Lower Primary School Parent Handbook - DragonNet - Hong Kong ...

n We believe that teachers actively contribute to each student’s learning
through their expectations, teaching strategies and commitment to learning.
Therefore, we have high expectations of students and scaffold learning to support
increased levels of understanding, consistent with developmentally appropriate
practice. We regularly assess student learning and modify our instruction to match
children’s needs. We support children’s sense of self and growing awareness of
their abilities by establishing a positive environment in which student’s efforts are
valued and recognized. We guide and monitor student behavior and use appropriate
methods of discipline.
n We believe that parents have a critical role in contributing to their child’s
self-esteem and learning.
Therefore, we encourage parents to be involved in their child’s learning both within
school and at home and we regularly communicate with parents in various ways
about our program and about student progress.
n We believe that teachers nourish themselves as professionals by continuing
to learn at all stages of their career.
Therefore, we identify areas for our own personal and professional growth and
implement plans to strengthen our curriculum and instruction. We find ways to learn
from our colleagues and to share our knowledge with others.
the Religious Dimension of our Program
Hong Kong International School has its roots in the Christian faith and tradition. We
are aware that, as an international school, we serve students from a wide range of
religious backgrounds and experiences, both Christian and non-Christian. Our intent
is not to convert children to a particular religious point of view. We teach students
the basic tenets of the Christian faith and the ways of living that follow from it. We
also teach about other world religions. This is done in an effort to increase students’
understanding and respect of Christianity and other faiths, one of our school-wide
Student Learning Results. Through religion lessons, chapels and devotions, we hope
to enable students to grow in the understanding and appreciation of the spiritual
dimension of their lives. Spirituality is a journey of reverence, which explores the
meaning of our lives and connections with God, other people, and the world.
In today’s world, it is clear that it is important to become a religiously educated
person. A religiously educated person is someone who is capable of making a
personal commitment in the midst of pluralistic beliefs and life stances and is, at the
same time, ready to enter into genuine dialogue with people of other cultures and
other religious traditions so as to live in harmony with them. Religious education at
HKIS is an academic program about different religions that combines the mind and
the heart in developing academic understanding and a strong sense of one’s spiritual
identity.
Language Policy Across the Curriculum: english and other
languages
HKIS’s primary focus is to provide a high quality education with English as the
language of instruction. Our school promotes and celebrates a school climate that
values and appreciates cultural and linguistic diversity. In the context of our school,
every student, teacher, and parent has many opportunities to build community
through language. HKIS encourages everyone to be sensitive to how the use of
different languages affects others. Our goal is for everyone to feel included and
accepted. Therefore, in mixed-language groups outside the classroom, students
are encouraged to use a language common to everyone in the group. Although our
language of instruction is English, the occasional use of other languages in classroom
settings may be appropriate if there is a need to clarify difficult concepts with
someone from the same language background.
Lower Primary Parent Handbook 5