Junior School Vlaskamp Welcome Handbook 2015-16

JSD Essentials | 1

WelcomeJunior School Vlaskamp

2015 | 2016Internationally British

2 | JSV Welcome

JSV Welcome | 3

Junior School Vlaskamp

Dear parents Welcome to


A very warm welcome to Junior School

Vlaskamp and the community of The British

School in The Netherlands. It is our privilege to

have your child in the school. We look forward

to working in partnership with you to make their

time here a happy and formative experience.

At JSV, we provide an innovative and challenging

all-round education where children learn to

respect each other, take responsibility for their

learning and to reflect on their experiences.

Our skilled staff teach a stimulating and enriching

curriculum which is carefully individualised

to meet the needs of each child in our care.

Together, with the wealth of extra – curricular

activities, we strive to develop potential from

within, encouraging each child to grow in

confidence, flourish academically and develop

a life-long love of learning.

There are many ways in which you can get

involved with and find out more about the

community here at JSV. This booklet gives an

introduction; you can find out more on our

parent portal – BSN Gateway. We also welcome

your questions and feedback in person or

through email.

We look forward to getting to know you and your

child over the coming weeks.

Yours sincerely

Sue Aspinall

Head Teacher of Junior School Vlaskamp

4 | JSV Welcome

Welcome to the BSNWe know that moving to a new country

and/or starting a new school is an exciting time.

At the BSN we do all that we can to help families

feel settled and at home as quickly as possible.

We are very experienced in welcoming

newcomers; not only in September, but

throughout the whole school year.

We know that you will have lots of questions to

ask about how the school works and what day

to day BSN life will be like for you and your family.

This booklet is designed to help answer most of

those questions, but please remember that if you

are unsure about anything at all you just need to

ask – we are here to help.

Useful dates for your calendar

School year 2015 | 2016

Autumn term

Term begins | Mon 7 Sep 2015

Half term | Mon 26 Oct to Mon 2 Nov 2015 (incl)

End of term | Fri 18 Dec 2015

Christmas holidays

Spring term

Term begins | Tue 5 Jan 2016

Half term | Mon 15 Feb to Mon 22 Feb 2016 (incl)

End of term | Thu 24 Mar 2016

Easter holidays

Summer term

Term begins | Tue 12 Apr 2016

School closed | Wed 27 Apr 2016,

Thu 5 May 2016, Fri 6 May 2016 and

Mon 16 May 2016

Half term | Mon 30 May to Fri 3 June 2016 (incl)

End of term | Fri 15 Jul 2016

Summer holidays

Note: All terms end at 12:00 midday (F1 and F2

finish earlier at 11:45)


JSV Welcome | 5

CommunicationDay to day communication

BSN Gateway is the BSN’s password-

protected website. It provides direct, personalised

access to Notes Home, the school calendar, the

family database, school news and curriculum

information. The BSN Gateway is our key method

of day to day communication with parents. We

do not send paper notes home in school bags,

but rather use a system of electronic Notes

and Messages sent through this portal. You will

receive your personal log in details within the first

couple of days of your child starting school with

us. Please make sure that you log in and check for

updates regularly, we also strongly recommend

that you sign up for email alerts.

For more information on the BSN Gateway please

refer to your BSN Essentials booklet or email

[email protected] for further assistance.

General enquiriesFor general questions relating to your

child’s wellbeing and progress in school, the class

teacher is the first person you should speak to.

You can approach them before or after school

to arrange a suitable time to speak, alternatively

you are also welcome to contact your child’s class

teacher directly via email.

For general questions about the school or for

messages that you need to pass on, the School

Office will be able to help you. Feel free to phone,

call in at any time or email us.

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 070 333 8111

Twitter: @BSN_JSV

Office Manager | Margot Grimm

Larger issues or concernsIf your concerns or questions are more

serious or confidential in nature, you are welcome

to contact the Deputy or Head Teacher who

will help you as quickly as possible. You can

either contact the School Office to arrange an

appointment or email them directly.

Deputy Head | Christopher Bailey


Head Teacher | Sue Aspinall


6 | JSV Welcome

School routinesThe table below shows the timings for a

typical school day. Meeting friends and playing

together has become a special part of the after

school time for our children and provides an

opportunity for parents to chat together too.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind

you that the responsibility for the safety of your

children before and after these hours is your own.

F1 F2 KS1 KS2

Doors open 8:30 8:30 8:30 8:30

Registration 8:45–9.00 8:45 8:45 8:45

School ends 15:00 15:00 15:10 15.20

F1: Foundation 1

F2: Foundation 2

KS1: Key Stage 1 (Years 1 to 2)

KS2: Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Start of day routine

Foundation 1 and 2

Before the start of the day, children can

wait with their parents in the front playground.

Please remember that parents must remain

with their child until they have entered their

classroom for registration. The start of the day is

a wonderful opportunity for you to enjoy sharing

a story together or chat about the day ahead and

help to settle your young child ready for their

learning activities.

Years 1 to 6

The school gates are opened at 08:15, but

the school building is not opened for students

until 08:30. Any children arriving before 08:30

can wait and chat with their friends in the

school playground until the doors open. Please

remember that they remain your responsibility

until 08:30 when staff take over.


JSV Welcome | 7

You are welcome to accompany your younger

child into school and ensure they are happy

and settled going into class. We do ask you

to encourage the independence of your older

child by reducing this support as they progress

through the school.

Children arriving by school bus

The BSN runs a comprehensive School

Bus Service which operates throughout

The Hague and surrounding areas. For more

information refer to your BSN Essentials

booklet or BSN Gateway. The School Transport

department can be contacted on 070 315 4083 or

[email protected]

Late arrivals

Children arriving late must report to

the School Office. We ask that you do all you

can to ensure your child is on time as it can be

distressing for them if they are regularly late

for the start of lessons.

Absence

Any requests for future absence due to

personal reasons, must be made to the Head

Teacher in writing in advance. Please refer to

the school policy on absence during term time,

available on The BSN Gateway. Absence from

school is taken very seriously in Holland and

within the BSN who follow the Dutch Law in

this regard.

The School Office must be informed by 09:30

if a child is absent due to sickness.

End of the day routineThe school gates are open from 14.45.

Any changes to end of day routines or pick-

up arrangements are to be sent to email:

[email protected] before 14.15

If, at the last minute, you are going to be late or

need to inform us that someone else will collect

your child, please telephone the school office

070 333 8111 so we can tell your child. This helps

prevent any upset.

Foundation 1 and 2

At home time the children should be

collected from the classroom at 15:00. Once a

member of staff has invited parents to collect the

children, the routine is for children to shake hands

with a member of staff and say goodbye.

Years 1 and 2

At the end of the day children should be

collected from the rear doors which lead on to

the back playground.

Years 3 to 6

The children are escorted by staff to the

front playground to meet parents. All children are

expected to shake their teacher’s hand before

joining you.

Children going home by school bus

Children using the School Bus Service are

escorted to the hall where they are supervised

until their bus driver is ready to depart.

8 | JSV Welcome

Parking and dropping offParking is restricted close to the school

and parents are encouraged to travel to the

school on foot, by bicycle or public transport.

JSV shares the use of the Overbosch carpark

accessed from the Vlaskamp road. Parents

are invited to park there in the morning and

afternoon when dropping off or collecting

children from school. Please follow any

instructions from the staff wearing reflective

jackets who supervise this area. Parking in the

carpark is free for JSV parents and the issued

ticket can be used for up to two hours to exit.

After two hours, parents will need to collect a

parking card from the School Office to exit the

carpark without payment.

There is bicycle storage at the front and rear of the

school. Please enter the school grounds carefully,

dismounting and pushing your bicycle once

through the gates. Bicycles must be locked during

the day and are the responsibility of the owners.

Security informationThe school gates are locked during the

day. A closed circuit monitoring system operates

and visitors, including parents, are requested

to sign in at the Reception Desk and wear the

appropriate badge at all times.

In times of true emergency (such as fire or other

situations requiring evacuation of the school)

parents will be sent an emergency text message

from the school. For this reason it is vital that you

ensure that the School Office has an up to date

mobile phone number for you. Further information

on this system is available on BSN Gateway.


JSV Welcome | 9

What does my child need to bring

to school?

One of the best ways to ensure that your

child feels happy, confident and settled on their

first day at school is to make sure that they have

with them all the equipment that they need.

The exact days that some items need to be

brought into school will be communicated via

the class teacher in the first day or two of school.

Please ensure that you check the BSN Gateway

for this information.

A library book bag

These are available from the school

uniform shop. All children should have one of

these to transport their library books to and from

school.

Art overall

From Year 1 all children should bring their

own art overall – an old shirt will do!

Recorder

From Year 2 all children should bring their

own recorder. These are available to purchase

from the school.

PE bag

These are available from the school

uniform shop and all pupils should use one for

their PE kit. Bags with kit are generally left at

school for KS1, except when they are brought

home for washing. In KS2 they are taken home

everyday. Every piece of clothing must have your

child’s name clearly marked.

Refillable water bottle

These are used within the lesson time.

Proper hydration helps to improve concentration

levels.

iPad

During the first term Year 6 children will be issued

with an iPad at a subsidised discounted rate. This

must be kept in a case.

Please ensure that ALL items are clearly labelled

with your child’s name.

10 | JSV Welcome

Snack and lunch at school

All children need to bring a packed lunch

and separate morning snack to school. Named

lunch and snack boxes are essential.

Snack We recommend a small snack, for

example a drink and a piece of fruit. Milk is

available for a small fee per term. Further

information will be sent home via the

BSN Gateway.

Note: Foundation 1 children do not need to bring

a snack to school. The school provides fruit,

breadsticks or toast, milk and water every day.


JSV Welcome | 11

LunchPlease provide something simple such as

sandwiches, yoghurt, chopped raw vegetables,

fruit, a biscuit and a drink. Some children like to

bring warm food such as pasta in a food flask.

Sweets are not allowed in school and are only

used for special celebrations.

Being healthy is both an important aspect of

growing up and becoming a responsible adult

as well as a part of the curriculum. Parents can

help school greatly by providing a balanced

and healthy lunch for the children. It is our joint

responsibility and opportunity to educate them

well in healthy living.

Eat smart, think smart, learn smart!

Student healthEach school has a School Nurse whose

primary role is to assist children who become ill

or hurt during the course of the school day. For

general medical advice parents should contact

their family doctor (Huisarts). The nurse is on site

from 08:30–16:30.

Health informationAs soon as a child starts school it is

vital that the School Nurse and class teachers

are notified of all health-related problems such

as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes and allergies,

for example, to foods such as peanuts, milk,

chocolate, colourings etc.

In the first few weeks of school everyone will

receive a health update form via The BSN

Gateway to complete and return to the School

Nurse. All health information given is held in the

strictest confidence and only shared on a need-

to-know basis.

General healthIf your child has diarrhoea, vomiting or

fever, please keep them at home until they have

been clear of any symptoms for 48 hours. This

helps prevent the spread of infection to others

in the school. If your child develops an infectious

illness or condition, please inform the school

nurse as soon as possible. If your child is sick,

inform the office by 09:30.

Please ensure that your child is well enough to

return to school after they have had an illness.

Children should not return to school until they are

well enough to participate in all school activities,

including playtimes.

Apart from chronic illnesses (asthma, epilepsy

etc.) we request that all medication is given

outside school hours. Asthmatic children should

be provided with an inhaler/medication to keep

permanently in school.

Allergies If your child has food allergies then please

provide the school with their special food for

snacks and treats. If providing home-made foods

for parties or birthdays please include a list of

ingredients so we can look after our children with

food allergies. The school operates a no nuts

advisory policy at all times.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school

nurse or your child’s teacher at any time

if you have any concerns or worries regarding

this matter.

12 | JSV Welcome

What should my child wear?

We believe that a uniform encourages

a sense of unity and common purpose – a

particularly important consideration as we

endeavour to welcome children from a wide

variety of countries and provide them with a true

sense of belonging. Details of the school uniform

you will require for your child can be found on the

school website and on the BSN Gateway.

Uniform is worn by students starting from

Foundation 2. Children in Foundation 1 wear

their own clothes – more details on suitable

clothing for this age group can be found in the

Beginnings leaflet.

The main School Uniform Shop is located on

the Leidschenveen Campus in the Sports Hall

building. Payment can be made by cash, PIN or

credit card. The Uniform Shop is generally open

during term time only, but a few extra opening

times are planned for new families just before

the start of term – dates and times of these are

published on our website.

Shop opening times (during term time)

Tuesday morning | 08:45–10:30

Thursday morning | 08:45–10:30

Thursday afternoon | 15:00–16:00

(first Thursday of month only)

Uniform can also be purchased via the Online

Uniform Shop. Items ordered online can be

collected from one of the Uniform Shops or

delivered to your child’s school (only for families

with children already in the BSN)

LabellingAll items should be clearly labelled

with your child’s name and class. The Uniform

Shop holds a supply of information on

companies that provide a mail order/web

ordering service for personalised labels for

clothing and general belongings.

JewelleryIn general, jewellery should not be worn

in school. We do allow children with pierced ears

to wear small stud earrings, but request that they

are removed or covered over during PE lessons.


JSV Welcome | 13

Helping you feel at home

Welcoming new parents

We understand that moving to a new

country and culture can be an overwhelming

experience – whether you are an experienced

expat or this is the first time you have left your

home country.

For many parents school can provide a vital

community link, offering a chance to quickly

make friends and establish an important support

network. We have various ways in which we help

new families settle into life in The Netherlands

and at the BSN.

The BSN Family Association The BSN Family Association is the

organisation that oversees the work and activities

of the volunteer teams at the BSN. It is not linked

to one individual school site, but aims to bring

families from all the sites together. It is made up

of both staff and parents of the school and works

in the background to provide support and advice

to the teams.

If you are interested in finding out more about

the Family Association and its teams, please

check out their pages on the BSN Gateway –

or see the BSN Essentials booklet.

14 | JSV Welcome

Getting involved at schoolWe are always grateful to the many

parents who come into the school on a regular

basis to help in a variety of ways.

Parents get involved in many activities such as art,

computers, cooking, gardening, group reading,

stories, special days and trips. If you have a

particular skill or area of expertise to share we

would also be delighted to hear about it.

In addition to this general volunteering we have

a number of more formal ways in which you

can become involved in school life. If you are

interested in volunteering on a regular basis,

please contact the Deputy Head.

Class ParentsEach class has one or two Class Parents

who liaise with the teacher. They also help the

teacher to welcome new children and families to

the class and organise occasional social events

for parents and children. This contact can be

extremely helpful, particularly on arrival in the

Netherlands – your class teacher will inform you

who your Class Parent is.


JSV Welcome | 15

What will my child learn?

This booklet is not intended to

provide you with pages of detailed curriculum

information. Information on what your child will

learn during their time at the BSN is provided

regularly via a Note Home on the BSN Gateway,

In addition to this curriculum information you

will also find helpful advice on ways that you can

support your child on the BSN Gateway.

Parents will receive invitations to Curriculum

Evenings and some Curriculum Workshops during

the year. These workshops explain how we teach,

how children learn and cover some of the content

of the curriculum.

Topics and themes for learningThe curriculum is taught partly as

separate subjects but also through themes and

topics which help to establish meaningful links

across the curriculum. Information about the

specific topics and themes is communicated to

parents and children throughout the year and can

be found on the BSN Gateway.

School trips and special eventsSchool trips are organised as part of the

curriculum, in this way, many subjects are enriched.

The calendar of trips is different for each year

group and detailed information is sent out via

a Note Home on the BSN Gateway prior to any

trip. You can also look ahead to get an overview

of key events by looking at the school calendar on

the site.

Alongside the trips, the children are regularly

involved in a variety of activities and events. The

traditional Dutch celebrations of Sinterklaas in

December and Koningsdag in April are particular

highlights. We also hold Sports Days in the

summer and a variety of ‘themed’ days (e.g.

International Day) giving everyone a chance to

enjoy the diversity of the BSN.

16 | JSV Welcome

What about homework?We believe that parental involvement in

a child’s education is not an added extra, but is

an important part of the learning process. Young

children need the interest and encouragement of

their parents and lots of praise. They also need

their rest and play.

It is important therefore to strike the correct

balance between follow up to the learning in

school and introducing children to a wider range

of activities out of school that will help develop

the whole person.

It is with this in mind that the school follows a

gradual build-up of ‘homework’ from the shared

activities such as reading together in Foundation,

to the more regular homework in Year 6.

How can I help?Providing a supportive quiet environment

at home, where the children feel positive and

motivated to apply themselves, without distractions

is essential. As parents you can help encourage

your child’s interest in their learning through

discussion, by helping them to locate relevant

materials such as books, photos, artefacts or useful

web sites and by taking them to visit appropriate

museums, galleries or other places of interest.

How will I find out how my child is doing?

Parent school contact

We believe that excellent parent/teacher

relationships are a priority. We do all that we can

to ensure regular and open contact with you. You

will be invited to Parent Consultation Meetings

when you can discuss your child’s progress, find

out about their next steps and how you can

support them. There are also other opportunities,

throughout the school year for you to find out

about what your child is learning.

We run various events – such as those listed here –

to help you to understand how well your child is

achieving as well as learning about the curriculum.

• Written class curriculum information

• Coffee mornings

• Curriculum information evenings

• Subject workshops

• Individual parent consultations with

written consultation record

• Written school reports

Learning and Assessment

Children’s learning, achievement and

progress is analysed week by week. Teacher

Assessment is carried out in many different ways,

including: observation, discussion, questioning

and by marking children’s work, identifying

what it is that children need to do next to

improve. Teachers also make use of standardised

assessment materials in order to gain further

information about children’s progress.

The information gathered from this adds to the

overall picture of each child which teachers build

up throughout the year. This is communicated

to you through Parent Consultations as well as

reports. Levels achieved are given each year,

in the school report, in terms of the children’s

attainment, and comments will be made on effort

and progress. This is also discussed with you at

Parent Consultation meetings.

What if I need to contact the teacher?

Teachers are always happy to see parents

when they are available — the best time for

enquiries is often immediately after school.

Please note that teachers need to concentrate

on their pupils’ learning and so will not always

be available during the school day. However it

is always best to speak to your child’s teacher

early if you have concerns so that a small issue

does not become a large one. It’s also possible to

contact teachers directly via e-mail if you so wish.


JSV Welcome | 17

Promoting positive behaviour

The school has a strong ethos of

promoting positive behaviour. This is promoted

regularly through the following practices:

AssembliesAssemblies are used throughout the

school to promote positive behaviour. They often

follow a theme, for instance sharing, loyalty or

perseverance. The children’s achievements in

and out of school are also reported and praised

during assemblies.

Achievement assemblies are held on a termly

basis, to celebrate the progress in learning of

pupils from across the school.

Class behaviour codeAt the start of the year the children in

each class will draw up their own behaviour/

safety agreement with some guidance from the

teacher. This is displayed in class and the children

regularly remind each other of their agreements.

Circle timeAt regular times the children will be

involved in ‘Circle Time’ lessons. These are used

to develop children’s self-awareness, positive self-

esteem and confidence and a caring, thoughtful

attitude towards others. Circle Time helps with

listening and speaking skills as children are

encouraged to participate and listen.

18 | JSV Welcome

House systemChildren in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) are

placed in one of four ‘houses’:

Amsterdam | red

Gouda | yellow

Delft | blue

Leiden | green

Various games, special days, sporting competitions

and other rewards are run through this house

system throughout the year.

Playtimes In the Junior Schools we recognise

that access to the outdoors and playtimes,

an important part of every child’s day. Through

play children develop vital personal, social and

physical skills, as well as having fun with friends.

Playing by the rulesAll children are taught to respect the

school playground rules. The school’s behaviour

code applies throughout the school, including the

playground. Playground friends or buddies are

children who help to support friendships.

In order to allow children to play particular kinds

of games without being disturbed, or disturbing

other children’s play, some parts of the play

space are ’zoned’. Zones vary during the year

according to the weather but include: football

zones and quiet zones. There is also a variety

of play equipment put out to add interest. The

Foundation Stage playgrounds reflect the

importance of outdoor learning.

At the end of playtime the children are expected

to walk quietly into lines where they will be

collected by their teacher

Playtime supervisionThe school has playground supervisors

who help the teachers or teaching assistants on

duty to look after the children during playtimes.


JSV Welcome | 19

Co-curricular activities

In addition to the curricular opportunities

available to BSN students, the school organises a

large range of co-curricular activities during lunch

time and after school. Co-curricular activities

after school are aimed at older children and are

available from Years 1 to 6.

Past activities have ranged from Gymnastics

to Ukulele and Cookery to Chess. The exact

programme of co-curricular activities varies

from term to term depending on numbers,

but it may be possible for new activities to be

set up if demand from students is great enough.

Details on which co-curricular activities are

running each term are sent out via the BSN

Gateway and you may need to respond via an

on-line form. Places on certain activities are often

limited so please make sure you respond quickly

to secure a place for your child.

If you have any queries regarding co-curricular

activities, please contact the School Office in the

first instance.

After school and holiday care

Zein Child Care offers After School

Care and Holiday Care Service at two premium

childcare locations in The Hague. Both locations

offer state-of-the art, eco-friendly and spacious

facilities. The centres are run by highly qualified

caring staff, often with an international

background.

Zein provides a pick-up service from all

BSN schools. A light, healthy and fresh meal is

provided on arrival to recharge the batteries and

there is time to get any homework done. Then

it’s time to do what children do best - have fun!

Whether it’s climbing the treehouse, playing

tennis or football, jumping on a trampoline,

discovering the playground or working on an arts

and crafts project - it’s all available for your child.

After School Care is provided every school day

from 15:00 to 18:30 - earlier starts are available

on school early dismissal days. Holiday Care is

provided during school holidays. Zein is closed

on National Holidays. Children from the BSN

Leidschenveen Campus join Zein after school care

at Robbie’s Place Leidschenveen. Children from the

British schools Diamanthorst and Vlaskamp join

Zein at The Estate in Benoordenhout.

For further information or to register your child for

either After School Care of Holiday Care, please

contact Zein Child Care on 070 326 8263 or visit

their website at www.zeinchildcare.nl

Junior School VlaskampVlaskamp 19

2592 AA, Den HaagTelephone: +31 (0)70 333 8111


www.britishschool.nl

The British School in The Netherlands (Official)

@BSN_JSV

Junior School Vlaskamp Welcome Handbook 2015-16

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Transcript of Junior School Vlaskamp Welcome Handbook 2015-16