School Year

2009-2010

Monday, August 24

First Day of School
Kindergarten to Grade 12

Preschool scheduled conferences for parents and child
 

Tuesday, August 24

First Day of School for Preschool 3 and Preschool 4

Wednesday, September 9

Early Release, 11:30 am

Thursday, Oct 1 through Tuesday, Oct 6
(School resumes Wednesday, Oct 7)

NO SCHOOL
Chinese National Day Holiday

Wednesday, October 14

Early Release, 11:30 am

Thursday, November 5

Kindergarten-Grade 4 Student-Led Parent Conferences
Parents & student come at assigned conference time.
Preschool in Session

Friday, November 6

Kindergarten-Grade 4 Student-Led Parent Conferences
Parents & student come at assigned conference time.
NO Preschool

Wednesday, November 11

Early Release, 11:30 am

Friday, November 27

NO SCHOOL
U.S. Thanksgiving Weekend

Wednesday, December 2

Early Release, 11:30 am

Saturday, Dec 19 through Sunday, Jan 3, 2010

(School resumes Monday, Jan 4)

NO SCHOOL

Christmas and New Year Holiday

Wednesday, January 13

Early Release, 11:30 am

Thursday, January 21

Preschool Parent Conferences: NO SCHOOL for preschool
Kindergarten – Grade 4 in Session

Friday, January 22

Preschool Parent Conferences: NO SCHOOL for preschool
Kindergarten – Grade 4 in Session

Wednesday, February 3

Early Release, 11:30 am

Saturday, Feb 13 through Sunday, Feb 21

(School resumes Monday, Feb 22)

NO SCHOOL

Chinese New Year Holiday

Thursday, March 25

Early Release, 11:30 am

Friday, March 26

NO SCHOOL
Teacher Work Day

Friday, April 2 through Monday, April 5
(School resumes Tuesday, April 6)

NO SCHOOL
Good Friday & Easter Holiday

Ching Ming (Tomb-Sweeping Day)

Thursday, April 8

Kindergarten-Grade 4 Student-Led Parent Conferences
Parents & student come at assigned conference time.
Preschool in Session

Friday, April 9

Kindergarten-Grade 4 Student-Led Parent Conferences
Parents & student come at assigned conference time.
NO Preschool

Monday, April 26 through Monday, May 3

(School resumes Tuesday, May 4)

NO SCHOOL
Chinese Labor Day Holiday

Wednesday, May 12

Early Release, 11:30 am

Thursday, June 10

Last Day of School
Closing Assembly, 10:30 am
Dismissal, 11:30 am

ACCREDITATION

RELIGIOUS LIFE

Concordia was granted its second full six-year accreditation through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in June of 2009.  The next full accreditation visit will be in 2015.

Concordia Shanghai works from a spiritual context. Within this context students learn about the Christian faith, as well as the beliefs and practices of other faith traditions.  Challenging and encouraging students to grow in their understanding of spirituality and to become reflective spiritual beings are goals of our religious education program.  All students are required to attend instructional and chapel activities.

If you have any questions about religious studies, please feel free to discuss these with your child's homeroom teacher or with the administration.

GRADING AND REPORTING

We practice reflective learning strategies of assessment.  We help students become reflective, self-directed, life-long learners who take ownership for their learning.  Therefore, we use ongoing assessments within the classrooms, portfolios, student-led parent conferences and semester reports.  Goal setting is a priority during the student-led conferences.
Student-led parent conference days are not viewed as holidays.  Families receive a designated time for the student-led parent conference and are expected to keep their designated time.  If re-scheduling is necessary, teachers use specials times for these conferences so it does not take their time away from classroom preparations or personal family time.
 

  November 5    Students in Kindergarten – grade 4 lead parent conferences.
                           Preschool is in session.

  November 6    Students in Kindergarten – grade 4 lead parent conferences.
                           Preschool is NOT in Session.

  January 21 and 22     Preschool parent-teacher conferences are scheduled.
                                      NO SCHOOL for preschool children.

  January 22    Kindergarten – grade 4 written report cards are sent home with your child.

  April 8    Students in Kindergarten – grade 4 lead parent conferences.
                  Preschool is in session.

  April 9    Students in Kindergarten – grade 4 lead parent conferences.
                  Preschool is not in Session.

  June 10  Preschool – grade 4 written report cards are sent home with your child.

GENERAL

Students represent their home, the school, and in many cases their nation and church.  Conduct should be courteous and exemplary, both in school and in public, at the bus stop, on public buses, and in taxicabs. Additionally, Concordia expects students to be courteous and respectful of all adults, especially the Chinese guards, cleaners, cafeteria workers and bus/van drivers and monitors.

Students who display behavior problems on vans or buses jeopardize their privilege of using them.

1.       Quiet talking is expected inside. Loud, boisterous noise is appropriate outdoors or when organized and planned.

2.       Student movement is to be purposeful and considerate of others.

3.       Students are to keep deadlines and be responsible for daily assignments.

4.       All written work is to be neat and legible, and reflect the potential of its owner.

5.       Students are to actively listen when a peer or teacher addresses the class.

6.       Students are asked to respect others and to be courteous, helpful, and considerate of property and other people's feelings at all times.

7.       Students share the responsibility of keeping the school neat and clean. (i.e. chewing gum is not acceptable, litter should be picked up)  There should be no eating or drinking during class/instruction time, unless it directly relates to the class.

8.       Students remain with their class at all times unless permission to leave is granted by the teacher.

9.       Students are to respect all other guidelines established in their classrooms.

Cell phones are not to be used during school hours without permission of an administrator or teacher.
 

 Outside Classrooms

Students are expected to walk at all times on stairways and in corridors within the building.

Students are to stay to the right on stairs at all times.

Quiet talking only in the stairwells - no talking when moving through other communities.

Students are to use playground equipment safely and in the manner for which it was made.

Students are to remain on school property during school hours unless special written permission is given by the school nurse, principal, or unless accompanied by a teacher, parent or parent-appointed representative.

Skateboards, toys, and games should not be brought from home to be used at school unless special permission is granted by the student's teacher.
 

Assemblies and Performances

Students are to practice good audience participation in all assemblies and performances.

Students are to respect those leading assemblies and performances by listening and following directions.

When in the Rittmann Theater, students are to sit appropriately on the chairs and not put their feet on the chairs or on any bars, etc.  Food and drink are not allowed in the Rittmann Theater.

Arrival and dismissal at assemblies and performances will be orderly, quiet, and at teachers' direction

Before School

Students who walk to school or who arrive by private car or bicycle are to arrive between 7:45 and 8:00 AM.

Students who arrive before 7:45 AM will wait in the supervised Motor Skills area.

After 7:45 AM students should proceed directly to their classrooms.

Instruction begins at 8:00 AM.  Students may utilize the time from 7:45-8:00 AM to get materials organized for the day.

Bike Riders:     Students who ride their bikes to school should park their bikes in the designated area.

After School

Students leave their classrooms as directed by their teachers. 

School transportation riders go to their assigned bus/van line in the Motor Skills area at 3:20 PM. 

Preschool students riding school transportation are taken to their assigned bus/van line in the Motor Skills area at 3:20 PM.   

Preschool students not using school transportation are collected from their classrooms. 

Kindergarten and Grade 1-4 students going home by private car/bike/walking wait in the elementary commons.  

Students who have written permission to go home without adult supervision will come to the Motor Skills area at 3:20 PM and show their colored badge to the supervising staff who will dismiss them.

Parents, drivers, or ayis arriving at school to pick up students wait in the elementary commons, NOT IN THE HALLWAYS, so that children can get to the school buses and vans.

Students not collected by 3:30 PM will be brought to the elementary office where they can be collected.

Grade 1-4 students not collected by 4:30 PM during after school activity (ASA) times will be brought to the elementary office where they can be collected.

Unless special written permission is granted by the parent and/or teacher or unless involved in an after-school activity, students are to leave the school premises by 3:30 PM. Students may not play on the playgrounds or be on the field after school without adult supervision. 

Students participating in after-school activities should follow the same transportation procedures at the 4:30 PM.
 

Character Development

One of the most important things home and school can do together is develop students who are of sound, thoughtful character. Often a person's character has far more to do with success in life than a person's intellect or academic achievement. Our work together in helping students develop character reflects Concordia’s Mission Statement on educating the whole person.

Students at Concordia are:
  accepting of self and others.
  cooperative.
  developing leadership skills.
  able to face frustration positively.
  responsible.
  positive risk takers.
  able to make good judgments.

A proactive guidance program helps students learn strategies to work on these character traits at school or at home.  Teachers also work daily with students to develop their character.  Parents receive information on how their children are progressing in developing these traits through teacher comments on the report card and at conferences

Discipline

Students at Concordia know the satisfaction of living and learning in communities that care about each other.  Compassion, cooperation and responsibility are fostered through daily interactions recognizing that differences of opinion are respected while working toward the common good.  Rules and guidelines are also necessary to give structure to living together as a group.  Additionally, Christian principles are stressed in classroom life and through our approach to discipline.

We believe all students have a desire to be accepted and to participate in their classroom community in a positive and constructive manner.  However, when words or actions cause difficulties within the community, teachers work with the student involved to resolve the difficulty.  If the difficulty involves more than one student, the teacher will first ask the students to try and resolve the difficulty between them without adult intervention.  The teacher, counselor, parents and/or administration may become involved, if necessary.

The counselor, teachers, administrators and parents work
 together to help students who have continual difficulty living and learning in our communities.  On occasion, however, a student's behavioral choice may lead to the termination of enrollment.

Early Leaving Policy

Concordia's program is planned for 180 days of instruction.  While fulfillment of routine academic requirements may be accelerated, maximum benefits take place when a student is physically present in class to interact with other students and teachers.

Early departures can present the following serious difficulties:
*Potential loss of continuity in school experiences and failure to bring adequate closure to the year and relationships with peers.

*A demoralizing effect on students remaining at school.

*Undue pressure and load on teachers assisting early leavers.

For these reasons we encourage parents to consider carefully before making summer plans and to make arrangements for their children to complete the full school year.

If you are considering withdrawing your child at an early date, you need to submit a written request to the principal explaining the necessity of early departure at least three weeks in advance of the planned date of withdrawal.  Please include in the letter whether your child is returning to Concordia next year or is permanently withdrawing.  Also include the child's name, grade, teacher, and last day of attendance.

In all cases, it is important at the time of early departure at the end of a school year, for parents to fully understand the decisions that have been made regarding grade placement, completion of courses and course credit.

Field Trips

As a part of the total learning experience in Shanghai, classes may take field trips.  These field trips fit into the objectives of our course of studies and are not considered optional for students.  Teachers research the field trip sites to ensure they are safe for children.  Costs such as transportation or admission fees and/or lunch costs, if the tour is an all day tour, will be assessed.  Concordia encourages parents to participate as chaperones on these field trips.  Notification of the trip will be given in advance and signed permission slips are required.

 Home/School Communication

A student's school life is greatly enriched by a family that is well informed and active in school affairs. Concordia welcomes your involvement and encourages close ties between parents and school. Therefore, in addition to the conferences and the formal written reports, each teacher or community will communicate regularly with the home regarding student progress.

Conferences are not limited to those pre-scheduled. If you have any questions concerning your child's schoolwork or other school matters, please email your child's teacher and arrange an appointment.  It is important to make a scheduled appointment when you wish to see a teacher.

Please do not call the teacher during school hours as this may disrupt the class program. Messages for teachers may be called into the school office and will be given to the teachers. The teacher will return calls and email as soon as possible.

Homework

Concordia believes that homework is an effective tool for learning.  It is used…
  to reinforce lessons;
  to gain mastery of materials and skills already taught; and
  as an outcome of a student's experience or activities which aid in developing independent study habits.

Homework will be required only as needed and will be evaluated when handed in.

Time guidelines for a maximum of four nights a week are:
Gr. K    15 minutes maximum, occasional basis
Gr. 1-2  30 minutes maximum per night assigned
Gr. 3-4  60 minutes maximum per night assigned

If a student requires more than the suggested time on a regular basis, parents are encouraged to speak with the teacher. All work sent home is an extension of work taught and begun at school, but should homework still not be understood by a student please return it to school unfinished with a note.

We recognize that education is a partnership with parents and school working together. Parents are encouraged to support their child's efforts at home by helping to provide a quiet, structured environment for learning.

Mandarin may require approximately 20-30 additional minutes of homework per night. This may consist of reading, writing, practice in speaking and response, and cultural activities.  Children in the Chinese as a Foreign Language stream are encouraged to daily review the vocabulary and phrases learned in class at home.

If a student requires more than the suggested time on a regular basis in order to finish Mandarin homework, please discuss this with the Mandarin teacher. Students may require extra practice, help or tutoring.
 

Lunch Program

The Eurest hot lunch program is voluntary.  Microwaves are available if a students wish to bring their own lunch.  Plastic bins are also available in the Parent Corner to the right of the main entrance for leaving hot lunches.

Eurest, a major international caterer, provides hot lunch service at Concordia.  On a daily basis Eurest sells lunches using a smart card system.  Money may be added to a student’s card before school.  The price is 27 RMB per meal and will normally include the following:
                One entrée or soup
                Two main dishes
                Two vegetables
                Milk product
                Dessert
                Fresh bread and steamed rice

Some of each main and vegetable dish is put on each student’s tray.  Students may have second helpings.  A pre-order sandwich option is also available. 
If you have questions or comments regarding the lunch program, please address them to Curt Larson, business administrator, curtl@ciss.com.cn.

Elementary Lunch Schedule

Re-Registration/Transfer/Change of Address

Students re-register for the following year on a form provided by the school during the months of February/March.

For transfer, written notice should be given to the registrar's office at least three weeks prior to the time of departure so that the transcript can be prepared.  At the time of the withdrawal of the student, Concordia will provide a Verification of Enrollment Letter to be presented to the school where the student is admitted. Concordia will forward academic, health, and test records upon request.  Before transcripts, transfers, or final report cards can be issued, all fines for library damages or lost books/network cards must be paid.

Any questions concerning re-registration, transfer or end-of-year procedures should be addressed to the school office. 

Changes in address or telephone number should be communicated to the school office

End-of-Year Withdrawal Procedures

At the end-of-year and before final report cards can be issued, all fines for library lost and/or damaged books must be paid, as well as any outstanding fees owed Eurest or the Business Office.  The Admissions Office has a special form that must be signed by these various areas, culminating with a signature from the Director of Admissions. 

Form is included with this Handbook.

Security Measures

The main entrance of the elementary school will remain unlocked throughout the school day, 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM.  However, students should not be on campus before 7:45 AM or after 3:30 PM, unless they arrive by school transportation in the morning or are in a sanctioned after school activity in the afternoon.  Students may not remain in the building without adult supervision.

All parents, ayis, drivers and visitors who come into the elementary building and wish to go to a homeroom area or the library during school hours, 8:00 AM -3:00 PM are required to show their ID card or sign in and out at the guard’s table, either at the Mingyue Road or Huang Yang Road gates.  Visitors will wear a badge throughout their visit.  Students who need to return to campus after school hours or on weekends must show an ID card to enter/exit.

Parents, ayis or drivers delivering lunch to students should do so only when it is the student’s lunch time.

 

Seven-Day Schedule

The seven day schedule allows us the flexibility in our scheduling to easily accommodate special area classes.

All school days are numbered consecutively, one through seven, with one cycle of seven day following after the other.  Students will always have assigned specials on a given day of the cycle, i.e. if art is on Day 2 and Day 6, it will always be on these days rather than on the two days of the week, Monday-Friday.
 
If a day is missed due to weather or other unexpected change in the calendar, the numbering of days will remain the same. They will not be renumbered.

       Each family receives a colorful printed calendar with days of the cycle noted.  Newsletters also include calendar happenings with days of the cycle.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Concordia parents are expected to be involved in the education of their children.

Volunteering provides an excellent way for you to experience our educational program. Parent volunteers assist in the operation of the school. Working in the library/media center, acting as a resource in the classroom, providing clerical help, chaperoning school parties, and going on field trips are a few ways that you can offer help.

Attendance, following the school dress code, and prompt arrival and departure are the responsibility of both parents and students. Adherence to bus rules is also a joint responsibility of parents and students. 

Parent cooperation is extremely important and appreciated.

PARENT SUPPORT ORGANIZATION (PSO)

All parents are members of the Parent Support Organization (PSO).  PSO meetings are held once a month in the school premises while school is in session.  Members of the school leadership team regularly attend the PSO meetings.  Information is posted on ConcordNet and in the weekly Friday Community Bulletin, printed from the Head of School’s Office.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Parent Support Organization is to help build a spirit of community at Concordia through 1) parent volunteer leadership for various PSO-sponsored events, 2) parent volunteer support for various school-sponsored events, and 3) parent participation in and support for various parent "education" events.

MMR

12 -15 mos

4-6 yrs

DTaP/DPT/Tdap

2 mos

4 mos

6 mos

15-18 mos

4-6 yrs

Booster     11-12 yrs

Polio

2 mos

4 mos

6 mos

4-6 yrs