the part of the driver. The driver shall have the right to

return the student to the school. If there is nobody waiting for him when he goes

back home, the responsibility of the consequences resulting from this shall be

assumed by the parents/guardians.

2. The parents should provide assistance in training and making their children aware of

the importance of the traffic safety and how to wait and ride the school bus.


3. Parents should notify the school administration if there is any violation or default by

the driver.

4. The student shall observe the cleanliness of the bus and inform the school

administration or his parents/guardians in case the driver or any other student

violates the laws during the trip.

5. Only the School Principal may deprive any student from the school transport

service, if any of the following cases take place:

a. If a student causes the delay of the trip more than three times in one school

year.

b. If a student violates any safety rules and endangers the others lives during

the trip.

c. If a student refuses to ride the bus from a students assembly point previously

approved by the School Principal.

d. If a student leaves the bus before reaching his designated place without prior

permission.

e. If a student continues causing disturbance and more than three written

complaints are filed against him during one school year.

f. If a student behaves in an extremely unacceptable manner as per our student

discipline policy then the student will be immediately suspended from the

bus.

RULES IN THE SCHOOL BUS

1. Students should always be on time.

2. Students sit individually on a seat with a seat belt placed around them.

3. Students are not allowed to touch the fire-extinguisher & First Aid Box.

4. Students are not allowed to speak in loud voices and say inappropriate language.

5. Students are not allowed to bring electronics such as mobiles, IPods and other

things not related to school.

6. Students must keep the windows closed unless the nanny asks them to be opened.

7. Students are not allowed to write on the chairs or damage the bus or play with the

A/C.

8. Students must not stand up while the bus is moving and students must not get up

until the bus has stopped.

9. Students are not allowed to eat & drink on the bus.

10. Students must keep the bus clean.

11. If students damage the bus then their parents will have to reimburse the school.

12. Students must ensure they use the identified place to enter and go down from the

bus with their nanny or duty teacher.

13. Students are not allowed to change their clothes or personal appearance inside the

bus.

14. Playing inside the bus is not allowed.

15. Students are not allowed to move around the bus and abuse anyone from the

windows or to anyone outside the bus.

16. Students are not allowed to abuse anyone from the school transport staff.

17. The school buses are considered as a part of the school campus and all school rules

must be implemented.


Part H: Field Trips

Educational field trips are aligned to our curriculum and are a part of our school

program. We do have other leisure trips, which will help our students to relax their mind,

and are very enjoyable.

It also provides students the opportunity to take a break from their normal routine

and experience more hands-on learning. Places like zoos and nature centers often have

interactive displays that allow children to touch plants or animals. Students need written

permission from the parent/guardian to attend all field trips. Children without permission

will remain absent that day or remain at school. Students are asked to come in proper

school uniform for the trips otherwise they cannot attend the trip.

During the trips, the staff of the school will monitor the children at all times to

ensure the highest levels of personal safety and security.

Part I: Communication between Parents and Teachers

Our parents are our partners who shoulder us for the growth of the institution. Our

first mode of communication is through the Student Diary Handbook. If the parent needs to

meet a teacher in case of any Academic/Administrative concern they must come to the

reception and take an appointment.

Parents can mail their complaints/enquiries to [email protected] and

we will respond to you within 48 hours. If the parent wishes to meet the upper management

they can take an appointment from the reception and meet the concerned person, however if

it is an urgent issue it will be immediately addressed if the person concerned is available.

We have three PTC sessions per year where the parents come and meet the teachers

to discuss their child’s academic performance, behavior issues etc. This is scheduled in

every term and can be seen in the academic calendar. AIAS deemed it wise to schedule the

parent meeting at the middle of the academic term to discuss the performance. We request

that you find time to meet during the scheduled conference.

The general policy and guidelines for setting an appointment with easy steps is

found in the succeeding pages.

mailto:[email protected]


Part J. Change of Address and Phone numbers:

Parents are responsible to inform the school regarding their change in address or

telephone numbers. This is very important as the school needs to contact you in case of

emergencies.

If you have any suggestions or remarks, please make use of the suggestion box

in the reception area, or feedback form on the website.

Part K: Classroom Rules and Regulations

We give our children clear ideas about what is expected from them. That is why

rules need to be defined. Here are some of the rules implemented in the school. Please find

time to revise these rules to your children.

1. Always arrive on time for assembly- 7:30 am!

2. Wear your appropriate uniform to school each day.

3. Keep phones and electronic devices at home.

4. Follow all school safety rules, procedures and stay in school until you are collected

by a parent/guardian.

5. Arrive on time for class every day.

6. Listen to others and participate in class discussions.

7. Raise your hands before speaking.

8. Stay on task.

9. Do your Assignments.

10. Bring materials and have them ready.

11. Always follow the instructions.

12. Do not interrupt other students learning.

13. Don’t write or draw on your desk or school property.

14. Be Polite at all times. Say: “Please” and “Thank You”. Remember manners at all

times.

15. Knock on the door when you enter a classroom where a teacher is teaching.

16. Sit properly in your designated seat.

17. Always walk in the classroom and go to your desk quietly

18. When a Teacher/Visitor/Principal/Administration enters the room, stand up and

always greet them.

19. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself. There will be no tolerance for eg hitting,

fighting, name-calling, teasing or spitting.

20. Always use your homework diary.

21. Do not leave the class without a pass card.

22. Do not eat or drink in the classroom.

23. Ask permission before you leave the classroom.

24. Respect your school: do not throw rubbish on the floor.

25. At home time when the bell rings, line up immediately and wait for your teacher to

bring you to the waiting area or bus area.


Part L. Laboratory Rules

All students should be using the laboratory-starting grade 4. The following rules

will serve as a guide in ensuring safety in the laboratory.

Always walk in proper lines to the lab and sit quietly.

Each student is responsible for maintaining discipline inside the lab.

Wear laboratory gowns every time you enter the Science Laboratory. Eye

protection (goggles or safety glasses) must be worn when working on

experiments. Make a habit of putting them on before the experiment begins and

keeping them on until all clean ups is finished.

Do not eat or drink while in the laboratory. Do not taste any chemical.

Long hair must be tied back, so it will not fall into chemicals or flames.

All glassware must be washed and cleaned. Wipe all counter surfaces and

hands with soap and water. All experiments that produce or use chemicals that

release poisonous, harmful, or objectionable fumes or vapors must be done in a

well-ventilated area.

Never point the open end of a test tube at yourself or another person. If you

want to smell a substance, do not hold it directly to your nose. Instead, hold the

container a few centimeters away and use your hand to fan vapors towards you.

Do not use your mouth for pipetting substances (always use a suction bulb or

pipet aid).

Do not pour chemicals down the drain without permission.

Do not use lab equipment without permission.

Do not perform your own experiments unless given permission.

Use hand protection when handling hot materials.

Do not use electrical equipment around water, or when equipment is wet, or

your hands are wet.

Clean your work area.

Chemicals and other used materials must be disposed of safely.

Wash hands before leaving the lab.

Each student is responsible for any breakage or lost equipment, he/she must

reimburse the school for these breakages or lost equipment.

Do not talk or play in the lab. Listen when your teacher is talking.

Place your stool back when you finish your work.

Part M. Policy for Green School

Turn off the lights in the bathroom or any unoccupied room at school.

Encourage students to throw away any trash they find on the school

playground.

Encourage students to separate the recyclable materials by throwing them in the

recyclable bins.

Tell them to use both sides of their notebook paper, and suggest that they save

unused chalk and art supplies.


Reduce our use of natural resources. Stop the children when you see them

playing with water or throwing plastic bottles etc.

Support the sustainable production of the resources we must use by

encouraging them to purchase renewable, reusable, recyclable, and recycled

materials;

Reduce the amount of waste we generate and always try to find recyclable /

reusable materials.

Have each student in the class select an environmental topic, and then each

school day have a different student present their topic. Then have a class

discussion on the topic. When all the students have presented they can choose

new topics that have not yet been presented. Depending on how many students

there are in the class you may be able to do this eight times.

Use recyclable materials in decorating the boards or in making class projects.

Part N. Playground Rules

1. In the playground, be kind to others and take turns with games.

2. Play sports games together as a team and remember to be fair!

3. Keep the ground tidy. Put rubbish in the bins.

4. Be kind to your friends and share.

5. When the bell rings, line up immediately and quietly and wait for your teacher to

bring you back to your classroom.

6. Do not throw water over each other.

7. Do not push each other.

8. Do not fight with each other.

Part O. Confiscation

The staff is entitled to confiscate a student’s property if:

1. The item is prohibited in school (fireworks, CD’s, mobile phones, i-pads, iPods

large amounts of money, any electronic gadgets, playing cards, and toys etc.)

2. The confiscated items will be with the Social Worker and given back only to the

parents/guardians.

SECTION D:

STUDENT BEHAVIOUR SYSTEM

MERIT AND DEMERIT SYSTEM

1. The student behavior policy is corrective rather than punitive. Each student will

be receiving marks of behavior. This will be given by the social workers in

coordination with the section coordinators and the homeroom teachers.

2. At the beginning of the term, each student will have 95% mark in the behavior.

Merit points will be added for the promotion of good values in school while

demerit points will be deducted in case of any infractions or violations of the

classroom and school rules.

http://environment.yale.edu/about/mission/environmental-policy/


3. Students who obtained marks lower than 80% shall automatically be in the

Behavior filter list. If the “Filter List” status remains until the end of April of the

academic year; students will NOT be re-admitted in the next academic year.

Objectives of the Behavior System: The school behavior system is revised to make sure

that it will be an effective platform to sustain a healthy classroom management. It is

developed to meet the following goals:

1. Provide a framework to be used by the teachers and staff that will guide them in

dealing with behavior of students in the school in the academic year 2016 – 2017.

2. Make students become good citizens as they follow school rules and regulations

reflective of the UAE’s policy in general.

3. Lessen significantly disruptive behavior and encourage positive environment in the

school upholding Islamic Morals and Values.

AIAS Discipline Committee: In case of some serious and frequent offense of students, the

AIAS discipline committee shall convene to develop some serious corrective measures to

promote a learning atmosphere among the student. It comprises of the following members:

Principal

Operation Manager for Administration and Academics

Social Workers

Supervisor

Student Affairs

Homeroom Teacher

PTA Representative

Section Coordinator(s)

General Merit Points: These are the student actions which will gain points to their

behavior mark:

Meddling and solving any fights in class or in school (+2)

Performing more than the prescribed leadership hours (+2)

Promoting the value of Islam in the school without expecting anything in return

(+2)

No absences and lateness in school during the term (+1)

Surrendering lost and/or stolen items (+1)

Completing homework in a term in all subjects (+1)

Extending assistance to any staff (+1)

Leading effectively the assigned / delegated school assemblies or school events (+1)

Obtaining highest score of the School Houses Competition (+1)

Any other merit points approved by the AIAS Discipline Committee members and/or

the SMT.

Demerit Points. These are actions, which will have consequence in the behavior marks.

This will serve as the school corrective measures to ensure that students will take an effort

of ensuring they avoid any behavioral infractions. However, in case the students are given

some form of infractions, they are encouraged to balance it by showing actions under merit

points to regain what they have lost. The subsequent page will inform the levels and the

demerit points that will be deducted in the behavior marks of the students.

SECTION E:

AIAS CURRICULUM

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding

of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you

better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are

always in the right direction.” (Covey, 1994)

INTRODUCTION

This is a primer for all school’s stakeholders for the initial implementation of the

curriculum for the school year 2016 -2017. It is prepared to establish coherence between

curriculum and assessment towards a unique mission-centered curriculum. The curriculum

development committee members, in the conception of a quality curriculum, thought of five

indispensable factors to include vision-mission of the school, needs of the students,

expectations of parents, needs of the society and the standards of the New Jersey

Curriculum. Each element of this program is grounded to the strategic plan 2013 – 2017.

Thus, this program shall be used as a guide for all school’s stakeholders in planning

classroom level curriculum, assessment, professional development, co-curricular endeavors

and other academic undertakings.

ACADEMIC MISSION

We commit in building a positive educational environment that can hone 21st

Century Skills making each learner a Skillful Thinker and Skillful Doer in the Knowledge

Economy. This could be done through the development and deepening of understanding of

life and career-related ideas and processes in the different learning domains, equipping

learners to transfer their learning in meaningful and effective ways and cultivating life-long

habits of mind in the context of the values of our culture.

INDICATORS OF ALITQAN GRADUATES

In envisioning our learners to be Skillful Thinkers and Skillful Doers, we then

intend to sharpen them of the desired indicators identified herein, which is important in

making productive individuals of the variable society. These indicators are the learning and

innovative; and life and career skills which are directly correlated with the 21st Century

Skills (p21.org).

IAG. 1. Critical Thinkers. Al Itqan learners use various types of reasoning as

appropriate to the situation, analyze how parts of a whole interact with each

other to produce overall outcomes in A complex system; effectively analyze and

evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs; synthesize and make

connections between information and arguments; interpret information and

draw conclusions based on the best analysis; reflect critically on learning

experiences and processes.

IAG. 2. Problem Solvers. Al Itqan learners are capable of solving non-familiar

problems in both conventional and non-conventional methods. They can

identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and

lead to better solutions.


IAG. 3. Good Communicators. Al Itqan can articulate and listen to thoughts effectively

in diverse environment. They use communication in various purposes, utilize

multimedia and technology to access information and assess their impact.

IAG. 4. Good Collaborators. Al Itqan can demonstrate ability to work effectively and

respectfully with diverse people, exercise flexibility and willingness to be

helpful and assume shared responsibility and accountability for collaborative

work.

IAG. 5. Adaptable and Flexible. Al Itqan learners can adapt to varied roles, jobs

responsibilities, schedules and context; work effectively in a climate of

ambiguity and changing priorities; incorporate feedback effectively; deal

positively with praise, setbacks and criticism; and understand, negotiate and

balance diverse views and beliefs to reach workable solutions.

IAG. 6. Creative and Innovative. Al Itqan learners can use a wide range of idea

creation techniques; create new and worthwhile ideas; develop, implement and

communicate new ideas to others effectively; be open and responsive to new

and diverse perspectives; demonstrate originality and inventiveness; view

failure as an opportunity to learn and act on creative ideas to make a tangible

and useful contribution to the field in which innovation will occur.

PART A: CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT

To achieve the mission, our school offers seven subjects to operate the American

curriculum and three subjects from UAE Ministry of Education. These subjects are termed

DISCIPLINES. Senge (2006) put the word discipline as “a body of theory and technique

that must be studied and mastered to put into practices. A discipline is a developmental path

of acquiring certain competencies”. As such, this word is “all about doing the work of the

subjects properly” (Wiggins and McTyghe, 2005) so as to produce Skillful Thinkers and

Skillful Doers. Thus, the use of this term becomes appropriate towards its mission-centric

curriculum.

Each discipline is viewed as a system working together to function as a whole.

This can be illustrated in the learning domains overview visually presented in figure 1. The

major core discipline, which is found close to the mission in the figure, shall primarily

operate to develop the indicators of Al Itqan Graduates. The supporting disciplines, found

in the outer layer of the core disciplines, should be viewed as support to ensure the

development of life and career skills.

Strategic Plan: Provide a challenging curriculum that prepares all learners from K-12

and beyond. The curriculum is research-based and consistently integrates best practices to

provide a focus that is aligned horizontally and vertically across all grades and addresses

the needs of all students.


Table 1: Transfer Tasks And Cross Curriculum Links

Theme 1: GLOBAL AWARENESS

1 Using 21st century skills to understand and address global issues

2 Learning from and working collaboratively with individuals representing diverse

cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in

personal, work and community contexts

3 Understanding other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English

languages.

Theme 2: ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment and the

circumstances and conditions affecting it, particularly as relates to air, climate, land,

food, energy, water and ecosystems.

2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of society’s impact on the natural world

(e.g., population growth, population development, resource consumption rate, etc.)

3 Investigate and analyze environmental issues and make accurate conclusions about

effective solutions

4 Take individual and collective action towards addressing environmental challenges

(e.g., participating in global actions, designing solutions that inspire action on

environmental issues)

Theme 3: CIVIC LITERACY

1 Participating effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed and

understanding governmental processes

2 Exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national and global

levels

3 Understanding the local and global implications of civic decisions

Theme 4: HEALTH LITERACY

1 Obtaining, interpreting and understanding basic health information and services and

using such information and services in ways that are health enhancing.

2 Understanding preventive physical and mental health measures, including proper

diet, nutrition, exercise, risk avoidance and stress reduction.

3 Using available information to make appropriate health-related decisions.

4 Establishing and monitoring personal and family health goals.

5 Understanding national and international public health and safety issues

Theme 5: FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC, BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL

LITERACY

1 Knowing how to make appropriate personal economic choices

2 Understanding the role of the economy in society

3 Using entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options.


Discipline 1: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

The knowledge economy requires human resources who can communicate effectively

with others with different cultural background. It is because communication is a gateway to

understanding, which in turn gives way to progress and development. Al Itqan American

School’s English Language Arts program envisions the development of communicative and

interactive competence of each student making them Skillful Thinkers and Skillful Doers in

the 21st century.

To better enhance the English Language Skills of the students, the school celebrates

yearly English week with activities to include spelling bee, writing composition, extempore

speeches, debate and a lot more exciting competitions involving all students from KG to

upper grades. This year, an English in-house booklet has been produced so that your child

can excel further in all skills that are required from AIAS.

Discipline 2: MATHEMATICS

Believing that Mathematical reasoning and number models shape the right habits of

mind, Mathematics program of Al Itqan American School is designed to further broaden to

enhance and improve their problem solving skills required to produce citizens who are

Skillful Thinkers and Skillful Doers. A strong grounding in mathematics and a talent pool

in mathematics are essential to support a knowledge economy.

Since learners have different starting points, the Mathematics curriculum is

designed to provide differentiated pathways and choices to support every learner in order to

maximize their potential. It shall employ effective instruction involving three interrelated

and interactive phases of learning – readiness, engagement and mastery. Collaboration and

independence shall be infused in every instructional phase. Through this interactive and

assessment-based design, learners become more ready to face challenges of the 21st

Century.

The school celebrates Math week annually, usually happening during the second

term. The math department administers varieties of competitions to increase the numerical

fluency and problem solving skills of the students.

Discipline 3: SCIENCE

Science is a way of thinking about and investigating the world in which we all live

in. As such, the science program of Al Itqan American school is shaped to foster

understanding, interest and appreciation of the world we live in. It is divisible into four

content areas - life, physics, chemistry and earth science.

In envisioning S & S learners in the knowledge economy, Al Itqanian will be

encouraged to develop the qualities inherent in the practice of Science, such as curiosity,

skepticism, open-mindedness, and honesty. The cornerstone of the program is the

development of critical and creative thinking. Particular attention will be paid to collecting

of data and interpreting findings and articulate them clearly in the English language. This

can be done by allowing them to construct meaning by themselves guided by their teachers

and classmates, inquire and enquire on content based on their modals of learning and


explore grade-related problems/issues and address them using skills and processes of

Science. In this way, they become more responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

Students perform a lot of investigations in science classes. Reports of their

investigations are published and presented during the academic fair and science fair. To

make their science learning more exciting, the department invites the science organization

like MadScience to perform experiments.

Discipline 4: VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Considering that Arts is an expression of oneself and the culture, the school offers a

visual and performing arts program primarily designed to help each student achieve their

potential as learners and to participate fully in their community and in society as a whole.

The school believes that participation in the Arts contributes in important ways to students’

lives and learning – it involves intense engagement, development of motivation and

confidence, and the use of creative and dynamic ways of thinking and knowing. It is well

documented that the intellectual and emotional development of children is enhanced

through the study of the arts.

Through the study of music and visual arts; students develop the ability to think

creatively and critically. The arts nourish and stimulate the imagination, and provide

students with an expanded range of tools, techniques, and skills to help them gain insights

into the world around them and to represent their understandings in various ways, thus,

honing each of Al Itqan students to become skillful thinkers and skillful doers.

Discipline 6: HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Health and Physical Education is designed around the concept that the physical and

health education form an integrated whole that relates to the everyday experiences of

students which will benefit them throughout their lives and help them to live in an ever-

changing world. This can be made possible by enabling each student to acquire physical

and health literacy and to develop the comprehension, capacity and commitment needed to

lead healthy active lives and to promote healthy active living.

Varieties of activities are done to promote a healthy lifestyle; there is monthly

health awareness for students, which provide more opportunities to explore proper nutrition

and healthy habits; celebration of sports day; annual vaccination; first aid workshops for

staff and students and a lot more activities.

LEARNING EXPECTATIONS

Believing that the learning experience in this institution is life itself, Alitqan American

School aims to help learners:

acquire essential knowledge, positive attitude, cognitive, motor coordination,

sensory-perceptual and personal-related skills for meaningful lifelong learning

experiences in the context of Islamic tradition and culture;


engage in discourses that will encourage active participation in critical reflections,

problem solving and sound decision making that is reflected in their personal

lifestyles and moral righteousness.

develop intra- and interpersonal skills that will make them effective communicators

of both verbal and non-verbal messages through varied communication medium that

foster personal, social and academic successes.

utilize learning experiences as means to conserve the UAE traditions and cultural

heritage, develop respect for human rights, become agents in the preservation of the

environment and be functional members of the society through critical choice of

career congruent to his/her potential and interests.

prepare students for higher education and in the world of work based on interest,

ability and learning profile.

LEARNING CONTACT TIME

The school operates with a learning contact time of 45 minutes per period with 7

periods in a day. Each day has 25 minutes break and 20 minutes ZERO period. Zero period

is a provision for some co-curricular activities to include clubs, remedial and enrichment

classes, leadership hours, competitions, prayer time for upper grades, DEAR (Drop

Everything and Read), play sessions for lower grades and other activities that promote

social interaction of the students. The number of periods per week in each subject shall be

indicated in the school time table which is usually released at the beginning week of the

term.

CURRICULUM OFFERINGS

The school offers an American curriculum and provides the compulsory MoE

subjects. The teachers prepare yearly plans, unit plans and lesson plans. HOD ensures that

the Common Core and the MoE are aligned in their planned curriculum. Weekly plans are

likewise prepared and released on a weekly basis for parents, which are available both in

paper and in the school’s websites. The implementation of weekly plan and the lesson plans

are supervised primarily by the HOD and the operational manager - academics and are

supported by the supervisors and the section coordinators.

The Thematic Curriculum is applicable in Kindergarten Department. The KG

section observes 5 periods from Sunday to Wednesday and 4 periods every Thursday. The

activity period is designed for thorough development of 4C skills. This period is also

allotted for different event celebrations in KG to include color celebrations, Mother’s Day,

Grandparent’s Day, co-curricular activities and flied trips of the students.

Table: Course Offerings in The Early Learning Development (KG Section)

Learning Areas KG 1 KG 2

English ✓ ✓

Math ✓ ✓

Science ✓ ✓

Arabic ✓ ✓

Islamic Studies ✓ ✓

Social Studies ✓ ✓

Physical Education ✓ ✓

Activity ✓ ✓


Music and arts for early learning development are integrated within the discipline.

Each unit is required to produce a learning output or projects where students develop

further their art skills. Some activities in English and Science are oriented in arts to develop

skills and standards related to it.

Table: American Curriculum Subjects Offered in the Primary Section

Subjects Grade Levels

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

English 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 6 6

Science 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 - - -

Math 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 - -

Computer 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Physical

Education

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1

Music 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Arts 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

Algebra and

Geometry

- - - - - - - - 5 5 5

Biology - - - - - - - - 3 3 3

Chemistry - - - - - - - - 3 3 3

Physics - - - - - - - - 2 2 2

SAT /

TOEFL

- - - - - - - - - 1 1

Elective - - - - - - - - - 1 1

The English curriculum is supported with the guided reading program across grades

from grades 1 to 7. This intends to improve their reading fluency as integral skills across

disciplines.

Table: MoE Curriculum Subjects Offered in the Primary Section


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Arabic 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Islamic

Studies

2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2

Social

Studies

1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2

Special classes are provided for students who are non-Arabic native speakers. The

school has assigned teachers to implement the aforementioned compulsory subjects. The

school has special rooms where they take students from their regular classroom and bring

them to the designated special rooms. Non-Muslims are provided with lessons in ethics

supervised and managed by the school librarian.


Table: MoE Curriculum Special Classes Offered in the

Primary Section for Non-Arabs


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Arabic 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Islamic

Studies

2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2

Social

Studies

1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2

HOMEWORK POLICY

In order to regulate the homework policy; the school has finalized the day of

homework and the day where we send books home. Please be guided by the information

below.

Subjects Days we send

the books

home

Days we send

the homework

Days of

Performing

Quiz / Drop

Test

Days you will

return the

books back to

school

Math Sunday Sunday Monday Monday

Science Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday

Arabic Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday

English -

Reading and

Spelling

Thursday Thursday Sunday Sunday

The homework for subjects like Computer, Arts, Music and PE shall be submitted

on the day of their classes. Homework in Islamic Studies shall be indicated in the weekly

plan. Please follow strictly the time table.

Please refer to the WEEKLY PLAN for the confirmation of the test schedule.

Graded English spelling exercises will always be performed every Sunday while Arabic

dictation is always scheduled every Wednesday. For non-arabs, schedule of dictation will

depend on their class timings. We suggest that you follow strictly what is written in the

weekly plan.

WEEKLY PLAN POLICY

The school provides a weekly plan to students. This provides detailed information

of the specific lessons and pages of the book assigned for the week. However, though the

school wishes to complete and target the activities stated therein; teachers are also flexible

to accommodate at times when lessons required reinforcement. The following are some

points about this plan:


1. The school provides paper copies of the weekly plan for KG to grade 3. Upper

grades can access the soft copies in the school website as well as the parent

portal.

2. The homework and quiz schedule is clearly indicated in the weekly plan and

make sure that you follow it strictly. In case of any changes, you will be notified

through your child’s diary and handbook.

3. The weekly plan can be accessed in the school’s website under ACADEMICS

tab. It is arranged by week and is updated every Thursday of the week.


SECTION F:

ASSESSMENT PLAN

RATIONALE

A critical element of any student's learning experience is the need for informed and

meaningful feedback to those invested in the student's progress. Reporting on student

progress must have a well-defined purpose for it to be meaningful. It must clearly identify

the information needing to be communicated, the audience it is intended for and how that

information will be used to improve future or related learning.

AIAS has identified three primary purposes for reporting student progress:

To communicate student growth to parents and the broader community;

To provide feedback to students for self-evaluation; and

To document student progress and the effectiveness of instructional programs.

As such, it is expected that the entire school members, parents and students abide and

adhere to the guidelines and policies stated herein. It is suggested that the academic

committee members should convene annually to discuss the policies and guidelines stated

herein. Any amendments to these should be under strict monitoring and approval of the

principal. No policy shall be amended without proper representation of the entire school

stakeholders with at least 70% participation rating from teachers and staff.

GRADING PHILOSOPHY

The Philosophy of Grading at Al Itqan American School is based on three

underlying principles of learning. The principles stated herein were taken from the

“Philosophy of Reporting on Student Progress and Philosophy of Grading” by Dr. Thomas

Guskey, professor of Educational Policy Study at the University of Kentucky.

Our commitment to the standards of learning. The adoption of common core state

standards and the MoE standards including the 21st century Skills (4C’s and 4A’s);

Our strong commitment to and belief in supporting the individual learner. It is

critical that each child has a means to recognize and pursue individual interests,

unique abilities, and to have his or her personal learning style honored; and finally

The importance of communicating individual student progress to those with a stake

in the learner’s growth and performance.

These principles serve as the basis of learning in our school, and define the

fundamental importance and structure for reporting and grading individual student

progress. To fully support our school’s principles of learning, we believe we need to report

on student growth in three ways:

1. Student progress or the performance of each learner is measured in relationship

to the critical areas namely knowledge and Understanding; Thinking and

Creative Skills; Communication and Collaboration. Progress is recorded to show

student growth over time. The fundamental question that underlies teacher


interpretation in this regard is “What should students learn, and what criteria do

they need to meet to be considered working at grade level, as characterized by

the typical learner?”

2. A product of student work is best characterized as what a student knows and can

do at a particular point in time. The work a student produces is most typically

demonstrated through the completion of ongoing assessments, assignments,

presentations and projects. While teachers will use the quality of a student’s

product to assess progress towards meeting the standards, developmentally

appropriate criteria and grading will be used to support students in the

completion of the work they produce.

3. The process each learner uses to enhance his/her achievement is measured by the

student’s attitude toward learning, effort, work habits and utilization of

developing learning strategies.

Our school recognizes that students, parents and teachers alike must work together

to support student learning. Effective, meaningful and regular communication of student

progress allows for open and constructive dialogue with parents and others; supports

student self-evaluation and goal setting; and, provides important documentation for

program evaluation and improvement. Ultimately, our means of grading student progress

will support and accentuate a desire for life long learning.

POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES

The policies and implementing guidelines are divided into 5 sections. Sections are

letter coded as indicated herein.

A. Procedure For Grades Approval. This states the policies needed for approving

marks collected and consolidating them to a final grade for a given term.

1. The teacher should keep a record of the marks in their record book,

which is provided by the school. The grades criteria per subject are

indicated in this paper found in the succeeding page.

2. The final marks obtained in each criterion shall be reported and encoded

in the school data system. Each teacher will have an account in the

school web portal to encode the marks.

3. The teacher should ensure the accuracy of the marks, which will then be

checked thoroughly by the HOD in the summary of the grade report,

which is printed from the system after completely encoding all the

numerical data.

4. IT officer collects the checked summary of grades. No summary of

grades report will be collected without the signature of the subject

teacher and the HOD. IT Officer then collects and submits the summary

of grades to the operation manager academics and finally to the principal

for final approval.

5. Approved summary of grades are then returned to the IT officer for

printing.

6. Printed report cards are then given to the coordinators for final checking

ensuring that there is no missing information as expected in the report


cards. They will likewise give the printed copies to the homeroom

teacher and principal for signature. They are in charge of stamping and

putting in a plastic pouch for each report card in coordination with the

accounts. They are likewise in-charge to ensure that report cards will

only be released to students / parents who have no financial dues in the

school.

7. The Report Cards for term 1 and 2 will be available on the parent’s

portal. No hard copy will be printed.

B. Grading Markings and Computations. The school strictly implements

numerical system for computing marks starting from grade 1. These marks can

be translated and reported into letter codes.

1. The school allocates 60% of the grades from daily and on-going

continuous evaluation while 40% is allotted for the written end of the

term exam in all major subjects.

2. 50% is the passing mark in all subjects. The overall average of the

grades in the academic year, in the particular subject, is computed by

obtaining the average across the term during the academic year. Example

is shown below.

Subjects First Term Second Term Third

Term

Final

Marks

English 85 88 91 88

Science 82 88 85 85

Math 85 89 90 88

3. The TOTAL marks within a term is computed by getting the sum of all

the marks obtained in all subjects. The TOTAL PERCENTAGE

MARKS (TPM) is expressed as the average of all the marks across the

subjects within a term. TPM is the overall scholastic performance of the

students.

4. Marks in the “ACTIVITIES” is obtained as the average of the marks in

three activity subjects including Physical Education, Music and the Arts.

The school shall treat the activities mark as a whole and it is expected

that the students should have no marks lower than 50% in these subjects.

5. The numerical marks are expressed in letter codes with descriptions to

guide the stakeholder of the school in interpreting the student’s

performance. Only the lettered grades shall be expressed in the report

cards except in the final report cards issued at the end of the academic

year.

Letter

Codes

Numerical

Equivalence

Narrative

Description

Interpretations

A+ 100 – 96 Outstanding Exceeding Performance

expectations at this

time A 95 – 90 Excellent


Letter

Codes

Numerical

Equivalence

Narrative

Description

Interpretations

B+ 89 – 86 Very Good Meeting Performance

Expectations at this

time B 85 – 80 Good

C+ 79 – 76 Above Average Approaching

Performance

Expectation at this time C 75 – 70 Average

D+ 69 – 60 Satisfactory Below Performance

Expectations at this

time D 59 – 50 Below Average

F 49 – Below Fail Needs Improvement

C. Communicating Grades. The grades for first and second term are reported to

parents as scheduled in the academic calendar. The report cards are sent to the

students as soon as the principal approves it. This is arranged and dispensed by

the coordinators through the homeroom teachers.

1. Only those who have settled their financial dues shall receive their report

cards.

2. The report cards will also be available in the parent’s web-portal.

However, rule 1 in this section shall be applied for those who have not

settled their financial dues.

3. In case the parent failed to attend the scheduled parents-teacher

conference, they may arrange for an appointment with the homeroom

teacher through the section coordinators. Appointment can be done

through walk-in and/or phone calls. The school shall strictly prohibit any

urgent meeting of teachers with parents to discuss academic performance

unless otherwise approved by the principal.

D. Failing Grades. This includes the policy for students who received failing

marks in the report cards at the end of the academic year. A grade below 50% is

considered as Failing Mark.

1. A student who obtained a failing mark in a term will be receiving an “In

Progress” report and will be under strict monitoring for academic

probation by the social worker. It is expected that a student should show

progress across the term. In case one fails to meet the desired progress in

spite of the series of academic counseling; they will automatically be

under the filter list.

2. The student who did not meet the passing final mark in core subjects

shall take a re-sit examination both written and oral exam, which will be

scheduled. If they passed these exams, then he will be declared promoted

and shall receive the lowest passing mark in those subjects.

3. If a student still fails in the re-sit examination, the appointed committee

shall deliberate the student performance and shall notify the parents of


the school’s promotion decision not later than 2 days after the re-sit

examination.

STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT

Aside from the school-based written assessments prepared by the teachers, the

school also administers web-based standardized assessment. This is called Measures of

Academic Progress (MAP) in English, Science and Math. This is given to measure the

performance of the students at the beginning of the academic year (Pretest) and another

assessment is scheduled at the end of the academic year (Posttest). The results are given to

parents along with the final report cards.

This data allows the school to measure progress of students overtime and identify

the degree of performance in correlation to international standards. The results of MAP do

not affect the numerical marks reported at the end of the year. It is used to measure success

relative to the international expectations and provide the school with data for curriculum

development. The school also arranges SAT and TOEFL / IELTS for students in the upper

grades. Parents are notified of these services and schedule of tests in various forms of

communication.

AIAS Partnership

In order for your child to blossom and gain their full potential, we believe this can

be achieved only together i. e, parents and school. If we support and respect each other this

reflects on the behavior of the child which has a fundamental affect on their academic

progress. Together we can make a difference.

-Where children love to Learn”

year of giving 100 days of positivity parent...

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